Pokemon Unova Adventure: A New Generation! (PERMANENT HIATUS)
by El Torro
Summary: Ready to make her dreams of becoming Champion a reality, Gray ventures to Unova with her new Pokemon, Unicus. Of course, things won't be easy with two organizations primed to take over the region, her strongest rivals yet, clashing personalities between her Pokemon, and a group of traveling companions that won't exactly see eye to eye. It's all just another step to become champion.
1. It's Not Always Black and White

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (A Pokemon covered in shadows hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls an object at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus and two other Pokemon)  
These memories will last forever (Two trainers stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus and two other Pokemon battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (Gray has flashbacks of losing to Marcus and Silver)  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus and two other Pokemon sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Oh man, it's time for my last story (I know I've said this before, but this is it, barring an insanely quick finish), and it's going be the best! I have massive expectations for this one, and it's going to be very similar to Kalos and Unova Adventure, but I'll also be mixing in aspects of the anime, so it's going to turn into it's own thing, I guess. Anyways, the first chapter is going to be pretty interesting, considering everything that'll happen. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Yeah, Bellator's making an appearance here (debut hype!) and will be quite the interesting fellow, especially when Gray starts catching some more Pokemon. I think he has the most potential, development-wise, of any of Gray's Pokemon, and his progression will be a subplot in the grand scheme of things_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, and even if you don't watch the anime (I don't, I just like to check in on serebii from time to time), I highly recommend watching the Mega Evolution acts. Just to summarize them: Alain's a badass, lol. And that was a really good guess with Hugh's sister. She'll be playing a big role, but it's not her. I guess you'll just have to find out ;)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lol, I couldn't help myself, I needed to get all of those chapters up and posted so I could finally unleash this. Also, thank you! That arc took a looong time to write, but I'm really glad you liked it. I'm confident this story will be infinitely better than the last, so the Purity Arc is just scratching the surface (when it comes to evil team arcs)_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Well, it might technically be over, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that'll kind of keep it alive (that'll be explained soon). Alain, N, and the girl will all bring their own elements of hype in different ways, which you'll get to see within this arc, so the good vibes will continue, especially with the team Gray'll have. And the train will be leaving shortly :3_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (m), level 5, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting - (Sandshrew)**

* * *

Staring out at the incredible skyline, Gray couldn't help but smile. Unicus, who was on her head, was dead asleep.

"Are you ready, Unicus?" Gray asked the Sandshrew that was resting on top of her head, similar to how Comis did when he was a Gligar. "I bet there are a lot of people right now that think they're going to win the Unova League."

"They won't if we have anything to say about it," Unicus stated with a confident tone, drawing a grin from Gray. "That Professor Juniper lady's supposed to pick us up, right?" the ground type inquired while looking at her trainer, who nodded in response.

"That's right. I hope her lab's nearby. That'd be really convenient," the teen muttered while stretching her arms out before she and Unicus were escorted off the boat with all the other passengers. "Now, she's supposed to have a sign for us that says-"

"GRAY! GRAY!"

"So much for the sign," the aforementioned girl mumbled, shaking her head at the thunderous screams.

Both trainer and Pokemon walked towards the sound of the former's name and found a young woman in her early thirties cupping her hands around her mouth. Her brown hair was tied and pointed upwards, almost like ice cream, and she was wearing a white lab coat with an undershirt and green skirt. As soon as she saw the duo, the woman beamed and ran over to them excitedly, catching Unicus and Gray off guard.

"Welcome to Unova! My name's Aurea Juniper, and I'm the Pokemon Professor of Unova!" the young woman greeted as she hugged Gray and Unicus. "Let's get out of here. Nuvema Town's a while away, and I'm sure you two would like to start traveling as soon as possible."

"Of course!" the duo exclaimed in unison as they followed after Professor Juniper.

After making their way off the docks, Aurea, Unicus, and Gray arrived at a truck and hopped in before taking off for Nuvema Town. Much like her personality, Aurea's driving was dynamic, to say the least. Speeding, sharp turns, abrupt stops. Safe to say Gray and Unicus feared for their lives the entire way to Nuvema Town.

"So, I saw you performed very well in both of the leagues you entered," the professor started, not knowing where to go with what she was saying. "It was really fun to watch both of your, but it sucked when you lost."

"Tell me about it," Gray muttered, making Unicus laugh until she gasped from Juniper's sharp right turn that nearly flipped the truck over. "Here in Unova, I'm sure I can win, and nothing's going to stop me!"

Juniper nodded at the proclamation and came to an abrupt stop once they reached a building in the quaint town known as Nuvema. Looking at her surroundings, Gray took note of the very few houses and paved roads connecting them to the laboratory. Unfamiliar Pokemon - Patrat and Pidove - scampered and flew around peacefully, not wanting to interact with any of the humans out and about.

"Please, come with me," the young professor requested, prompting Gray to hop out of the truck and follow the woman into her lab.

"This place looks way different than Saffron City," Unicus whispered to her trainer, who nodded as she stepped inside the lab, which was a disaster. Papers were all over the floor and aides were running around chasing Pokemon, yet none of it fazed Juniper, who seemed to think of it as normal.

Gray and Unicus, meanwhile, followed cautiously, not wanting to step on anything or run into the woman that were pursuing all of the Pokemon outside their capsules. Somehow, they managed to get through the disastrous front room and walked through a door that led to a much neater, and calmer room. Inside was a machine used for healing Pokemon, several cases full of Pokedexes and Pokeballs, and a table which had three Pokeballs on it.

"Hey, what's in here?" Unicus asked aloud as she went to tap one of the Pokeballs.

"Stop!" Juniper shouted, causing Unicus to curl into a ball in fear. "Sorry. Those contain the starter Pokemon of the Unova region, and they're reserved for three rookie trainers starting their journeys today. Actually, they were supposed to be here a few minutes ago. I wonder where they are."

000

"GET OUT!" a girl screamed as her two friends looked around sheepishly at the room they had just destroyed, which was done in an attempt to wake her up. "Get out right now!" she continued, stomping towards the two terrified teens, who exchanged glances before bolting out of the bedroom and out the house. Sighing, the brunette placed her hands on her hips and looked around at the room, which was covered in dirt and her clothes.

"I really hate those two sometimes," she muttered after walking towards her closet and grabbing the outfit she had prepared the night before. "I guess I'll have to get over that if I want to stay sane these next ten months," she continued, changing into the fresh clothes before looking in the mirror, smiling at her appearance.

She was wearing a baseball cap with her ponytail poking out the back and reaching her shoulder blades, while two, thick strands of hair rested on her neck. She was also wearing a sleeveless black vest with a white t-shirt and a pair of ripped jean shorts. Her black and pink combat boots matched her pink purse and the sweatbands on her left and right arms.

Walking down the stairs with a smile, the girl stretched her white arms over her head and yawned before spotting her mother at the front door.

"Remember, honey, come back here once you pick out your Pokemon," the woman, who looked exactly like her daughter, ordered. "Cheren and Bianca are waiting outside, too. You must've scared the hell out of them," the woman joked while shaking her head.

"When you see my room, you'll understand," the girl replied, bitter about the disaster. "And don't worry, I'll come back right away."

"Good. Now get going! You don't want to be late!"

"Okay. I'll see you later, Mom!" the girl shouted as she bolted out the door and spotted Cheren and Bianca.

The boy, Cheren, was wearing a blue vest and a white and red shirt underneath it. He repeatedly pushed his long black hair away from his glasses with his fair, right hand, and turned when the girl walked towards him.

Bianca, the girl sitting next to Cheren, was wearing a green hat over her long yellow hair, and her bright green eyes matched her purse. She also wore an orange top, white blouse, and a pair of orange nylons with yellow flats, and she beamed when her friend walked over.

"Are you ready to go, White?" Bianca inquired with a bubbly tone, making White roll her eyes as she walked past the blonde and Cheren, prompting them to follow after her. "I can't believe we're finally going on our Pokemon journeys! I've been waiting so long for this!"

"Bianca, have you even brushed up on what you're supposed to do when traveling?" Cheren asked snobbishly as he adjusted his glasses with his right index finger.

"Of course not. I want to be surprised by this experience!" Bianca exclaimed, causing White to sweat drop while Cheren sighed in disgust at the stupid answer. "You know, reading a book doesn't prepare you for anything, Cheren," the blonde continued as she and her friends turned around a corner and caught a glimpse of Professor Juniper's lab.

"Even so, it let's me know what I'm supposed to buy at stores, what to do if a Pokemon attacks, and-"

"We get it; you're a nerd," White interrupted before chuckling at her own comment, especially after seeing Cheren fume.

"White, that's not nice. You're only supposed to call Cheren a nerd behind his back," Bianca informed her friend, not realizing she had just told Cheren what she and White talked about when he wasn't around.

"When you're busy crying about not knowing how to set up a campsite, you won't be calling me a nerd," Cheren barked, glaring at White and Bianca.

"I thought we were traveling together!" Bianca shouted at Cheren, who shook his head while White nodded. Once the brunette saw Cheren's response, her face twisted and she grabbed a hold of the boy's collar, yanking him towards her.

"What do you mean we're not traveling together? This was your idea!" she screamed, shaking Cheren like a ragdoll.

"I want to experience this on my own, and so should you two," Cheren retorted, causing White to let go of him while Bianca looked like she was going to cry. "We all need to grow up and not depend on each other all the time. That's what we've done the entirety of our lives!"

White and Bianca turned away in silence, the former agreeing with Cheren's response while Bianca was infuriated about his sudden change of heart. The three friends traveled in silence all the way to Juniper's laboratory, and when they walked inside, they were greeted by the usual chaos of Pokemon running around and tearing up papers that were laying on the ground.

"Cheren, Bianca, White, it's great to see you all!" Juniper shouted as she walked towards the trio, who bowed immediately. "Follow me. I'll show you the starter Pokemon," the young woman announced as she walked towards the backroom Gray was waiting in.

After making their way to the backroom, the three rookies looked to their right and saw a brunette they had never met before. A Sandshrew was sitting on the girl's lap, and it stared at them curiously as they were directed to the table with three Pokeballs on it.

"So, in these Pokeballs are-"

"The starter Pokemon of the Unova region, Tepig, Snivy, and Oshawott," Cheren interrupted, adjusting his glasses.

Juniper nodded and smiled while Gray glared at the obnoxious teen, who seemed to be wearing skinny jeans.

"Very good, Cheren. I see you've been studying quite extensively," the professor said as the boy nodded. "As Cheren stated, these Pokeballs contain the three starters, who are grass, fire, and water types, respectively. Let me introduce them to you."

"Oh boy! This is so exciting!" Bianca squealed. "I've had my mind made up for the past three months!"

"So have I," Cheren stated before he and Bianca turned to White, who grinned and nodded.

"Me too. It took a while, but I finally know which starter I want."

"That's great, but it's mandatory that I reveal all three," the professor announced, silencing the group of friends. "Here they are!" the woman exclaimed while throwing all three Pokeballs in the air.

They all opened simultaneously, and Gray stared as three unfamiliar creatures appeared on the table.

"This is Snivy, a grass type," Juniper stated as she stood behind a tiny, bipedal snake that stood on the left side of the table. "Snivy are very fast and their defenses are exceptional when they evolve into Serperior."

Gray stared in awe and looked down at Unicus with a big smile, prompting her to smile as they rose to their feet to get a better look at the creatures, Unicus climbing up to lay on Gray's head.

"This is Tepig, a fire type," the professor continued, pointing at a quadrupedal pig, who smiled and let out a stream of embers from its nostrils. "Tepig are a popular choice amongst rookies because of their high attack and health once they're Emboar."

Unicus, who was resting on top of Gray's head, eyed the Snivy and Tepig intently before waving to them. Both Pokemon waved back and smiled, causing Cheren, Bianca, and White to turn around and look at Gray, who smiled along with her Pokemon. Bianca immediately ran over to Gray and shook her hand while her eyes flashed, causing the brunette to sweat drop.

"I saw you on TV for the Indigo League and Silver Conference! You did so well! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you! My name's Bianca," the blonde greeted, bowing to Gray.

"I'm Gray Plain, and this is my partner, Unicus."

"Nice to meet you," the Sandshrew said, waving to Bianca.

"Finally, this is Oshawott, a water type," Professor Juniper said loudly as a means of silencing the talking teens.

As soon as they turned, they saw a bipedal otter with a shell on its chest look around blankly before turning its back to everyone, causing Juniper to sweat drop while White, and Gray laughed. Bianca was too busy staring at Gray to realize what had just happened and Cheren glared at the water type that refused to acknowledge his presence.

"Now feel free to choose whatever Pokemon you'd like," Professor Juniper stated, looking at each of the three rookies.

"I will," Cheren announced, walking towards Tepig and grabbing the fire type's Pokeball. "We're going to become the most powerful team on the planet, Tepig."

The fire type nodded in response, and Cheren withdrew the pig before turning to White and Bianca, who hadn't spoken.

"You can go, Bianca," White stated. "After all, you've known who you wanted a lot longer than I have," the sixteen year old stated, making Gray smile while Bianca nodded furiously.

The blonde hurriedly made her way over to Snivy and extended a hand to the green creature, who looked up at Bianca.

"Damn," White muttered as Snivy hopped onto Bianca's shoulder and cheered along with the blonde. "I guess that means it's you and me, Oshawott," White informed the water type, who turned to inspect the girl before shaking his head adamantly.

"What's the matter with him?" White asked, offended that the Pokemon refused her as its trainer.

"Oshawott's very... selective," Professor Juniper said, sighing as she did so. "If you'd like, I can go get you a different Oshawott."

"Would you mind if it's a Snivy?" White asked, drawing a smile from the professor, who shook her head before grabbing a Pokeball out of her coat pocket and releasing the Snivy that was inside it.

"Hi, Snivy. My name's White, and we're going to be traveling together. What do you say? Want to come with me?" the brunette inquired.

Just like Bianca's, Snivy eagerly hopped towards White and latched onto the teen's shoulder before sitting down comfortably.

"I'll take that as a yes," White said, giggling as Snivy crawled up and rested on her head, just like Unicus normally did.

"Here are some Pokeballs and translators to start you off," Professor Juniper said to Bianca, Cheren, and White as she handed each of them the supplies. "I wish you three the best of luck."

"Thank you very much, Professor," White said to the woman before bowing and walking out of the laboratory with her friends, leaving Gray with Professor Juniper.

As soon as the three teens left, Oshawott shook his head and began punching in the direction that Cheren had been standing, cracking Unicus and Gray up while Juniper shook her head.

"You know, I bet you're a really strong Pokemon, Oshawott. Whoever you decide to team up with is going to be one lucky trainer," Gray commended while smiling at the water type, who cocked his head in confusion. "Haha. Good luck, Oshawott. Maybe you'll end up battling against Unicus and me with your new trainer. If that ever does happen, I can't wait!"

Shocked by the kind words from the girl he had met before, Oshawott stared at Gray intently before turning his back to her, drawing a laugh from the girl. What she didn't realize, however, was the he was reaching for his Pokeball, which he kicked at Gray. With quick reflexes, the eighteen year old managed to catch the spherical device, though she stared at it in confusion. Professor Juniper, meanwhile, gaped at Oshawott's sudden change of heart.

"Oshawott, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Juniper asked as the water type continued staring at Gray. He turned to nod and immediately shifted his gaze back to Gray before bowing to her.

"Professor, shouldn't Oshawott go to a trainer who doesn't have a Pokemon?" Gray asked, only to see the older woman shake her head. "Well, I'm definitely not mad about getting a starter, especially one as strong as you," Gray said to the otter with a smile. "Welcome aboard, Oshawott!" the eighteen year old cheered before zapping the serious Pokemon inside its capsule.

"Here, Gray," Juniper started, handing Gray five Pokeballs and five translators. "Good luck with your travels, and check in with me when you get to Striaton City. I'd like to hear how Oshawott does."

"No problem," Gray answered, nodding before turning to leave.

After exiting the laboratory, the Kantonian looked down at the Pokeball in her hand and smiled, placing her thumb over the water symbol placed above the white button.

"Come on out, Oshawott!" Gray yelled just before the creature materialized in front of her. "I don't think we got to introduce ourselves," she said to the tiny otter as she clipped a translator around his neck with a smile. "My name's Gray Plain, and this is Unicus," she stated, pointing at her starter.

"Hi," the Sandshrew said, waving to her new teammate, who nodded back solemnly. "You know you can talk now, right?"

"I don't like talking," Oshawott replied coldly, causing Unicus to sweat drop while Gray giggled and pulled out her latin dictionary. "What's that?"

"It's a book that I use to give all of my Pokemon nicknames based on their personalities," Gray answered politely. "Do you want one?" she quizzed, confusing Oshawott, who slowly nodded as he took his scalchop off his chest and began swinging it.

"I'm a warrior, so call me that," he demanded, prompting Gray to search for the word.

"Bellator. How does that sound to you?"

"As long as it means warrior, I don't care," the water starter answered bluntly as he pretended to avoid several attacks before a blade of blue energy trailed behind his scalchop, which he continued swinging, surgically slashing his imaginary opponents.

"C'mon, Cheren! I want to battle!" a girl whined from afar, grabbing Gray's attention. "Please! Let's battle!"

"Is that Bianca?" Unicus inquired, remembering the annoying blonde.

"I think so. Let's go check it out," Gray replied as Unicus hopped off her head and began rolling down the road at a blistering speed while Bellator stayed by Gray's side, remaining silent. "So, why'd you pick me to be your trainer, Bellator?"

The Oshawott shrugged, not caring to answer. Picking up on the water type's body language, she decided to quiet down, and walked with him in silence. After a minute or so of walking, they arrived in front of a house and saw Bianca and Cheren standing a few feet away from each other with their starting Pokemon by their sides. Unicus was standing in-between the two sides.

"What's going on over here?" Gray asked, looking at the two rookies, who looked right back at her.

"Cheren won't battle Snivy and me!" Bianca shrieked before pouting like a child, just like her Snivy, who perked up when she noticed Bellator. The grass type then flipped her translator off and began talking to her friend, who nodded before turning to Gray.

"Apparently that guy thinks she's too weak to battle him," Bellator explained while pointing at Cheren, who snickered at the words as he put both hands in his pockets.

"Why is that a big deal? I'm just trying to keep your Snivy from getting hurt," Cheren told Bianca, who stomped and shook her head adamantly.

"No way! We'll beat you!"

Meanwhile, inside the house the three trainers were standing in front of, White was showing Snivy to her mother.

"So now that you have your starter, do you know what you want to do?" the older woman asked, stumping White as she sat down on the stairs that were right in front of the door. "Never mind. Maybe if you travel with Cheren or Bianca, you'll find out what really calls to you."

"I wish I could, but Cheren wants to go on his own, and being with only Bianca would drive me insane," White answered while Snivy laughed at the comment. "I don't know, Mom, maybe I should just stay home for a while and let things come to me."

Snivy pouted at the response, but her head perked up when she heard screaming outside, prompting her to run towards the window in the kitchen and look out only to see Cheren and Bianca arguing while Gray stood in the middle of them.

"That wouldn't be fair to Snivy," White's mother opined while pointing at the Pokemon that was intrigued by the situation outside.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think your friends are about to fight right outside the house," Snivy announced, making White shoot out of her seat on the stairs and run outside with her starter following.

"What's going on here?" the rookie trainer interrogated, looking at her friends before realizing Gray was handling the situation. "You're Gray, right?" she quizzed, causing the older girl to nod. "I'm White Peak, and this is Snivy."

"It's nice to meet you," Gray replied before turning her attention back to Cheren. "Now why don't you just amuse Bianca and battle?"

"There's no point in wasting any time battling someone I know I'm going to beat," Cheren retorted, adjusting his glasses with his right index finger. "Tepig's a fire type, and Snivy's a grass type. All I have to do is use Ember, and it'll faint in two hits max."

Bellator glared at the egotistical teen and locked eyes with Tepig, who swiped at the ground and looked ready to charge. The water type's attention shifted, however, when he saw Gray and Unicus step forwards in unison, giving off a wave of power.

"We'll just have to teach you a lesson then," Gray stated, making Cheren laugh.

"No thanks. I don't feel like facing a weak Sandshrew or a lazy Oshawott. Let's go, Tepig," Cheren ordered as he turned his back to Gray and began to walk away.

Bianca stomped on the ground angrily as she teared up while White and Gray turned to comfort her, the younger of the two doing so slowly due to being shocked by her friend's cold words. Unicus and Bellator, on the other hand, glared at Cheren and Tepig until they disappeared. Both were infuriated by the harsh words he had for them, and were going to make the skinny jean wearing jerk pay. Before either Gray or White could say anything Bianca looked up and beamed while laughing.

"Oh well, I guess we'll just have to train hard and prove him wrong! Right, Snivy?"

"Yeah!" the grass snake answered emphatically as she hopped onto Bianca's shoulder and smiled at Bellator and White's Snivy.

"White, I can't wait to see you again, and maybe we'll have a battle," the blonde said to her friend, who nodded in response. "Gray, it was an honor to meet you, and I'd love to have a battle with you if you'd be willing to."

"Of course I would, Bianca. I promise we'll have a battle the next time we meet up."

Bianca nodded and turned away, walking down the road that led towards Accumula Town while leaving White and Gray by themselves.

"So, White," Gray started, causing the younger girl to turn around. "I guess we'll see you around, too." Bellator and Unicus nodded and the latter waved to White and Snivy as she started to walk with Gray and her new teammate. The rookie trainer, meanwhile, looked down at her starter and bit her lower lip before running after Gray.

"Gray, wait!" she shouted, making the older girl spin around. "Do you mind if we travel with you for a little while?"

Gray looked down at Unicus and Bellator, the latter of whom shrugged while Unicus nodded.

"The more the merrier."

* * *

 **Whew, that's quite a bit to digest in the opening chapter. First, Gray was given an Oshawott who's really serious, then she met Bianca, Cheren, and White, and at the end, she decided to let White travel with her for a little bit** **. And in case you were wondering, White was the girl in the last chapter of Johto. Next chapter, Gray will have her first rival battle, and Unicus and Bellator will get a chance to showcase their strength. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Do you like Bellator? Why or why not?  
** **2) What are your thoughts on Cheren, Bianca, and White?  
3) How do you feel about White traveling with Gray (at the moment)?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Bellator vs Snivy: Proving Power!"**_

 ** _Now traveling with White, Gray makes her way towards Striaton City in hopes of winning her first badge. However, she runs into Bianca, and they decide to battle! Will Gray be able to defeat her new rival?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 3: Kicking the Tires** **  
Chapter 4: Mega Battle: Charizard vs Swampert  
Chapter 5: Following the Heart's Desire  
** **Chapter 6: Dreamyard Trickster** **  
Chapter 7:** **Friends 'N Fights** **  
Chapter 8: Getting Schooled  
Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	2. Bellator vs Snivy: Proving Power!

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (Gray has flashbacks of losing to Marcus and Silver)  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Something feels weird, right? WRONG! Welcome back to chapter dos of PUA:ANG, everyone! We've got some action lined up here with Gray's very first rival battle in Unova, and you'll get to see just how strong Unicus and Bellator are. As for last chapter, Gray arrived in Unova with Tristan, met White, Bianca, and Cheren, was given an Oshawott, and then White and Snivy decided they'd tag along with Gray for the time being while they try to find out what they're going to do. Now, let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Haha, yeah. Production's going to go in the toilet, though, because I want to keep a pretty sizable distance between what I'll be working on and what's posted. I have a few chapters done for later arcs, but this arc... not so much :/ And, assuming I stick to my outline, this will be over a hundred chapters. Even if I don't, it'll still be around 80-90_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Yeah, I really wanted Owen to get one, but Empoleon kept that from happening (sadly). I think I mentioned at the end, very briefly, that White was the girl at the end of Johto, and I'm not really sure if her brother will make an appearance, because I don't know who it'll be. As for Bellator, I have two ideas of where the team will go, with one being co-powerhouses like Heatmor and Krookodile, and the other being like Garchomp and Infernape_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks! Just looking over the reviews, Bianca's personality is hit or miss, so I'll make sure to prioritize her (and Cheren) becoming more mature. As for Bellator, he wasn't in the original planning phase. In fact, he was a last minute addition_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Bellator hype! He and Unicus could potentially make a deadly duo. And you don't sound like an ass, haha. I didn't choose Whi-two because I didn't like Black/White 2 and thought it was just a cash-grab, so there's that. I'm sure White will grow on you, though, and I think it'd be pretty funny to have Whi-two (or whatever her generic name is) meet White_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Gracias, and Snivy was probably my favorite of the first stages for the Unova starters. It sucks to hear about your save file. As for rivals, I'm set for now, but I appreciate the offer!_

 **Defender31415:** _If he can back up his attitude, I'm sure Bellator will be an absolute beast. As for his aloofness, that will last for a little bit, but there will be a reason for it. He'll also progress socially as he gets to know Gray, Unicus, and future teammates, so he's going to make some strides as a character (instead of not only focusing on his battling)_

 **MerlockVonBaron:** _If you enjoyed that story, you're going to love this one (hopefully). In regards to Bellator, I like to think of him more as Ash's Frogadier (soon to be Greninja) with their personalities and the roles they'll play_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 5, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 5, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)**

* * *

Flocks of Pidove chirped overhead as Gray sat outside White's house, waiting for the younger girl to finish packing her supplies. In front of her were Unicus and White's Snivy, who were playing and getting along swimmingly, while Bellator was busy hacking at the air with his scalchop. As the wind began to pick up, Gray tucked her hair behind her ear so that it didn't blow in her eyes, and she smiled while looking up at the clear, blue sky.

 _"Maybe I'll get to see Chase and Tara! That'd be really nice. And I still have to call Noah, especially after I didn't see him at the Kalos League. Then again-"_

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Snivy inquired, snapping Gray out of her thoughts as she nearly fell off the tree stump she had been sitting on. "Sorry if I startled you," the grass type apologized, bowing repeatedly to the eighteen year old as she brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"Don't worry about it. So, what's up?" the brunette quizzed with a smile, easing Snivy's nerves as Unicus stood by her side.

"Well, Unicus was telling me that you're a really strong trainer and stuff like that, and I wanted to know if it was true," Snivy explained. "Like, apparently you were a semifinalist and quarterfinalist in the last two 'leagues' you competed in," she continued while making air quotes, causing Bellator to stop training and turn his head subtly so that Gray couldn't recognize that he was listening.

"Yeah, that's true, but it's not because I was strong. I was lucky enough to have a lot of awesome Pokemon help me along the way, and there's not a chance I could've made it that far without them," the Kantonian stated, remembering Owen had said something along those lines at one point or another. "Why do you ask? Are you interested in battling?"

"Meh," the bipedal snake replied, shrugging her shoulders before spinning around once White threw the door open with an anxious grin. "Finally! It's about time you got out here."

"Sorry about that. My mom wanted me to call up my brother and dad to tell them I was leaving," White explained, sweat dropping in embarrassment while Gray waved off the explanation.

"No need to worry. Why don't we hit the road?"

000

"So what's it like getting to travel all over the world, meeting new people and Pokemon?" White asked as she danced around, staring up at the sky with Snivy perched on her left shoulder."I'd imagine you'd get kind of lonely at times."

Gray shrugged. She was leaning against the base of a tree and took a swig of water, watching Unicus roll about excitedly while Bellator started walking towards her. All of a sudden, Gray's stomach began to growl, and she blushed in embarrassment, catching her Oshawott's attention. Without hesitation, the otter grabbed his scalchop and hurled it like a dagger at the branches above, cutting several apples off the tree. Once they hit the ground, Bellator picked up his scalchop and handed the fruit over to Gray, who smiled thankfully before extending a hand to pat the quiet Pokemon's head.

"You sure are a handy little guy," she commented, resulting in Bellator's expression turning to a scowl. He was caught off guard, however, when Gray picked up one of the apples and handed it to him with a warm smile. "Here. You have to be hungry."

Slowly, Bellator accepted the fruit and bowed to his trainer before springing into the branches above Gray, where he laid down and began eating by himself, not wanting to talk to anyone.

"White, catch," Gray called as she hurled two apples at the rookie trainer, who managed to snag both pieces of fruit, one of which she passed on to Snivy. "So, what made you decide to become a trainer?" the older girl inquired as Unicus rolled over to her side and graciously accepted an apple, digging into it as if she had been deprived of food.

"Well, my family's loaded with trainers, and I figured since I'm sixteen, why wouldn't I want to get a Pokemon?" White replied, sitting down a few feet away from Gray and Unicus, the latter of whom began to play with Snivy. "What about you?"

Gray laughed at the thought of her response, piquing White's interest before she answered.

"Well, there was this boy in one of my grade school classes that always told me he was going to be the best trainer ever, and I guess that rubbed off on me. Ever since then, I've wanted to become Champion of a region," Gray stated, vividly remembering the first time Noah had told her of his ambitions.

"Sounds like that boy's special," Snivy remarked, causing Gray to blush because of the sudden attention she was receiving from Unicus, White, and Snivy. Bellator, on the other hand, could've cared less about Gray's backstory as he repeatedly threw his scalchop against the branch he was sitting on.

"Not in a romantic sense, of course," White added, realizing how Snivy had made Gray - who deserved every ounce of respect from her and Snivy - feel awkward. "We don't want to intrude on that part of your life."

Laughing at the comment, Gray leaned back against the tree and took another bite out of her apple, shaking her head as she did so. Then, she began scratching Unicus' ear before the group heard a rather familiar voice ring in the air, almost as if it were singing. As the singing continued, a girl walked into sight and stopped as soon as she saw White, Gray, and their Pokemon camped out on the side of the dirt road.

"Bianca?" White questioned, confused as to how her friend was so far behind despite starting several hours before her and Gray. "What are you doing back here? I figured you'd be in Accumula Town by now," the girl, who looked strikingly similar to Gray, announced, causing Bianca to hang her head in shame.

"I was on my way, but then I saw a bunch of cute Pokemon and chased them. Then I... kind of... got lost," the blonde whispered, disgusted at the fact that she had gotten lost in an area just outside of her hometown.

"That's nothing compared to when I first started traveling through Kanto," Gray informed the rookie trainer in an attempt to cheer her up, which worked as Bianca smiled immediately and sat down next to the two girls. "My very first battle with my first Pokemon ever, Durus, was in front of everyone that was graduating from my school. And as luck would have it, Durus didn't listen to a single word I said, so I looked like a loser in front of hundreds of people, and their families too."

"Really? That makes me feel a whole lot better!" the cheery blonde exclaimed as she released her Snivy and another Pokemon from their capsules. "I did manage to catch one of them, though. Actually, it was more of him joining me, but I'll still take it."

As Bianca finished speaking, the tiny dog appeared in front of her and next to its teammate started chasing its tail. White and Gray immediately gushed over the cute creature, and it wagged its tail and barked happily at the attention while its translator was turned off.

"Lillipup, the Puppy Pokemon. Though it is very brave, it's also smart enough to check its foe's strength and avoid battle."

"Almost none of my Pokemon were caught by normal means. They all decided to join me," Gray replied, remembering the only one she had actually caught was Decorus. "And you're lucky. Lillipup's so cute!"

"He's strong, too," Bianca proclaimed, sticking her left index finger straight in the air. "I'm sure Cheren will accept our challenge now. Don't you think, Snivy?"

"Absolutely," the masculine grass snake replied as he turned away from Unicus and White's Snivy to answer his trainer's question. "I want to knock some sense into Tepig. I really hate that guy."

Intrigued by the topic of conversation, Bellator sat up and continued leaning against the tree branch several feet above Gray, but he kept his eyes on Bianca and her Snivy. Given the time both he and Snivy spent together at Professor Juniper's lab, Bellator knew exactly how the grass type felt about Tepig, and it wasn't hard to share the sentiment. After all, Tepig was quite the bully, kind of like Cheren.

"I'm sure you could take him on, Snivy," White's starter said to the taller of her species, who nodded in agreement. "And I bet Unicus could, too."

"Oh, you bet I could. After having to fight with Comis over food, I could take down an Ursaring with my hands tied behind my back," the Sandshrew joked while thinking of her closest friend, only to realize none of the others, except Gray, knew what she was referring to. Despite that, Bellator leaned towards the conversation with an intrigued expression on his face. Even though he had only known Gray and Unicus for a few hours, he felt, for whatever reason, a strange connection with them that he had never experienced before.

"Comis was a Gliscor, and my starter for the Johto region," Gray stated, clearing up any bit of confusion. "Anyways, Unicus is right. I'm sure Cheren and Tepig are strong, but there's no way their egos are any indication of their true strength."

After leaning too far, Bellator lost his balance and fell off the branch he was laying in. However, he was able to spin and land on his feet, making it look like he had planned the grand entrance, which was met with applause from the three girls and their Pokemon, causing Bellator to rub the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hey, is that the Oshawott from Professor Juniper's lab?" Bianca asked White in a hush whisper.

"Uh huh. He's really quiet, but nice," White said aloud, prompting Bellator to bow appreciatively before attempting to use his translator to speak.

"Is everything okay, Bellator?" Gray asked, preventing the bipedal otter from talking, which irritated him slightly. The feeling vanished, though, when he started to feel grateful for having a trainer that cared about his wellbeing.

"I'm fine, thank you. I just wanted to say that if either of you ever have a problem with Tepig or his weird, skinny-jean wearing trainer, let me know," the solemn Pokemon informed Bianca, Snivy, and Lillipup.

"The scary thing is, you would do something, too," White's Snivy joked, knowing full well Bellator wasn't intimidated by anyone, let alone Tepig. "It's a good thing I'm traveling with him and not Cheren," she continued, nudging Bianca's Snivy in the ribs.

"Thanks for that, uhm... what's your name again?" Lillipup asked politely after flicking his translator on, not wanting to disrespect the Oshawott standing by Gray's side.

"Bellator."

Lillipup, Snivy, and Bianca nodded in unison before the latter of the three rose to her feet and stretched her arms over her head.

"Well, we have to run if we want to get ahead of Cheren and win our first badge," the sixteen year announced. "Hopefully we meet up soon," Bianca said to Gray while bowing. "And we'll have to have a battle, White. I want to see how strong you get."

"Of course," the brunette replied with a fierce smile while she shook her best friend's head, which was just as legitimate as signing a contract.

"Wait," Unicus called to Bianca as she prepared to run down the dirt road towards Accumula Town, stopping her dead in her tracks. "Didn't you and Gray say you'd battle the next time you met back in Nuvema Town?" the Sandshrew asked, turning to her trainer before looking back at Bianca, who began scratching her chin.

"Oh yeah! You guys did!" White exclaimed as Snivy ran over and sat on her shoulder. "Now you both have two Pokemon, and I'm sure you could both use a tune-up.

Bianca nodded, knowing she needed to get stronger in order to defeat Cheren, while Gray nodded because she needed to prepare for the Striaton City Gym.

"Then it's settled. How does a two versus two battle sound, Bianca?" the experienced trainer queried as Unicus began to jump up and down excitedly while Bellator plucked the scalchop off his chest and held it out to his side while a blade of blue energy appeared around it.

"We're up for it!"

Both girls took ten steps backwards, making sure the dimensions of the imaginary battlefield were as accurate as possible. Once they were happy with where they were standing, Gray and Bianca turned to White, who took the cue and raised both of her arms in the air along with Snivy, who wanted to act as the referee with her trainer.

"This will be a two versus two battle between Bianca and Gray, where substitutions may only be made after a Pokemon has fainted. Furthermore, the battle will be over when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Now, choose your Pokemon!" the rookie trainer ordered as she pointed at her friend and the girl she was traveling with.

"Unicus, I choose you!" Gray exclaimed, pointing straight ahead with her right index finger.

"All right!" Unicus cheered as she rolled forwards before returning to her normal posture, her stubby arms tucked close to her white stomach.

"Uh... Lillipup, go!" Bianca yelled, her voice trembling due to her nerves.

Nodding, Lillipup hopped forwards and lowered himself to the ground while growling at Unicus, allowing the spirit of battle to surge through his veins. Unicus didn't take any offense to the hostile growls as she understood Lillipup was simply feeding off the excitement that came with fighting. After bowing to the pooch, Lillipup turned to Bianca in confusion, and the girl shrugged, so her first combatant returned the bow before resuming his growling.

While that went on, Bellator stayed close to Gray's side and narrowed his eyes as he analyzed Lillipup, taking note of the smallest of details, like the angle at which he was bending his legs, the distance between his stomach and the ground, and even the way his paws were positioned. Gray paid no attention to those details, however, because she didn't even think about it. Instead, she noticed Bianca's timid expression and opted to let the blonde figure things out on her own.

"This battle will be between Lillipup and Unicus! Bianca, you have the first move!" White said to her lifelong friend, who nodded several times while panting slightly at the rush of battle.

"Lillipup, try... uhm." Bianca paused nervously and pulled out her Pokedex to scan Lillipup's moves. Once she read over them, Bianca muttered something under her breath and took a slight step forward. "Try using Bite!"

Barking to confirm he had heard what Bianca ordered, Lillipup began wagging his tail excitedly before charging along the dirt road and towards Unicus, who simply stood in the same place while scratching her ear almost as if she didn't know she were in the middle of a battle.

"If you're going to attack, we'll just use Defense Curl!" Gray retorted, drawing a nod from Unicus.

Suddenly, the ground type curled up into a ball, and a green ring of light began to spin around her body. Once it disappeared, Unicus' shell flashed silver for a second and looked like it had been strengthened by the strange body of energy. As soon as Lillipup bit Unicus' shell, he yelped in pain and began to run around wildly before sitting down and covering his mouth with his front paws, which terrified Bianca. What scared her even more was the fact that Unicus didn't seem to take any damage.

"How is it that Bite didn't do anything to Unicus?" the blonde inquired.

"By boosting her' defense, Unicus was able to take a lot less damage than she would have," Gray explained as she shrugged nonchalantly, causing Bianca to curse. "Now use Poison Sting!"

Unicus opened her mouth and fired waves upon waves of poisonous purple needles at her opponent, and Bianca was shocked by the sudden attack Gray had ordered. However, she was able to calm herself and speak to Lillipup just in the nick of time.

"Dodge it!"

Lillipup attempted to jump out of the way of the poison type attack, but he was too slow to do so. Bianca gasped as she watched her newly caught Pokemon fall to the ground in pain, and a coat of purple light flashed around his body, causing Lillipup to cry out in pain. White, who was watching the scene, felt Snivy tug on the collar of her shirt, so she turned to see Gray throw her open left hand out to her side, which shocked the rookie.

"Keep it up! Get in close and use Crush Claw!"

Unicus nodded at her trainer's command and rolled into a ball before speeding along the road. Then, once she was close enough to her opponent, Unicus lunged forwards while her claws extended and began to glow crimson. Rearing both arms back, Unicus unleashed a vicious pair of slashes that landed across Lillipup's face, knocking the cute Pokemon into Bianca.

"Lillipup, are you okay!?"

"Lillipup can't continue! Bianca, choose your last Pokemon!"

"Thank you, Lillipup. Make sure you get a lot of rest," Bianca said to the injured dog as White tossed her a Potion, which she used to heal her Pokemon's wounds before withdrawing him.

"Great job, Unicus. I want you to come back and take a well-deserved break," Gray said to her starter as she knelt down and rubbed the Sandshrew's head gently, making the ground type crack a proud smile before she sat down next to White. Snivy immediately hopped off her trainer's shoulder once she noticed where Unicus was sitting, and the two started talking about something undecipherable due to the two turning off their translators.

Laughing off Unicus' antics, Gray turned to her right and smiled at Bellator, but the Oshawott kept a stone cold expression on his face, making the trainer sweat drop.

"Bellator, do you think we can work together if you go battle?" Gray asked, not wanting to suffer through another Pallet Town-like situation. The water stater didn't reply, and instead locked his eyes on Bianca as he walked forwards. Sweat dropping at the lack of a response, Gray looked down at Unicus, who was by her side, and the shrew simply shrugged her shoulders, not knowing why Bellator acted the way he did.

"Snivy, I-I'm counting on you!" Bianca shouted nervously as she looked over her starter's moves.

The larger Snivy jumped forwards eagerly and bent his knees while squaring off with his friend from Juniper's lab. Bellator, on the other hand, kept his blank look, which threw Snivy off while White and her Snivy giggled at the reaction before the teen spoke up.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Snivy! Begin!"

"Why don't we use a super effective attack? Slap Bellator with Vine Whip!" Bianca shouted, thinking she could knock Bellator out with one Vine Whip attack.

Sharing the same train of thought, Snivy nodded at Bianca's words and grunted as two vines shot out of his neck. Then, they closed in on Bellator and wound back to slap him as hard as they could, but that presented an opening for Gray and Bellator.

"Dodge it and use Water Gun from afar!" the brunette countered.

Bellator shot into the air and landed on the tree branches off to the side of the road, which annoyed Snivy and Bianca. Pouring salt in the wound, Bellator reared back and unleashed a powerful blast of water that crushed Snivy and sent him rolling past Bianca and into the base of a tree. Satisfied with his work, the water starter crossed his arms over his chest and stood on the tree branch imposingly.

"Wow, Snivy! Gray sure is a quick thinker," White commented as she stared at the older girl in awe of her talent.

"Yeah. And Bellator's decision to attack from the trees was quick thinking too," Snivy added, staring at the Oshawott in awe.

Bianca suddenly broke their states of awe when her Snivy rose to his feet and began running forwards.

"If you can't hit him from there, lower his defenses with Leer!" she commanded, not knowing what Gray and Bellator were going to do, nor how they could counter such a safe move.

The experienced trainer smirked as soon as she heard Bianca's words escape her mouth, and she threw her right arm straight towards her opponents, who weren't aware of Gray's actions.

"Now charge and use Tackle!"

Without hesitation, Bellator shot forwards and landed on the ground a foot in front of Bianca's Snivy, who was too shocked by the sudden movement to do anything. He then lowered his head and rammed into Snivy's gut, knocking the wind out of the grass snake as he was sent flying past Bianca at the speed of light, resulting in Bellator nodding at the power behind his attack.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Bianca shouted, stomping her right foot against the ground like a child, grabbing everyone's attention.

Gray and Bellator exchanged glances of confusion before turning to look at the fuming girl, who continued pouting like a child.

"You're not allowed to hit Snivy during an attack. Read the rulebook."

"Actually," White started as she looked up the apparent rule. "You're wrong, Bianca. Gray and Bellator have the right to attack as soon as you finish your order, or it's presumed that you do so."

Bianca deadpanned at the information and dropped to the ground to bow to Gray repeatedly, causing the eighteen year old to sweat drop while Bellator began to grow agitated. Once he realized Bianca wasn't going to stop, Bellator unleashed the strongest Water Gun he could, blasting the girl several feet backwards. Gray fought through laughter as she ran to her opponent's side and helped her off the ground.

"I am so sorry about that," Gray started, frantically waving her hands around while White, Snivy, and Unicus fought back tears and laughter.

"It's totally fine; I kind of needed that. Now, if I remember correctly, you just attacked, but I think I might've surrendered my turn because of that little interruption," the blonde said to Gray, who shook her head immediately.

"I don't care about those stupid rules. It's your turn, and White will give the signal to go."

Bianca nodded and Gray returned to her side before they both looked at White, who took a deep breath in order to refrain from dying of laughter.

"The battle has resumed, and Bianca will be attacking! Begin!"

"Okay, Snivy, let's use your strongest attack! Throw Bellator against a tree with Leaf Tornado!"

With a smirk on his face, Snivy began to whip his tail in a circular motion, creating a tornado of leaves. Then, he pointed his tail directly at Bellator and struck the water starter, who was thrown through the air and towards the trees to the side of the road. Gray, however, was able to use the terrain to her advantage, showing off her experience while letting Bianca know she had much to learn.

"Spin like a top and plant your feet against the tree!" Gray shouted after cupping her hands around her mouth.

Bellator did just as he was told and began to spin like a top, allowing him to regain control of his flight pattern as he extended both of his legs and landed against the tree.

"Great job! Now use that momentum like a spring!"

Grinning, Bellator launched himself towards Snivy and Bianca like a missile with a shocking amount of speed that was attained thanks to Gray's idea of using the tree as a springboard, and Bellator's perfect execution. Unicus, who had witnessed both Leviculus and Acer pull off the acrobatic feat during the Silver Conference, couldn't help but rub her eyes, which she had thought deceived her. Seeing Bellator, a Pokemon who was fresh out of Juniper's lab, execute such a maneuver to the degree of two highly trained Pokemon was an absolute shock, to say the least.

White and Snivy tracked Bellator as he zipped through the air, his arms tucked into his sides and his tail taped to his back as a means of gaining more speed. Both trainer and Pokemon had their jaws hit the ground as they watched what seemed to be something from a movie, or a fiction 'book' written by someone on the internet that posted such things regularly to a large, and totally awesome audience.

Bianca and her Snivy were simply unable to do anything, as they were too awestruck to even think.

Noticing the expressions on her opponents' faces, Gray chuckled to herself before violently throwing her right fist forwards, snapping Unicus out of her trance.

"Bellator, finish this up with Razor Shell!"

Grabbing the scalchop with his right hand, Bellator let out a slight grunt as he spun and slashed Snivy across the chest, knocking the grass snake to the ground like a sack of bricks.

As soon as she saw the state Bianca's starter was in, White threw her arms in the air along with her Snivy.

"Snivy can't continue! That means Gray, Unicus, and Bellator are the winners!" the sixteen year old announced as she pointed at Gray and her two Pokemon.

"Great job, Bellator!" the young woman exclaimed as she ran over to the Pokemon Professor Juniper had given her and embraced him. "I don't think I've seen such an impressive first battle from any Pokemon I've caught!" Gray shouted as she held Bellator out, only to realize he was scowling at the physical contact. As soon as she placed him on the ground, Gray noticed Bellator's angered look disappeared, and he went back to having his usual emotionless demeanor.

"I'm so sorry, Snivy," Bianca whimpered while sniffling. "I'm not cut out to be a trainer like Gray, or Cheren, or White."

"Hey, don't say that," Gray snapped, causing both White and Bianca to give her their attention. "You tried your hardest, right?" the older girl paused and waited for Bianca to respond, which she did with a nod. "That's the first step to becoming a good trainer, Bianca. If you don't have any confidence in yourself, your Pokemon won't have any confidence either, so they look to you to provide that spark. I may have only met you earlier today, but from what I've seen, you have what it takes. Sure, you were a little nervous, but this was also the first battle you had against a trainer, so that's totally natural! You're not going to win every time. Trust me, I know."

White and Snivy marveled at the speech Gray delivered as Unicus nodded along to every word, reaffirming her trainer's statements. Bellator, meanwhile, stood in shock, though his face didn't show it.

 _"I never knew people could be so supportive of each other, especially when they're rivals and competing to accomplish the same goal. Maybe my gut was right when it told me Gray was different."_

The Oshawott nearly cracked a grin while thinking to himself, but shook his head and stopped as soon as he realized what he was doing. After noticing Gray had finished speaking, Bellator turned his attention to Bianca and watched as the sniffling teen rose to her feet, still cradling Snivy in her arms, and she had an ear-to-ear smile stretching across her face.

"Thank you, Gray. I promise I'm going to work harder than anyone else, and you'll get to see the results of our training the next time we battle," Bianca declared, extending her hand to the older girl, who smiled and shook it without hesitation, taking Bellator by surprise.

"That's what I like to hear."

"And, White," the blonde said to her friend, who stared right at her. "You're going to need to train with Gray if you want to keep up with Cheren and me."

Smiling, White nodded and so did Snivy as she hopped onto her trainer's shoulder.

"Bellator, Unicus, we'll give you a better fight the next time we battle," Bianca declared.

The aforementioned Pokemon nodded and bowed to the blonde, who bowed in response before waving to Gray and White as she prepared to leave.

White waved her friend goodbye as Bianca ran down the road, racing to Accumula in order to heal her injured Pokemon. Once Bianca was out of sight, White walked over to Gray and waited for the older girl to speak, which she did.

"I can't wait to battle her again. Now come on; I want to go get my first Gym Badge!"

* * *

 **Bellator is a beast. He made quick work of Snivy, and Unicus beat the crap out of Lillipup. Clearly, Gray's on a different level than Bianca, and her Pokemon are looking really strong so far, compared to their Kanto and Johto predecessors. Anyways, next chapter will shift the focus towards Team Flare and Lysandre. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Kicking the Tires"**_

 _ **Team Flare, specifically Lysandre, begin plotting their schemes of how to take control of Unova and summon the Ultimate Weapon. What exactly will they have in store?**_

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 4: Mega Battle: Charizard vs Swampert  
Chapter 5: Following the Heart's Desire  
** **Chapter 6: Dreamyard Trickster** **  
Chapter 7:** **Friends 'N Fights** **  
Chapter 8: Getting Schooled  
Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	3. Kicking the Tires

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (Gray has flashbacks of losing to Marcus and Silver)  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Howdy, folks! Time for a Flare focused chapter, which will reveal some huge things to come, and could open the door to something I'm very excited about (though it's highly likely nothing comes of it). Anyways, last chapter centered around Gray and Bianca having a two versus two battle, which Gray won with ease. Both Unicus and Bellator looked really impressive, and that could be a sign of things to come. Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! Gray's definitely a lot better than she was when she started, and better than Owen was going into his third region. Then again, she's eighteen while Owen, when in Hoenn, was twelve. And no thanks needed; tis but the truth (is that even correct?)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Such sass, lol. I didn't include anything about Bianca's dad because, while it was a nice subplot that furthered character development, I felt like it was unnecessary, especially because her rivalries with Cheren, White, and Gray will serve the same purpose her dad did. As for Bellator, he could be so long as he isn't released ;)_

 **Hotrod198:** _Wow, words. Lol, thanks for the in-depth review. Originally, Gray was supposed to lose to Silver in the semifinals, but his lack of development kept that from happening (so yeah, my fault). That nitpick though, haha. Flare will get a much larger role than Purity because, to be honest, I had no idea what I was going to do with Purity while I have a very clear idea of what I want to do with Flare. Alain will certainly be a badass, especially with the way he'll interact with Flare. Bellator will basically be the Pokemon equivalent of Alain (badass, wise), and the rest of Gray's Pokemon will form a very interesting cast. Some of their personalities will be bland at first, but I'm making it a point of emphasis to show how different they are/will be from each other_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Xerneas and Yveltal won't be appearing, and I'm not sure about Kyurem. Traveling companions are still being sorted out, though I'm thinking it might just be a revolving door with temporary roles filled by several people. Hopefully Bellator and Unicus can keep it up. Unova hype!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Hazah! Gray and her team were nothing short of excellent, and I really liked that about Bianca since it gave her some originality, which I'm hoping to expand upon. As for Team Flare, nothing epic will be done by them, but they're going to be really active starting next arc_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 8, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)**

* * *

Slowly turning to his right to look out the window, a tall man cringed when he heard the leather seat he was resting in squeak. Once he was comfortable, he peered out the window and looked down at the puny region below him, drawing a wicked smirk. Satisfied with where he was, he pulled down the window cover and leaned back, again cringing at the squeaking leather, and closed his eyes while leaning back in his luxurious chair.

Soft footsteps caused his ears to perk up, and the man slowly turned his neck to the left and cracked a smile when he saw his loyal partner sitting, wagging his tail eagerly.

"Are you ready, Lysandre? Today's the big day," the creature asked with a smile.

"Of course I am. We've been preparing for this day for a long time," the red haired man replied, petting the Pokemon's head as he closed his eyes. "Everything will go according to plan, so long as we keep our heads down and stay out of the news."

Silence fell over the two until the intercom made a noise, alerting Lysandre and Pyroar that the captain of the plane was about to speak.

"Sir, we're about to prepare for landing," the timid captain announced before turning off the intercom as Lysandre and Pyroar strapped themselves in just as the plane began to descend.

Clenching the armrest with both of his hands, Lysandre closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Gravity was beginning to yank him towards the ground, and at an alarming speed. His hearing finally returned to its normal state after reaching a lower altitude, but his heart was racing. Faster. Faster. Faster. Nothing could slow it down. Sweat dripped down his forehead and trickled onto his suit until the plane suddenly leveled out and the backend slammed against the surface, letting out a high-pitched cry before the front slammed down and the plane eventually reached a halt.

Opening his eyes, the redheaded man let out a sigh of relief and pulled out his pocket square, wiping his brow before tossing it aside in disgust. After finding its gate, the entrance to the plane opened, and Lysandre waltzed off with Pyroar only to be swarmed by a crowd of insolent humans, both young and old, skinny and fat, smart and stupid... no, just stupid.

"Can I have your autograph?"

"What allowed you to be so successful?

"Is your hairstyle inspired by your Pyroar's mane?"

Scowling at the questions, Lysandre simply slammed his way through the crowd of fools, following Pyroar's lead, and he strolled towards three large bodyguards. Nodding at the men, Lysandre grinned when they formed a triangle around him and Pyroar, and they hurried out of the airport and out to the parking areas, where an enormous stretch limo waited for the wealthy man and his prized Pokemon.

"Thank you very much, gentlemen," Lysandre said, handing each of the men hundred dollar bills before disappearing inside the incredible automobile while the three hulking men bowed appreciatively before marveling over the simple pieces of green paper, causing the wealthy male to shake his head in disgust as he left the airport.

"That was a very kind gesture of you," Pyroar said, smiling at his trainer's kindness.

"No, it was a test," Lysandre replied robotically. "They failed, by the way. For such colossal men to be manipulated by a simple piece of paper truly depicts the state in which the human brain is in. How disappointing," he muttered while taking a phone out of his pocket and dialing a number.

Sighing at the actions of his trainer, Pyroar laid down on the leather seating and yawned, resting his head on his paws before closing his eyes. They opened, however, when Lysandre spoke up.

"Alain, how are things going?" he asked, leaning back in his seat while cracking his back. "I see you've been having quite some fun using Mega Evolution. Has anyone actually forced you to use it?"

"Of course not," the young man on the other end of the call replied, offended that his boss thought someone could test him in battle. "Charizard and I are just doing it to help you with your research."

Smiling, Lysandre ran a hand through his hair and looked out the window of the door, seeing dozens of people along the streets of Mistralton marveling at the sight of his limo.

"I appreciate that. Also, there are two powerful trainers in Nacrene City that are the captains of the Battle Subway, and they could present you with a challenge you're not getting in battling those pathetic trainers you've wasted your time with."

"Right. I'll contact you when we get there," Alain replied.

"Good. I look forward to hearing how you do."

With that, Lysandre ended the call and tossed his phone forwards, not caring if he broke it. Closing his eyes, Lysandre attempted to drift off to sleep, but he was unable to thanks all to that blasphemous phone ringing. Enraged that his slumber had been disturbed, Lysandre reached forwards and ripped the phone open.

"What!?" he barked.

"Ly-Lysandre?" Professor Juniper asked timidly, causing the man to shoot upwards and remove his glasses.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Aurea. These damned telemarketers keep calling my phone, and I don't have caller ID," Lysandre fibbed, causing the woman on the other end of the call to laugh hysterically.

 _"Ugh, laughter. I hate that shrill, repetitive sound all humans make, regardless of the situation."_

"Hahaha," Lysandre chuckled forcefully, rolling his eyes as he did so. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" the giant man asked as he looked out the window to see that he was now in the middle of nowhere.

"Well, I saw your press conference about going to Unova, and I figured I'd drop you a call and try to get together some time."

A wicked smirk spread across the man's face as soon as he heard Juniper's words.

"I'd love that. When shall we meet?"

* * *

 **Dayum, son. Lysandre's making some moves and he's already in Unova. Of course, I've still got some tricks up my sleeve and will hold off on revealing a pair of major character that will appear. However, I don't want to force him/her into the story, so they could be scrapped, so you'll find out about their addition or deletion in one of two arcs coming sometime in the middle of the story. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) What's your opinion on Lysandre's personality? (I think I already asked this, but I can't remember)  
2) Alain hype?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle: Charizard vs Swampert"**_

 ** _Alain and Charizard quickly find themselves their first opponent, who just so happens to have a Swampert that can Mega Evolve. Deciding to duke it out and wager their Mega Stones, will Alain be able to walk away one stone richer?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 5: Following the Heart's Desire  
** **Chapter 6: Dreamyard Trickster** **  
Chapter 7:** **Friends 'N Fights** **  
Chapter 8: Getting Schooled  
Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	4. Mega Battle: Charizard vs Swampert

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (Gray has flashbacks of losing to Marcus and Silver)  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey hey hey! I was too pumped to wait until tomorrow, so here's a chapter focused on Alain and Charizard, where they'll be taking on a trainer (with a Swampert) in a Mega Battle. You probably could've guessed that from the title, though. This particular battle won't be as intense as the ones Alain will be involved in later, but I still think it turned out pretty well. Anyways, last chapter revolved around Lysandre arriving in Unova and scheduling a meting with Professor Juniper, so things are off to a fairly action-packed start. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Jesus, that was vicious ;-; And there's very little chance (as close to zero as you can get) of Bellator actually being released. Then again, I'm up for throwing curveballs this time around, unlike Johto, so you may or may not be trolled (you will) with answers at some point_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _10 in a month is nothing to scoff at, that's a really high frequency of production. These chapters (all of this arc except chapter 5) have been written for the past few weeks, though, so it's not like I'm actually writing. And for the sake of preventing this from annoying people, even though I love it, the hype for Unova, in my opinion, is unreal right now. And I'd love to explain why I'd leave those three out, but that could possibly spoil what happens down the road_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Wild update fainted! Yeah, he's going to be pretty active, and Flare will be running into Gray in the early stages of next arc, so it's obvious I'm going to be focusing a lot more on action in this story, for the most part. That's also good to hear! The main difference between this version of him and his game counterpart will be that he's actually threatening! Inb4 Bellator vs Mega Charizard :P_

 **Defender31415:** _Thank ya, kind sir. Lysandre does hate humanity, and he's not human... he's secretly a Pyroar! I mean, come on! Look at his stupid hair! (Imagine if I actually had that happen, XD)_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 8, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)**

* * *

The rhythmic tapping of his boots hitting the ground synchronized with his partner's wings flapping, allowing the large amount of weight to remain airborne. Sighing as he stared at his Pokedex, Alain looked up and stared straight down the road he was walking along, disinterested in the idea of not finding a challenger near his skill level. Of course, he knew it was inevitable, given the fact that the new league year was starting, and very few people, if any were as serious about training as he was.

It had been about a week since he and Charizard arrived in Unova, and the only battles they had were with rookie trainers mesmerized with the fantasy of defeating the mighty Kanto starter, who was arguably the most popular Pokemon in the world. Each of the dozens of battles they had been in were nothing more than jokes given the discrepancy in both skill and experience, both of which were lacking in all of their opponents.

"It's been a long time since we've had a real challenge," the nineteen year old said aloud as he checked to see if Lysandre had sent him a message about a change in plans, which he hadn't. "That's kind of annoying, if you ask me."

Charizard, meanwhile, didn't share the same thought as his trainer, and instead enjoyed the fact that he hadn't had to face-off with a foe that could push him to his limits. The easier the opponent, the better, at least in terms of not wanting to get hurt from battle. While he continued flapping his wings at the same pace as Alain's walking, Charizard yawned and descended so he could walk instead, drawing a small smile from his trainer.

"How about we take a break for a little bit? You've been expending a lot of energy lately," Alain suggested.

"Oh, that'd be awesome!" Charizard exclaimed as Alain walked off the dirt road and found a clearing in the trees.

The pair followed a strange path through the trees and stopped once they looked at their surroundings. A body of water beneath a very small waterfall was straight ahead, and underneath a tree was a large rock resting in the shade. Without saying a word, both Alain and Charizard walked over to the rock, the former sitting on it while Charizard laid down on the ground. What they didn't realize was a young man around Alain's age talking with a Swampert that was in the water. The unfamiliar trainer and his Swampert looked over at Alain and Charizard, and he spotted Alain's keystone right away.

Noticing the strange looks he was receiving from the unfamiliar pair, Alain tried to not pay attention and began throwing pretzels to Charizard, who caught them with little effort. All of a sudden, Charizard and Alain were startled when the stranger and his Swampert stood a few feet away from them, staring at the Mega Bracelet wrapped around the nineteen year old's left wrist.

"Can I help you?" the black haired trainer asked standoffishly, causing the young man standing in front of him to flinch slightly before adjusting the glasses that had slid down to his nose.

He had long brown hair that made him look like Jesus, and he wore a yellow shirt with a Pokeball on it along with a pair of ripped jeans and flip flops. His tan skin showed that the trainer was familiar with the outdoors, and his brown eyes pierced through Alain's blue eyes.

"I couldn't help but notice that you had a Mega Bracelet," the trainer said as he untied his hair, which was in a ponytail. "I have one too," he announced, holding out the Mega Ring, which he had been using to tie his hair.

Grossed out by the use of the prized object, Charizard shot the homeless-looking trainer a look of disgust before locking eyes with his Swampert, who looked ready to battle.

"Is that so?" Alain asked rhetorically, hopping off the large rock he had been sitting on. "How about we battle?" he continued, bringing his left wrist up to his face to signal that he wanted to use Mega Evolution.

"Totally. Swampert and I have been looking for tough trainers to battle, so we'd be happy to. My name's Neal by the way," the young man greeted while extending a hand.

"Alain," the raven haired trainer replied, maintaining a stone cold expression as he brought his hand up against his heart. "You can have the first move if you'd like," he offered after taking ten steps away from Neal, and vice versa. "But first, let's make things interesting. Show us your full power!" Alain ordered, making Neal grin before he and his Swampert exchanged glances.

"Let's hope those aren't empty words. Now, Swampert, Mega Evolve!" Neal roared as he grabbed his ponytail and threw his other arm forward.

Swampert grunted loudly before golden beams of energy from Neal's Mega Ring shot out and began connecting with the stone attached to the necklace draped around the Hoenn starter's neck. Suddenly, Swampert was engulfed in an egg of energy and it broke open as a rainbow colored double helix appeared over his head, revealing Swampert and the changes he had undergone.

Alain carefully took note of how much bulkier Swampert looked, and so did Charizard, though the winged lizard actually displayed facial expressions while his trainer maintained the same bland look.

 _"If Swampert's that much bigger, he clearly has higher attack and defense stats. And while he may be faster, he isn't as quick or agile as before. But I'm not going to let that deter us from our strategy,"_ Alain thought to himself before placing his right hand over his Mega Ring.

"Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

While thrusting his left arm upwards, Alain watched strings of golden energy strike Charizard's Mega Stone, which was encased in a piece of metal around Charizard's neck that appeared to be more like armor. As soon as Charizard broke out of the egg that had swallowed him, he let out a menacing roar and looked completely different, with his skin being black and blue flames shooting out of his mouth.

"Okay, we're going to start now!" Neal informed Alain and Charizard, both of whom nodded. "Swampert, use Earthquake!"

"Alright, Charizard, Flamethrower! Let's go!" Alain countered immediately, throwing his right arm as high up as he could.

"Wow, that's some power your Charizard has. I can tell this is going to be a great battle!" Neal praised while Swampert nodded in agreement and stared at his arms, which had burn marks on them.

"We appreciate your kind words. Swampert's defenses are some of the best we've come across," Alain said in response, complimenting Neal and his Pokemon, who bowed thankfully.

"Enough small talk. Use Hydro Pump!" Neal shouted with an excited grin.

Swampert slammed his massive hands together and roared before shifting all of his weight back and opening his mouth. After a spiraling sphere of water appeared in front of his mouth, Swampert threw his weight forwards and shot a high-pressured blast of dark blue water at Charizard, whose wings shot open in a nanosecond while Alain was just as quick to react.

"Steel Wing!" the nineteen year old shouted aggressively, throwing Neal and Swampert off. Neither of them had heard such an aggressive tone before, though it wasn't one soaked in malicious intent. No, it was almost as if Alain's tone was the basis of his and Charizard's strength, which was incredibly strange.

Snapping out of his mental funk, Neal watched as Charizard shot off the ground and flew straight into the air while his wings grew twice as long and were silver. After performing an aileron roll, Charizard swooped down and roared as he prepared to crush Swampert, who was able to counter thanks to thinking on the same wavelength as Neal.

"Grab Charizard's wings and then use Ice Punch!" the longhaired trainer yelled.

As he lifted his colossal arms off the ground, Swampert somehow stood up despite the massive weight of his arms dragging him down, and he threw his hands forwards, catching Charizard in the middle of his attack. While Neal grinned, he realized Alain wasn't fazed by the predicament he was in, which was confusing to both Neal and Swampert. They soon found out why he wasn't worried, however, and Charizard grinned right before his trainer spoke, knowing full well what he had in mind.

"Now use Dragon Claw, Charizard!"

Bucking wildly, Charizard was able to break free of Swampert's grasp and two sets of neon green claws grew on his hands. The dragon type attack was exponentially larger than any other Dragon Claw Neal had ever seen before, and he watched as Charizard threw his right arm downwards, scratching Swampert's head and spiking him into the ground. An explosion occurred on contact and allowed the fire and dragon type to fly back to his trainer's side, where he kept composed while Neal looked on worriedly.

"Hang tough, Swampert! Answer back with Earthquake!" the young man shouted as Swampert struggled to get back on his feet.

Once he did, the water starter native to Hoenn let out a fired up roar and slammed his arms against the ground. Alain gasped in shock when he fell on his rear end due to how violent the shaking was, and a column of dirt shot out of the ground and struck Charizard in the chin, knocking him onto his back while he let out a pained grunt.

"Charizard, are you okay?" Alain asked, shocked by Swampert's strength while the water starter threw his arms in the air for a second and let out a victorious cry. As soon as Charizard nodded, Alain did too and threw his arm forwards. "Aerial Ace! Let's go!"

Charizard wasted no time in attacking, as he flapped his wings as hard as he could and took off like a jet. White streaks of light flew off his face, showing just how fast he was going, and the winged lizard crashed into Swampert, sending the huge Pokemon rolling past Neal before he smacked into a tree several feet behind his trainer, who turned around and looked on in shock. Letting out a sigh of relief when he saw Swampert walk back to the imaginary battlefield, Neal grinned and stomped on the ground, caught up in the heat of battle.

"We're not giving in yet! Swampert, use Hydro Pump!" the tan trainer commanded, hoping he could knock Charizard out with one good hit.

Swampert nodded in response before throwing his head forwards and firing a high-pressured blast of dark blue water at Charizard, who roared in response before taking to the air. Following his target, Swampert continued using Hydro Pump and Charizard continued dodging the powerful attack before hearing Alain's voice ring in his ears, instilling a newfound sense of confidence.

"Fly around it and use Dragon Claw!" the Kalosian shouted while throwing his right arm out to his side.

After opening his wings as wide as he could, Charizard roared and began flying around the blasts of water almost as if he were being flushed down a toilet. Then, a pair of enormous neon green claws formed around his hands, and he reared both arms back before slashing Swampert across the face, causing the water and ground type to bellow as he was thrown through the air, crashing into the ground right in front of his trainer before weakly getting back up.

"It's time we wrap this up! Hydro Cannon, Swampert!"

"Alright, Charizard, use Blast Burn!"

While Swampert was shrouded in cerulean blue water, Charizard was engulfed in spiraling blue flames. Rearing their heads back, both Pokemon threw their bodies forwards and unleashed their ultimate attacks at the same time. Colliding in the middle of the imaginary battlefield, the attacks began battling back and forth. Suddenly, Hydro Cannon began to prevail and it closed in on Charizard, prompting Alain to speak.

"Don't give in, Charizard! Show them how strong our bond truly is!" the Mega Trainer yelled, causing Charizard's eyes to shoot wide open before he unleashed all of his power.

In the blink of an eye, Blast Burn blew through Hydro Cannon and hit Swampert before exploding, sending the Hoenn starter straight into the air. Once he hit the ground, Swampert let out a low cry in defeat and reverted back to his normal form. Shortly thereafter, Charizard was covered in a blinding light and transformed back into his usual appearance, smiling at his victory while Alain walked over and began scratching his chin.

"Well done, Charizard. That was an excellent battle," the black haired trainer said before turning to eye Neal, who was kneeling by Swampert's side.

"Amazing effort, Swampert," Neal whispered as he rubbed the water type's head, making Swampert smile before he heard his opponent speak.

"You're very strong," Alain commended as he and Charizard walked towards Neal and Swampert, the latter of whom rising to his feet with the help of his trainer.

"Likewise," the younger boy replied sincerely, nodding at the victorious duo before extending his right hand, which was holding Swampertite. "Here. Just like we agreed to," Neal said as he attempted to hand the stone over to Alain. Surprisingly, the black haired trainer refused and turned his back to Neal, who glanced at Swampert with a smile before clipping the Swampertite back on the necklace Swampert was wearing.

"I'm not in the business of collecting Mega Stones," Alain stated as he spun around and looked Neal in the eyes.

"If that's not what you're doing, what's your goal?" the curious teen quizzed, causing Alain and Charizard to exchange glances.

"We want to every single Mega Evolution and stand at the summit," the young man replied as he patted Charizard on the head appreciatively. "Would you mind exchanging numbers? We'd like to battle again some day."

Neal happily obliged and handed Alain his Pokedex, and the black haired trainer typed his number in after getting something from his pocket. With that, he handed the device back to Neal. Alain and Charizard then bowed to their opponents before walking back to the road they had been traveling down, and they resumed their travels as if nothing had happened.

Slowly turning to face Charizard, the nineteen year old cracked a grin and took out a pen and piece of paper before crossing out Swampert's name. There were still 47 left, but it didn't feel like there were that many. Then, as he checked his Holo Caster, Alain saw a red dot appear, which was Neal, and his starter nodded at the marker.

"I'm surprised you actually put the tracker on him. Lysandre's going to be happy you did that. You're really determined to help him with his Mega Evolution research, aren't you?"

Alain nodded at Charizard's question and turned the Holo Caster off without saying a word.

Staring at his Mega Bracelet, Alain couldn't help but think about how many Mega Evolutions were undiscovered after recalling all 48. Alain shook his head at the idea of Rayquaza Mega Evolving and then thought of all the fire type Mega Evolutions, excluding Mega Charizard Y: Blaziken, Camerupt, and Houndoom. Regardless, he was going to defeat every trainer, no matter how strong they and their Pokemon were, and then he'd finally stand at the summit.

* * *

 **Okay, that's the first chapter centered around Alain and Charizard (in this story, at least), and they'll have quite a few more coming their way. So, what exactly is Alain's purpose in this story? I don't know, and neither do you (just kidding, I do... kind of). Next chapter will be about another character that isn't Gray or White, so get pumped... for next week because I need to get ahead again! Till then, peace out.**

 **1) What role(s) do you think Alain will play?  
2) Why do you think Lysandre wants tracking devices on Mega Trainers?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Following the Heart's Desire"**_

 ** _Noah, realizing Gray has already left for Unova, decides to pursue her with the help of Arcanine. When will the two run into Gray, if ever?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 6: Dreamyard Trickster** **  
Chapter 7:** **Friends 'N Fights** **  
Chapter 8: Getting Schooled  
Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	5. Following the Heart's Desire

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (** **Alain and Charizard appear while two Pokemon transform behind them)** **  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Yo! I know I said I'd be a week, but I managed to get ahead of getting ahead! So far, this story has had the most action through four chapters out of any (except maybe Kalos), but I digress. Last chapter was focused on Alain and his Mega Battle with a random trainer by the name of Neal and his Swampert, which Alain won with relative ease, and there are sure to be more Alain-centered chappies coming. This chapter, however, will focus on Noah and Arcanine, and their decision to travel to Unova. Let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _He definitely will, and I'm sure you'll enjoy what it will be. Mega Fusion vs Evolution could possibly happen, though that depends on whether or not I think Owen could have a role in this story, which, at the moment, I don't think he will. I'm feeling it, btw, haha. I also won't tell it soon, because that'd spoil everything (give it twenty or so chapters)_

 **Defender31415:** _You don't know your opinion? Lol. That's an interesting take on Lysandre's reasoning for the tracking devices, one that I didn't think of, and I might actually make that the reason. Haha, toilet references ftw_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Thanks, and Lysandre is up to something. Alain working with him will be explained (hopefully the anime doesn't do what I'm thinking of), and he will meet Gray. I don't know when, exactly, because I don't want him to just suddenly run into her, so there're going to have to be a few chapters focused on him before that can happen_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Just wait, he's only going to get stronger. In regards to Lysandre, that will be revealed in time ;) GrayXNoah hype!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 8, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)**

* * *

"I still can't believe she didn't come to the Kalos League, Arcanine," Noah said dejectedly as he hung his head.

He and his trusty Pokemon were out by the docks of Pallet Town, a place that had grown quite popular ever since Owen had become Champion of Kalos and stated that he cleared his mind there. Still, despite the popularity, the docks still retained their serenity and ability to mend any broken feelings, which was the reason Noah was there.

"I'm sure something had to have come up to keep Gray from visiting," Arcanine replied, unaware of Team Purity and Gray's role in stopping them, along with the fact that she was at the Kalos League. "You know she wouldn't just not show up. That's not the kind of person she is," the fire type continued as he stared at the ocean and stuck his tongue out of his mouth once the breeze kicked up.

"You're right, Arcanine. Something had to have happened for her to not meet up with us, even when she said she would! You know what? I'm gonna text her to find out!" Noah proclaimed as he took out his Pokedex and opened his conversation with Gray, only to fall on his back and scream in rage. "She did come! She texted me, and I didn't respond!" the eighteen year old hollered, causing a tree full of Pidgey to fly away.

"Wow, that sucks," the large dog replied, laughing at his trainer's misfortune.

After shooting his Pokemon a dirty look, Noah sighed and shook his head, realizing that Arcanine wasn't going to stop laughing.

"You're not helping," the teen stated, silencing his Arcanine. "Well, I guess there's only one thing we can really do," Noah continued, putting his hands up to his face before sighing, catching Arcanine's attention.

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking," Arcanine muttered with a grin as he looked out at the ocean, waiting for Noah to announce the blatantly obvious plan that would lead him to Gray.

"I think I am. We're just going to have to wait for her to get back," Noah said, sighing once again while Arcanine deadpanned.

"You can't be serious," the hound said to his trainer, who nodded. "You're an idiot, Noah. All we have to do is go to Unova and look at Gray's league profile! Then we can see how many badges she has and where we're supposed to go!"

The trainer scratched his head slightly, thinking over Arcanine's plan which made the fire type growl aggressively. Sweat dropping, Noah raised his hands defensively and laughed before getting on his feet and placing a hand on his Pokemon's head with a determined look on his face.

"You're right. We're going to Unova, and we're going to find Gray!"

* * *

 **Well, Noah's going to Unova in search of Gray, and the first chapter he appears in will be quite the introduction, unlike this one which was stupidly short. Next chapter will shift back to Gray and White, and that's really it, but it will be posted later tonight. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Dreamyard Trickster"**_

 ** _After arriving in Striaton City, Gray and White encounter a strange Pokemon in the Dreamyard to the east of the city. After embarrassing herself and seeing the Pokemon laugh at her dismay, Unicus is eager to battle. Will Unicus be able to defeat this Pokemon?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 7:** **Friends 'N Fights** **  
Chapter 8: Getting Schooled  
Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	6. Dreamyard Trickster

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (** **Alain and Charizard appear while two Pokemon transform behind them)** **  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and another Pokemon sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **How're things going, readers?** **Last chapter, Noah and Arcanine decided to head for Unova in hopes of meeting up with Gray, and it'll be a while before they meet up. I also said I'd get this up yesterday, so, because I feel like an arse (damn, I love that word, lol) I'll be posting another later today.** **This chapter will revolve around Gray trying to find a third Pokemon so she can challenge the Striaton City Gym, and yeah. that's it. Let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _I do have that planned, to an extent. It's more or less so an idea that I'll implement if I feel like the timing of it is right (which, thinking about it right now, it will be). Safe to say the Driftveil Arc will be insane. And he also won't be as much of an ass as he originally was, for reasons that will be alluded to the next time he appears_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Haha, I guess you could say that. I mean, he and Gray did grow up together, but I can agree with that. Noah will become a traveling companion, though the timing of it is what the real surprise is (he's kind of like Brooklyn, in a way)_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Maybe, maybe. He will be meeting Chase at some point, I can tell you that. There interaction won't be dramatic in anyway, but that would be really funny if it was. Zorua was actually one of the favorites to get the Unova spot (right behind Excadrill) until I decided on Bellator, but then again it's a possibility because I could end up having Gray release either Zorua or Bellator. Munna's a great idea, too!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _She was originally supposed to, but then I had the readers vote on what Pokemon should represent certain regions, and the electric type actually lost out (Luxray), so, sadly, she won't be getting one. I don't really know when Noah will be reappearing, to be honest. I'm pretty sure it's chapter 11, and the hype will only be getting more real come the Nacrene Arc (Flare hype!)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Oh... oh god. How do you come up with that stuff? I'm glad you caught on to Noah's stupidity and Arcanine not being an idiot, which, I'm thinking, are the roles I'm trying to go for once they become main characters. And happy belated birthday!_

 **Defender31415:** _Yes he is! No need for the hype train to depart just yet, but I can confirm that tickets for Gray and N will not be sold. N's dreams about Gray (and White, if you look back on it), have something to do with the antagonists_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 8, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)**

* * *

"Wait, Gray!" White shouted as she ran after the older girl and Unicus, with Snivy right by her side. "She's still running around for Gyms like she's ten," the rookie muttered under her breath, still pursuing Gray.

After a minute or so of running, White and Snivy finally caught up with Gray and Unicus, who were looking around in confusion at the dozens of buildings, none of which were the Gym. Seeing the two pouting, Snivy laughed until she received wicked glares from the older girl and her starter.

"Where's the Gym? You said it was in Striaton, but we haven't seen it!" Gray yelled, causing White to sweat drop while Unicus looked around and appeared ready to bolt in hopes of finding the building.

"If you would've waited for me to finish, I could've led you right to it," White retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "It doesn't look like your typical Gym, so I'm not surprised you couldn't find it."

"Where is it!?" Unicus shrieked, causing White and Snivy to jump in shock before the sixteen year old regained her composure.

"I'll show you where it is, but I have to let you know that you're not able to challenge it unless you have three Pokemon," White announced, causing Gray and Unicus to deadpan until the brunette released Bellator from his Pokeball. "So, it looks like you're going to have to catch another Pokemon."

Bellator looked around in confusion after hearing White's words, and he immediately threw his hands up as if he were trying to calm everyone down.

"Hold on just a second. We don't _need_ a third member, it's just strongly recommended, right?" the water type inquired, only to deadpan when White shook her head adamantly. "Well, I'm out of ideas."

After sitting down on the side of the street, Bellator began fiddling with his scalchop until he saw Unicus rise to her feet with a flame burning in her eyes.

"Let's get a new teammate, and then we'll get our first badge!" she roared, getting Bellator, Gray, and even White and Snivy pumped. "Let's goooo!" she screamed, rolling into a ball and speeding down the streets while Bellator ran around like a ninja, hopping from roof to roof.

Snivy, White, and Gray, meanwhile, were left in the dust, with the last of the three sweat dropping at the speed of her two Pokemon. While making their way through the streets of Striaton City, White led Gray towards the northeast exit, where wild Pokemon were known for living.

"So how do you know all about this stuff even though you just started traveling?" Gray quizzed, looking at her new traveling partner, who turned in response with a sheepish grin.

"Well, my brother traveled through Unova and told me all about these kinds of things, and he gave me this notebook here," White replied, taking out an old notebook that was covered in illegible writing. "He always had this saying, and it went something like 'Great trainers don't train great Pokemon; great Pokemon train great trainers' or something like that," White said, blowing Gray's mind as she thought about all of her Pokemon.

Fortis and Ferus were the first two to come to mind, and she smiled after realizing White's brother's saying was spot-on. Both of her powerhouses had really molded her into a better, stronger trainer than she would've been had she not met those two. And in making her a better trainer, they became stronger.

"White? Are you okay?" Snivy asked as the girl snapped out of her daze, nodding in embarrassment while laughing.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," the brunette replied before seeing Unicus and Bellator a couple dozen feet away, prompting her to walk towards the two.

Once she did, Gray looked around and saw a crumbling building to her left and frowned at it, which caught White's attention before she spoke up, giving background to the area.

"This is called the Dreamyard, because Munna and Musharna used to live here," the girl stated while adjusting her ponytail and baseball cap. "The building used to be a research center, I'm pretty sure, but it all went to crap when researchers moved to the eastern side of northern Unova."

"That's a shame," Unicus said, shaking her head while Bellator went off on his own to investigate the area. "Do you know if any Pokemon are around here?" the ground type quizzed, which was met with a shrug from White.

Suddenly, answering Unicus' question, a strange figure appeared atop the building, standing imposingly while looking down at the two girls and their Pokemon. Unable to see what the Pokemon was, White took out her Pokedex and scanned the unfamiliar, bipedal creature that sat down and let its legs dangle from the pillar it was sitting on top of.

"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokemon. A smart and sneaky Pokémon, it makes its opponents flinch by suddenly showing the claws hidden in its paws."

"What's a Sneasel doing in Unova?" Gray asked herself while scratching her head.

"Snea!" the ice type shouted, grabbing the attention of Gray, White, Snivy, and Unicus, who looked back up and saw that Sneasel had risen to her feet with a sly smirk on her face. "Sel!" she grunted, hopping off the pillar and descending straight towards Gray, who gasped in shock while Unicus prepared to defend her.

Before Sneasel could even come close to touching Gray, the group saw Bellator's scalchop fly out from a tree and plunk Sneasel in the head, causing her to land on her side harshly before getting up and brushing the dirt off her body. Bellator then bolted forwards and scooped up his scalchop, placing it on his chest before taking a battling stance as he glared at Sneasel, who started running towards a flight of decrepit stairs and scaled it with ease.

Unicus and Bellator followed after the wild Pokemon and flew up at the stairs in pursuit only to watch as Sneasel sprung up onto a crumbling wall, at least ten feet higher than where they were, and she snickered at them. Surprisingly, Bellator jumped and landed on top of the wall, taking his scalchop off and swinging it like a sword as he prepared to engage in combat. Before he could charge, Unicus attempted to jump up the wall, but instead slammed into it, causing it to shake, which made Bellator lose his balance as he fell off it.

After landing on the ground gracefully, Bellator scowled at Unicus, who sweat dropped in embarrassment before they both saw Sneasel snickering, prompting them to chase after her again. However, Sneasel hopped off the wall and began snickering once again as she locked eyes with Gray, who wasn't sure of the dark type's intentions, which her Pokemon could sense. Unicus then attempted to run down the stairs, but they gave out and she fell about ten feet before slamming against the ground, causing Sneasel to fall on her back and crack up while Snivy tried not to laugh.

Gray quickly ran over to Unicus' side and helped her starter off the ground, and she glared at Sneasel once she noticed the wild Pokemon was laughing at her.

"Gray, I want to take that Sneasel out!" she shouted, causing Sneasel to shoot up onto her feet.

"Okay, start off by using Rollout!" Gray commanded, punching her right fist forwards.

Curling herself into a ball, Unicus sped across the grass and attempted to steamroll Sneasel, but the speedy ice type grinned at the aggressive attack and jumped over it, shocking both Unicus and Gray. White and Snivy also gasped in shock, but Bellator kept his eyes glued to the ice type that landed on the ground and charged at Unicus.

"Use Crush Claw to block, and strike if you see an opening!" Gray instructed confidently.

Nodding, Unicus grunted as her claws started to glow crimson. She then started slashing at Sneasel, who did the same while her claws were glowing white. As the two continued to hit their claws against each other, Bellator grunted when he saw the smallest opening Sneasel was leaving, but he noticed Gray and Unicus weren't able to see it, causing him to pout while crossing his arms over his chest as he knew he would've been able to make quick work of the speedy Pokemon.

All of a sudden, Unicus threw her right arm forwards and slashed Sneasel across the chest, sending her tumbling through the air. Somehow, she managed to place her hands on the ground and do a cartwheel as a means of landing, making Unicus scowl before hearing Gray call out to her.

"Keep it up with Poison Sting!"

While Unicus shot a wave of purple needles at Sneasel, the dark type grinned and began swinging her arms furiously, batting away the poison type move while also demoralizing Unicus, who looked ready to quit as her opponent sprinted across the grass and looked ready to strike.

"Defense Curl!" Gray screamed to her starter, who reluctantly obeyed and curled into a ball just as Sneasel threw her arm forward.

As soon as she hit her claw against Unicus' shell, the bipedal Pokemon let out a shriek of pain and began waving her arm around, holding her hand. Seeing the opportunity to strike, Gray quickly threw her left arm out to her side and called out to Unicus, who also saw the opening.

"Wrap this up with Crush Claw!" she shouted, prompting Unicus to bolt towards her injured opponent, who gasped in shock.

Rearing her right arm back while her claws were glowing crimson, Unicus slashed Sneasel across the chest and sent her flying back before she smacked against the grass. Surprisingly, Sneasel got back up, but she immediately threw her hands towards the sky as if she were surrendering, confusing Gray, White, and their Pokemon as the wild creature walked over to Gray and attempted to explain herself.

"Sneasel says she was just trying to get any one of us to fall for her prank," Snivy translated, causing Gray and Unicus to sweat drop while White laughed at the reactions.

"Wait, so you just wanted someone to play with?" Gray asked the mischievous Pokemon, who nodded in response before holding her injured hand, prompting the young woman to take out a Potion and spray Sneasel's hand.

Nodding again, the ice type then pointed at Gray and Unicus angrily, making them sweat drop until White stepped forwards and spoke up.

"Well, even if that was her intention, it's pretty clear Sneasel knows how to battle," the younger girl stated, making Sneasel smile appreciatively before she nodded. "And you need a third Pokemon to battle the Striaton Gym, so why don't you catch her?"

Gray turned away from White and looked Sneasel in the eyes, and the dark type did the same. After a few seconds of silence and staring at each other, Gray broke and smiled as she patted Sneasel on the head.

"White has a point, Sneasel. I could really use a strong Pokemon like you, and you can play with Unicus and Bellator if you join!" Gray exclaimed.

"No she can't," Bellator told Gray as he walked past her, causing the girl to sweat drop.

"So, what do you say? Do you want to join us?"

Sneasel looked around at Gray, White, Bellator, Snivy, and Unicus before nodding, making Gray smile as she pulled a Pokeball off her belt and pointed it at Sneasel, who tapped it before being sucked inside.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

"Come on out!" Gray shouted, hurling the Pokeball.

Sneasel appeared from the device and she had a look of confusion plastered on her face as Gray clipped a translator around her neck before smiling and pulling out her book of latin translations.

"Sneasel, I think I have the perfect nickname for you," the eighteen year old stated, causing the ice type to walk over to her new trainer and stare at the book. "Furcifer, which means trickster!"

"That sounds great!" Furcifer exclaimed before jumping in shock at the sound of her robotic, feminine voice. "Oh, I get what this does," she muttered, making Gray and White laugh. "So you said you needed me to battle that Gym, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Gray questioned, drawing a grin from her new Pokemon.

"I've always wanted to beat that guy's Pokemon up," she said, scaring her new trainer. "Wait, don't look at me like that. He came by here a few months ago and broke my tripwire, so I couldn't prank some jerk Watchog."

Nodding, Gray stood up and turned to face Striaton City with a confident smile on her face.

"Well, he's going to wish he never did that, because we're going to beat him and win our first badge!"

000

Watching Gray, White, and their Pokemon walk back to Striaton City, two sets of eyes turned away and looked at each other.

"That's the girl," N stated as he pointed at Gray, who was smiling and talking with Unicus, who was just as excited about the idea of winning her first Gym Badge. "The dreams were trying to tell me something, but I can't tell what it' is," he continued, adjusting the black hat on his head before seeing Zoroark rise to her feet, and prepare to follow.

"Well, if you think she's that important, we should follow her and find out why. Maybe she could help us," the wolf suggested, bringing a frown to N's face as he shook his head wildly.

"No, I won't drag anyone into this. Even you weren't supposed to know."

Snickering, Zoroark placed her hand on N's shoulder and looked him right in the eyes, easing the young man's nerves.

"It's worth a shot. Maybe the dreams are trying to tell you she's the answer."

"Maybe you're right. You know what? Let's do it."

* * *

 **Well, Gray caught a Sneasel, who's quite the prankster. Although she didn't seem that bad this chapter, Furcifer will NOT mesh well with Unicus, and there will be some similarities to the relationship between Comis and Ferus, but I won't drag that out too long, so don't worry. N and Zoroark will mett Gray and White next chapter, and a battle will happen, so get pumped. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Friends 'N Fights"**_

 ** _While in the middle of a training session for their upcoming battle against the Striaton City Gym Leader, Gray and her Pokemon are interrupted by an unfamiliar trainer and his Zoroark. Who is this person, and what does he want with Gray?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 8: Getting Schooled  
Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	7. Friends 'N Fights

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (** **Alain and Charizard appear while two Pokemon transform behind them)** **  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's going on, everyone? It's time for another installment of PUA:ANG and N will finally, after some thirty chapters dating back to Johto, meet Gray! Last chapter, White helped Gray search for a third Pokemon, which would allow her to challenge the Striaton City Gym Leader. She eventually found a Sneasel who was given the nickname Furcifer because she's a trickster (which will be incorporated into her battles), and that'll add more personality to her team. Now let's get going!**

 **MerlockVonBaron:** _No worries, and it's great to hear from you again! Furcifer will be a really great addition to the team, though she won't be pulling any pranks for a little while, because I figured I'd introduce her battling first before diving into her personality, which will be shown next arc and in some battles. A Halloween special could pretty cool, and I really like the idea, but I think it'll be tough to do since personalities (Unicus, Snivy, and White) haven't really been established, and they would need to be if I wanted to do a holiday special. Don't rule out Christmas, though!_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Definitely! She's not going to evolve for a really long time (if I follow the outline, I think it's seventy chapters), but when she does, it'll be worth the wait. I never remembered Weavile, as much as I love it, and I'm really glad someone told me to use it for Gray's team. And her battling style will be pretty similar to Bellator's, except a lot more violent_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Yeah, I feel like Furcifer and Bellator will have very similar battling styles, but the way in which they execute things will be completely different (Furcifer being more violent while Bellator's graceful). And don't feel guilty! The only reason I'm able to write so much is because of my medication, which gives me insane motivation and desire to write_

 **guest (from chapter 4)** **:** _It takes place after my first series, which already introduced Mega Evolution_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Oh, it would've been awesome, but they're popular, so yeah. Weavile are definitely monsters, and I'm sure you'll love Furcifer, especially once her fights with Unicus start. As for White and N, nope. It'll be someone else ;) How many hype tickets did you buy!?_

 **Defender31415:** _Interesting, indeed. Her personality will be one of the more unique ones from Gray's teams, and curse my inability to get that stuff right! I never realized that Zoroark was a fox, because it's based off a werewolf (pretty interesting, actually)_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Thank you! Furcifer's won't be pranking her teammates (Unicus), until the start of next arc, but it'll be funny once she does. Who knows? Maybe she'll have a sidekick (she will). Cheren was really cocky in the games, but he'll be humbled pretty soon, and my first starter was technically Charmander, but that was on my brother's Red version (I deleted his save... I shouldn't be alive). The first game I owned was Crystal, and I picked Cyndaquil_

 **FinLay Real:** _Absolutely. Acer, Pertinax, Agrestis, and, to some extent, Placidus got screwed over by Ferus and Comis hogging all the attention, but this story will be focusing more on one or two of Gray's Pokemon per arc. Sure, some will get more attention than others, that's bound to happen, but they'll all be developed. Funny that you mention Kalos, btw, because I'm following it as a guideline, along with parts of Unova that I didn't think sucked. There are going to be even more characters coming in, but I'll be able to balance them pretty well considering how long I plan on making the story (80-110 chapters it the high and low estimate). Bellator's personality is, and will be, a combination of Ash's Greninja and Owen's Heatmor, while Furcifer's will be completely unique. Happy to see you aboard the train!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Thanks! The pun streak has finally been stopped! Furcifer will be pretty strong and will have a much different battling style (starting in chapter 10) than all of the other Pokemon Gray and Owen have had_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 8, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 7, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind - (Sneasel)**

* * *

The worried chirping of Pidove filled the air as storm clouds rolled in, masking the beautiful blue sky Gray and White had grown so accustomed to seeing during their first two weeks of traveling. The Pokemon, too, were rather used to the ideal conditions and hated the idea of a rainstorm, but when Bellator stared at a group of dead flowers the day before, he and the others realized how badly the wilderness needed water.

"Are you going to do any training today?" White inquired as she stared out the window of her and Gray's room in the Pokemon Center, watching as hundreds of peopled slogged through the torrential downpour.

"That depends on whether or not we're challenging the Gym Leader," Gray answered as she analyzed the notes she had taken while watching Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer train the day before. "I'm going to lean towards saying yes, just because I think you guys need to get a little more practice in if you don't want to lose."

Furcifer, who was laying on the ground next to Gray's bed, waved off the comment nonchalantly while Bellator, who sat in the far corner shot up to his feet and shook his head as violently as he could.

"I'm not losing! No way!" he announced, stomping with each word. "I don't care if the apocalypse is going on outside - we're training if it means we'll win!" Bellator decreed, crossing his arms over his chest while looking at Furcifer and then Unicus, who was sitting on White's bed and talking to Snivy.

Neither of the girls gave any feedback, turning the otter's face red as he nearly popped a blood vessel. Gray sweat dropped at the Oshawott's hardcore expectations and swung her legs so they were dangling from her elevated bed. Gray rolled her eyes as Furcifer continued staring up at the ceiling and Unicus blabbered away, but she smiled once she noticed Bellator was getting fired up.

"Well, I think we'll take a break since the only one that wants to train is Bellator. Don't worry though. I promise we'll put our noses to the grindstone first thing tomorrow morning," the Kantonian reassured her Pokemon, who nodded in response before grabbing his scalchop and imagining he was slashing foes with it.

As soon as Furcifer opened her eyes and sat up, she looked at Bellator as if he were a lunatic until they made eye contact. Surprisingly, the water type continued to fight imaginary opponents and Furcifer joined in on the action, mimicking Bellator's movements.

"Is this how you move during battle?" the Sneasel asked, snapping her teammate out of his own world.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's so difficult to do! How do you make it look so easy?" Furcifer questioned as she noted each movement Bellator made.

As her Pokemon continued conversing Gray smiled and began dialing a number into her Pokedex, bringing the device closer to her face once she saw the connection for video chat was trying to be established. Much to her joy, it was, and everyone in the room turned to look at the eighteen year old as she waved at the glass screen, which was displaying Comis and Durus. Seeing the two, Unicus leaped from White's bed to Gray's and scurried over to her trainer in an attempt to get in the picture.

"How's everything at the Adoption Center going?" Gray asked, not caring what White or Snivy heard, only to realize their ears were plugged with headphones while listening to music. "Please tell me you're being good for Mom," the young woman begged.

"Oh come on, Gray," Comis started, "do you really think we're that immature?"

"Yes," Gray answered bluntly. "Anyways, the real reason I was calling was because I wanted you and all the others to meet my new Pokemon!"

Durus and Comis' eyes flashed at the mentioning of a new friend, and they gathered all of their teammates around the computer in Gray's room. All twelve waited anxiously until Gray motioned for Bellator and Furcifer to join in on the conversation. When they did, Gray's older Pokemon went nuts; everyone was trying to ask questions at the same time, they cheered, they fought, and then Gray raised a hand, silencing them.

"I want you all to say hi to Bellator," she said while pointing at the Oshawott, "and Furcifer. They're both really strong and we're actually challenging the first Gym sometime this week!"

"That's great to hear, Gray! And it's nice to meet you two," Placidus greeted as he pushed his way to the front of the screen. "My name's Placidus, and I can't wait to see you in person, whenever that is."

"Likewise," Furcifer replied, smiling at the hulking ice type. "So what other Pokemon do you have?" the Sneasel asked Gray as Placidus was pushed out of the way by Comis, who waved at Furcifer and Bellator, though the latter didn't seem to be entertained by the Gliscor's upbeat attitude.

Durus, meanwhile, snuck onto the screen and, unbeknownst to Gray or her Pokemon, analyzed both Bellator and Furcifer closely before grinning and disappearing.

"Wow, I'm surprised you already caught two," Acer said along with Leviculus, making Gray laugh while she nodded. "Do you want to talk to your mom?" the Breloom inquired, which was met with Gray shaking her head.

"I can talk to her later, I just wanted to keep you guys posted on how everything's going," Gray replied with a smile, making all of her Pokemon smile in response. "I'll make sure to call you guys every so often, so that way you don't have to worry about us."

All of the Pokemon, somehow managing to fit on the screen, nodded and cheered in response before Ferus pushed his way to the front and stared Gray in the eyes, making the girl nervous, given how intense Ferus looked.

"We need to talk soon, just you and me," he said, making the girl nod before he backed away and allowed Durus and Comis to take the front.

"Go get training, Gray. We can talk to you another time. Nice meeting you, Bellator and Furcifer!" Comis exclaimed, making the Sneasel smile while Bellator crossed his arms and nodded solemnly. "Bye, Gray!"

With that, the call ended and Gray placed her Pokedex on the bed with an exhausted look on her face.

"You heard them, Furcifer. We need to train," Bellator stated as he began walking towards the door, prompting the ice type to follow while Gray deadpanned at the intensity of her new Pokemon. "Gray, Unicus, are you coming?" Bellator asked with a demanding tone, making White laugh while Snivy shook her head at the water type's actions.

"If you're that passionate about getting stronger, who am I to say no?" Gray replied, throwing herself off her bed before opening the door. "White, do you want to come?"

The younger girl exchanged looks with her starter before unintentionally copying Gray as she hurled herself off her bed, only to hit the ground face first. Snivy face palmed at the painful sight while Unicus and Furcifer couldn't help but laugh as Gray helped White off the ground. The two then headed out to the battlefields behind the Pokemon Center with their Pokemon, and once they reached the exit of the Pokemon Center, they noticed a retractable glass roof had appeared over all of the battlefields, shielding trainers and their Pokemon from the pouring rain.

"Huh, I've never seen Pokemon Centers have that before," Gray stated as Bellator eagerly ran forwards and began slashing at the air gracefully with his scalchop.

"That's because Unova is known for having topnotch training facilities," White informed the older girl. "Most of the other regions like to focus more on education and balancing professions so that there isn't an abundance of trainers, but Unova prides itself on having the strongest trainers in the world. Well, except for the fact that the two strongest, according to the Pokemon League rankings, are from Pallet Town in Kanto," she muttered, referring to Red and Owen, who were ranked one and two, respectively.

Gray nodded at the information, surprised to hear that Unova was so proud of its trainers, and she thought about Kanto and how people were urged to go to school for whatever profession they wanted to pursue. Being a trainer wasn't viewed as something that could be financially sustainable. After all, none of her friends wanted to be trainers for more than a year or so, and that was only because they wanted to travel across Kanto.

Sammy wanted to become a Pokemon fashion designer, Tracey wanted to become a model along with her Pokemon, and Chase was going to medical school, in Unova, ironically, in hopes of becoming a doctor.

"Gray!" Unicus shouted, snapping her trainer out of her thoughts. "Come on! You said we were going to train!"

"Right," the brunette replied, shaking her head while walking towards the nearest trainer box. "Furcifer, I want you and Unicus to spar so you can both work on your agility. Sound good?"

Both Pokemon agreed, and Gray prepared to throw her arm forwards until she was stopped by Bellator, who walked over to her and scowled, causing Gray to sweat drop.

"Don't worry, Bellator, you'll get to practice next. White, would you and Snivy mind sparring with Bellator after Unicus and Furcifer are done?"

The inexperienced trainer flashed a thumbs up while Snivy deadpanned at the idea of having to contend with her powerful friend, but she eased up when the Oshawott walked over to her and bowed respectfully.

"Okay, now let's start. Unicus, use Poison Sting! Furcifer, dodge it and then use Icy Wind!"

Without hesitation, Unicus reared her head back before opening her mouth and firing a wave of purple needles at Furcifer, who was quick to react. Cartwheeling to her left, Furcifer then popped into the air with the use of her arms and began spinning wildly, grabbing Bellator's attention. Then, the ice type opened her mouth and released a freezing cold gust of wind. Unicus curled into a ball and sped away from the ice type attack, which hit the ground and created a thin sheet of ice on the Sandshrew's half of the battlefield.

"Great job, guys! Now use Rollout, Unicus! Furcifer, get out of the way and counter with Quick Attack!"

As Unicus continued rolling across the battlefield at a furious pace, Furcifer snickered and hopped out of the way with ease before slamming her hands against the ground and spinning herself around. Then, she bolted towards her teammate as a trail of white light appeared behind her body, and she crashed into Unicus as soon as she uncurled herself and turned around.

"Crush Claw, Unicus! Dodge, Furcifer!"

Enraged by her teammate's aggressiveness, Unicus began to violently swing at Furcifer while her claws were surrounded with crimson energy. Furcifer, however, hoped backwards and evaded the first slash. She then did a series of backwards cartwheels while Unicus continued to try and clobber her. Bellator continued staring at the evasiveness of Furcifer and smirked at the Sneasel, who was making quite the first impression.

"Furcifer sure is quick," White commented, making Bellator flinch before he turned to her and nodded slightly, refusing to talk.

"She's definitely a lot faster than you are, Bellator," Snivy said, poking fun at her friend, who scowled in response before shaking his head adamantly. "I bet she could beat you in a battle, too."

Before Bellator could protest Snivy's opinion, he sensed a strange presence appear. Sharply turning his attention towards the entrance far behind Furcifer, Bellator stared outside the glass windows and continued peering through, which confused White and Snivy.

"Is everything okay?" White inquired.

Meanwhile, outside the practice battlefields, N and Zoroark froze up, as they noticed Bellator had sensed their presence. To say they were shocked would be an understatement, especially considering the fact that Bellator was, presumably, a Pokemon that Gray had just received. Just as he was about to speak, N gasped when he recalled the dream he had been having.

"What's wrong?" Zoroark asked as N grabbed his head and began panting before snapping out of the terrified state.

"...It's nothing. Do you think we should go now?"

Zoroark hesitated, eyeing her friend wearily before nodding. Walking out of the bushes, Zoroark and N made their way towards Gray and White, who were preoccupied with the ongoing sparring match going on between Unicus and Furcifer. Opening the door and walking inside the back of the Pokemon Center, which was enclosed with glass, N and Zoroark sauntered towards Gray.

As they did so, Bellator, who had been watching them the entire time, jumped forwards and landed just in front of Unicus and Furcifer, scaring them, Gray, White, and Snivy. Taking a battling stance, Bellator grabbed his scalchop and energy began to surge from it like a blade, prompting Zoroark to drop to all fours and snarl rabidly.

"Hey, calm down, Bellator," Gray ordered as she ran to her Pokemon's side and knelt down, placing her hand on the Oshawott's head while he continued staring daggers at Zoroark. "Who are you?" the eighteen year old asked as N walked forwards and tapped Zoroark on the back, making her reluctantly rise to her feet, still glaring at Bellator.

"My name is N, and this is Zoroark," the green haired trainer replied, smiling at Gray as White walked over to her side with Snivy, who eyed the unfamiliar pair uneasily. "I couldn't help but notice that your Pokemon were listening to everything you said without reluctance. That's very impressive," the older boy said to Gray while smiling at Unicus and Furcifer, who bowed thankfully.

"Well, thank you. I'm Gray Plain, and these are my friends, Unicus, Furcifer, and Bellator," Gray replied, smiling at each of her Pokemon. "We were actually training for our Gym Battle against the Striaton City Gym Leader."

"Hi, I'm White Peak, and this is my partner, Snivy," White greeted while pointing at Snivy, who trembled slightly.

Taken back by the way they addressed their Pokemon, N had to try to not let his jaw hit the ground, which Bellator took as a sign of attacking, prompting him to draw his scalchop again. Zoroark dropped to all fours and snarled savagely at the water type, trying to protect N, and Gray sweat dropped at the actions of her Pokemon, who had jumped in front of her defensively.

"Bellator, please calm down. They don't mean any harm," Gray whispered to the Oshawott, who shook his head in response.

"No. I want to battle her," he declared, pointing the Razor Shell attack at Zoroark, who grinned in response while N bit his lower lip, not wanting to fight. "I don't care if you and that guy want to sit out and let us duke it out, because I'm going to fight her no matter what."

Unicus and Furcifer turned to Gray and looked at her, waiting for the Kantonian to announce her decision.

"Okay. As long as you're up for a battle, N," Gray stated, staring the green haired boy in the eyes, which nearly made him gasp in shock, as he saw a fire burning in Gray's eyes.

"If Zoroark wants to, then I will."

The dark type nodded in response and, with that, the two sides walked to different halves of the battlefield. White and Snivy were joined by Unicus and Furcifer in the referee box, and the sixteen year old raised her arms in the air.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Bellator and Zoroark! Once either Pokemon is unable to continue, the battle will be over! Because Bellator issued the challenge, N and Zoroark have the first move!"

Acknowledging White's announcement, N took a deep breath while Zoroark and Bellator continued glaring at one another.

"Zoroark, use Shadow Claw!" N commanded, throwing his right hand forwards.

The bipedal fox bolted across the battlefield at a speed that could've made Acer look like a slug, and Gray was barely able to breathe before the dark type wound her arms back and prepared to strike Bellator, who remained unfazed in spite of his incredible opponent.

"Bellator, get out of the way and use Water Gun!" Gray shouted suddenly.

Just as Zoroark swung at Bellator, the water type opened his mouth and shot a blast of water, which hit the dark type in the face and knocked her onto her back. Seeing an opportunity to attack again, Bellator opened his mouth and fired another Water Gun attack, but N was more than capable of countering, as was Zoroark.

"Destroy it with Dark Pulse!"

Throwing her left arm forwards, Zoroark shot a spiraling ray of black and purple energy out of her hand, and it crashed through the Water Gun attack. Then, it struck Bellator and exploded on contact, launching him through the air and into the glass wall behind Gray, making the girl gasp in shock before she saw her Pokemon rise to his feet and run back onto the battlefield, refusing to back down to his opponent.

"Way to hang in there, Bellator! Charge and use Razor Shell!" Gray shouted confidently, unaware of how powerful Zoroark was.

Doing as he was told, the Unova starter charged towards Zoroark and grabbed his scalchop with his right hand. As a blade of energy appeared, Bellator gracefully slashed Zoroark across the chest several times, dealing chunks of damage to the bipedal fox, though she acted like the attack did more damage, which inflated Bellator's confidence.

"Now rush forwards and use Tackle!"

Bellator launched himself at Zoroark headfirst, but the dark type was done playing around, as was N.

"Jump out of the way and use Night Daze!"

In the blink of an eye, Zoroark disappeared, causing Bellator to land on the ground with very little balance. She then reappeared right in front of him and unleashed a wave of black energy that slammed into Bellator and exploded on contact, sending him rolling along the battlefield. Somehow, Bellator shot off the ground and unleashed a blast of water that hit Zoroark square in the face, making N gasp in shock.

"Zoroark, stop. We don't want to continue battling," N said as he walked onto the battlefield, confusing the girls and their Pokemon.

After making his way over to Gray, N slowly lifted his arm and aimed it at Bellator.

"That Pokemon over there," he started, pointing at the bipedal creature in front of Gray. "I can understand it. You can call me crazy, and I welcome such thought, but it tells me that it views you as a friend, not a trainer."

"This guy's creeping me out," Snivy whispered to White as she hopped onto her head and trembled.

"You can't understand Pokemon, can you?" the man asked, looking at the older girl, who shrugged slightly, perplexing him.

"I have a general sense of what they try to tell me, but that's why I give them translators. That way, we can communicate effectively," the brunette answered, not judging the unfamiliar person standing before her.

Smiling, the man turned his attention back to the Pokemon standing by the older girl.

"I've never met a Pokemon that viewed a human as a friend. You're different, Gray. May we meet again."

"Hold on!" Gray shouted, causing N and Zoroark to spin around and smile. "What do you want with us? I mean, you want to meet again, but you're not competing in Gym Battles or the Unova League, so what are your motives?" the young woman interrogated.

Much to her dismay, N and Zoroark didn't answer and walked away. Before the green haired trainer exited the Pokemon Center, he turned to the two girls and motioned for Zoroark to continue on ahead, which she did while keeping an eye on her friend.

"I'm sorry, but I can't answer your question because I really don't know what fate has in store for us. Once I find the answer, assuming we do run into each other, I will tell you if you're involved in any form."

Bowing, N left the training fields and followed Zoroark into the woods, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Gray and White immediately looked at one another as if they had just seen a ghost, but they realized N was real when Unicus, Bellator, Snivy, and Furcifer were also thrown off by the appearance of the duo.

Whatever it was N was talking about, Gray and White shared the same knot in their stomachs. They knew they were going to meet N again. What they didn't know was that the circumstances would be much more grave.

* * *

 **Well, N could've kicked Gray's ass, and it was hinted that Unicus doesn't like Furcifer, which will no longer be the case in the Castelia Arc. Anyways, next chapter will focus on a rival battle for both Gray and White, and that'll feed into chapter 9. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Did you catch what N said about Gray's Pokemon? (This is very important for later)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Getting Schooled"**_

 ** _Before she can challenge the Gym Leader of Striaton City, Gray is dragged to a Pokemon School by White, who wants to learn more about training and battling. While there, the girls encounter none other than Cheren, who challenges White to a battle. Will White emerge victorious?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 9: Alder's Apprenticeship Advice  
Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	8. Getting Schooled

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (** **Alain and Charizard appear while two Pokemon transform behind them)** **  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Readers, how goes things? Last chapter, N finally met Gray and he battled her and Bellator. He could've kicked ass, but instead he held Zoroark back. Now, Gray and White will be running into none other than Cheren, and they'll both get to battle him. MAKE SURE TO VOTE ON THE POLL ON MY PROFILE! Now let's get going!**

 **Blaze Falcon:** _He is, and he does. N will play a huge role around the middle of the story, or the end of the first third. You'll find out about what Ferus wanted to talk about pretty soon. White will have a tough time given the type matchup, but she'll do the best she can. And you're close with the answer, but that's just a small part of a larger idea_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _There's a strong chance of that happening. I won't confirm it, but I will say it's pretty damn close. There won't be a rock type, but she'll be getting a steel type at one point or another, and there might be a surprise addition coming up. I'm not entirely sold on that one, but I think it could add an interesting subplot and become it's own mini arc_

 **dragonplayer18:** _J_ _. It's good to know you're writing though! Best of luck with that! As for White, she will be catching a Pokemon, and that'll happen next arc. Thank you!_

 **Defender31415:** _Hahaha, that intro though. The thing about the werewolves was just that it was based on Japanese folklore, which I thought was cool. And you're answer to the question was right! Yay! His abilities and backstory will be really similar to B/W, but the way he acts isn't like that at all, as he has no allegiances to Plasma_

 **FinLay Real:** _Yes, yes he does. Bellator only held his own because one, he's Bellator (that'll become a legit answer later, lol) and two, Zoroark and N were most definitely holding back. You're also kind of right with your answer, but there'll be something that happens in the future that will justify his claim. Both White and Cheren will battle a few times, and their last battle will be when they're significantly stronger_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 8, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 7, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind - (Sneasel)**

* * *

Gray looked around Striaton City with wide eyes, eager to challenge the Gym. Of course, something had to come up to prevent her, once again from doing so, but she would've never expected White to be the reason.

"Why do we have to go to the Trainer School here? I can teach you anything you want to know!" Gray shouted, bitter that she hit another bump in the road. "Better yet, I'll just give you some of my Pokemon, so then you won't have to know anything! You can just win every battle!"

White laughed off the constant yelling from Gray while Snivy and Unicus rolled their eyes at the eighteen year old's impatience. Bellator and Furcifer, however, shared their trainer's anger, though they refrained from voicing their displeasure.

"That wouldn't be fair to anyone if I just took your Pokemon, and I'd rather learn things on my own," White replied, ending Gray's reign of terror, which was replaced with a smile. "What?" White asked in confusion after seeing Gray's expression change, causing the older brunette to flinch slightly before laughing off the question sheepishly.

"Nothing, nothing," she replied, causing White to roll her eyes. "So, are you planning on battling anyone when you get there?" Gray asked, catching White off guard. "I know they let people have battles with students as long as the Pokemon aren't at way higher levels."

White didn't respond to the question and continued walking alongside Gray in silence, confusing the older girl before she shrugged it off and turned her attention to her Pokemon.

"What do you guys think about having a battle today? Are you up for it?"

"I'm up for a _Gym_ Battle," Bellator replied in frustration, making Gray sweat drop.

"I'll battle," Furcifer volunteered as she raised her hand. "After all, we haven't gotten to battle as a team yet. If we want to win that badge tomorrow, then we'd better get working."

"Well said," Gray replied with a smile, angering Unicus as she glared at the ice type. "What about you, Unicus?"

The Sandshrew nodded.

Before she could say anything else, Gray heard White squeal with delight before taking off in a dead sprint towards a building that looked like a kindergarten. Snivy sighed and chased after her trainer while Unicus and Furcifer decided to try and keep pace. Bellator and Gray, however, continued walking at their own pace, not caring if they were well behind the group.

"Hey, Bellator, can I tell you something really quick?" Gray quizzed, drawing a nod from the powerful Oshawott. "I'm going to be counting on you for the Gym Battle. Don't get me wrong, Unicus and Furcifer are strong, but you're a few steps ahead of them right now. Do you think you can handle that?"

Bellator slowly turned to Gray and stopped walking, forcing her to stop.

"You don't have to worry about me when it comes to battles," Bellator stated. "If you need me to take on fifty Pokemon at once, I'll do it."

Gray smiled at her Pokemon and patted him on the head before they walked into the Trainer School, which was a fairly small place that was almost completely empty, which was a shock. Bellator and Gray looked around for a few seconds until they spotted a woman in her mid-twenties shaking her head as she walked towards the back exit.

"Excuse me," Gray called as she and her Pokemon walked towards the woman, who turned and smiled in response. "Did you happen to see a girl about my height, with brown hair and a baseball cap?"

"Oh, she just ran outside after asking about another visitor. She said something about battling him, so all of the students followed and now I have to make sure nothing gets out of hand. God, I hate this job," the woman muttered, rubbing her temples as she walked out of the building while Gray and Bellator exchanged sheepish looks.

After that, they headed outside and were shocked to see an enormous crowd of kids screaming at the top of their lungs. Unable to see anything, Gray tried to push her way through the crowd but was unsuccessful. Determined to find White, Bellator sprung off the ground and landed on a child's head before leapfrogging his way through the crowd and onto the battlefield.

"Bellator?" Gray shouted worriedly before a blast of water struck several kids and forced them to diverge, which allowed Gray to reach the battlefield. As soon as she did, Gray spotted White standing a few feet away from Cheren and his Tepig, the latter of whom was glaring at Snivy.

"White, are you sure about this?" Cheren asked arrogantly, even though that wasn't his intent. "I mean, have you had a battle yet?"

The girl shook her head wildly, causing Cheren to sigh and adjust his glasses with his right index finger before pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"I want my first battle to be memorable, and who better than one of my best friends?" White inquired rhetorically, making Cheren turn as red as an apple. "So what do you say? Will you accept my challenge, Cheren?"

The teen looked at Tepig and the two nodded in unison before Cheren grinned at White and gave her a thumbs up, confusing Gray, who had thought the boy was a jerk. Before she could say anything, she noticed the referee box was open, so she walked over to it with Bellator, prompting Unicus and Furcifer, who had been with White, to follow their trainer and teammate.

After looking at both sides, Gray raised her arms and began speaking.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Cheren and White, and the battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue! Now choose your Pokemon!"

"Tepig, let's go!" Cheren shouted, pointing towards the battlefield, leading to the fire type running forwards while releasing embers from his nose.

"Snivy, you're up!" White exclaimed, prompting Snivy to hop off her shoulder and land on the battlefield elegantly, making all of the spectators gasp.

"This battle will be between Tepig and Snivy! Because White issued the challenge, Cheren will get the first move! Begin!" Gray shouted, throwing both arms towards the ground.

"Okay, Tepig, lower Snivy's defenses with Tail Whip!" the sixteen year old commanded while adjusting his glasses.

Tepig nodded and turned so his tail was pointing towards Snivy, and he began wagging it, causing a ring of green light to appear and spin around Snivy's body before disappearing. Afterwards, Snivy and White exchanged confused glances and shrugged, making Cheren grin before White issued a command.

"Uhm... Tackle, Snivy!" she yelled after scanning her starter with her Pokedex.

Doing as she was told, Snivy ran forwards and lowered her head, preparing to deliver a wicked blow to her fire type foe. As she sprinted across the battlefield, everyone watching turned to face Cheren, waiting for him to counter. He didn't immediately, though, and instead laughed to himself before throwing his right fist forwards.

"Char her to a crisp with Ember!"

Snivy's eyes went wide as Tepig reared his head back and grunted loudly, shooting a flurry of orange bullets of fire from his nostrils. The super effective attack slammed into Snivy and made her cry out in pain as she was thrown across the battlefield, drawing responses from the audience while Bellator looked on closely, examining Tepig's arrogant demeanor, which rubbed him the wrong way.

"Snivy!" White shouted as she attempted to run towards her Pokemon's side. She was stopped, however, when Unicus held her hand up.

"White, if you interfere with the battle then you lose automatically!" the ground type exclaimed, making White bite her lower lip before retreating to her trainer box while Snivy rose to her feet rather weakly.

"Now use Tackle attack, Tepig!" Cheren commanded, not giving White a second to think.

Tepig happily obliged and sprinted across the battlefield, overwhelming White and Snivy. The sixteen year old regained her composure in a nanosecond, though, and she stepped forwards confidently while throwing her arm out to her side.

"Stop Tepig with Vine Whip!" she screamed.

Not wasting any time, Snivy grunted as two vines shot out of her neck and flew towards Tepig, who was shocked by the attack, unlike Cheren, who had prepared for the situation just in case.

"Dodge it and finish this!"

Somehow, Tepig managed to jump away from both vines, which slammed into the ground, and he dove headfirst into Snivy, launching the grass snake through the air before she crashed against the ground limply. Not moving, Snivy let out a low cry, but Tepig didn't stop his assault, instead charging once again. The most shocking thing about the fire type attacking was that Cheren didn't protest, which made Gray narrow her eyes as she, Unicus, and Furcifer glared at him. Bellator, on the other hand, noticed the danger Snivy was in, and he bolted forwards.

In the blink of an eye, the water type was standing in front of Snivy, and he stopped Tepig dead in his tracks with the help of his scalchop, making everyone spectating gasp while White ran to her Pokemon's side in concern, helping her off the ground with a smile.

"Enough!" Bellator shouted, silencing everyone as he kicked Tepig in the chin as hard as he could, sending the fire type tumbling through the air before he landed on his feet in front of Cheren with a scowl. "Attacking your opponent when they clearly can't battle? You're pathetic!" Bellator screamed, glaring at the fire type he had lived with at Juniper's.

"Yeah, what's wrong with you, Cheren? You're not supposed to let your Pokemon do that!" Gray scolded as the teen refused to pay any attention to her.

"It's fine, Gray. Cheren didn't mean anything," White said, trying to defend her friend, who continued to act as if he wasn't hearing anything while spraying Tepig with a Potion.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the school was a man with red hair, who rubbed his chin and watched the scene unfold.

"You know what? We're going to put you in your place right here right now!" Gray announced, drawing an explosion of cheers from the crowd of kids, who just wanted to see another battle. Unicus and Furcifer seemed to be feeding off the energy from the kids while Bellator kept his cool, folding his arms over his chest as he continued glaring at Tepig.

"I'll be the referee then," White stated after receiving a Potion from Gray, which she used to heal Snivy. "How many Pokemon do you want to use?" White inquired.

"Two's enough," Gray stated ferociously. "Unicus, I want you to go with White and Snivy. Bellator and Furcifer can take care of this," the brunette continued while turning to her starter, who pouted but obeyed the instructions.

Once she arrived in the referee box, White looked at both trainers and raised her arms.

"This will be a two versus two battle between Cheren and Gray, where both trainers may substitute their Pokemon once! Furthermore, the battle will be over when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Trainers, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Furcifer, I choose you!" Gray yelled, prompting the ice type to jump in the air.

Before landing, Furcifer performed a front flip, wowing everyone, including the strange man resting on the school's roof.

"Yamask, let's go!"

A strange ghost holding a golden mask appeared from the Pokeball Cheren had thrown, and it let out a low cry once it locked eyes with Furcifer, who continued slashing at the air with a confident smirk.

"This battle will be between Yamask and Furcifer! Begin!"

"Yamask, use Night Shade!" Cheren ordered confidently.

The ghost obeyed his trainer's commands and floated towards Furcifer before throwing both of its arms forwards, causing a zigzagging beam of red energy to cut through the air and close in on Furcifer, who waited for her trainer to speak up, which she did with the utmost confidence in her Pokemon's abilities.

"Cancel it out with Icy Wind, Furcifer!" Gray yelled.

Furcifer opened her mouth and released a chilling wind of energy that collided with Yamask's Night Shade attack and powered through it before striking the ghost type, making Cheren curse under his breath while Gray smiled and the spectator's cheered.

"Wow, Furcifer's really strong!" White exclaimed, drawing a nod from Snivy while Bellator, who was standing next to Gray, heard the comment and folded his arms over his chest, withholding judgement.

"Now get in close with Quick Attack!" Gray continued, punching her fist straight forwards.

The dark type shot forwards without hesitation and zipped across the battlefield as a streak of white light trailed her body. Noticing that his opponents' intent wasn't to hit Yamask with the move that wouldn't have done anything, Cheren fumbled his words before taking a deep breath to regain his confidence.

"Stop her from using that with Disable!"

Yamask grunted in response before his eyes flashed white, causing Furcifer to fall due to the sudden stoppage in momentum. Somehow, the ice type managed to put her hands on the ground and perform a forwards cartwheel, which allowed her to land on her feet and launch herself into the air.

"Heh," Gray chuckled under her breath, unnerving Cheren. "Furcifer, you know what to do!" the brunette shouted to her Sneasel, who nodded in response as she flew above Yamask.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Furcifer snickered before her body was enveloped in a coat of black energy, surprising everyone, including Gray. Then, she disappeared, causing Cheren and Yamask to look around wildly. Furcifer reappeared a few feet above Yamask and roared as she slammed into the ghost type, ramming him into the ground so hard the battlefield cracked underneath the force of impact.

Shortly afterwards, Furcifer hopped onto her feet and looked at Yamask, whose eyes were closed, making her grin proudly.

"Yamask is unable to continue! Cheren, choose your next Pokemon!"

 _"Impressive. Very, very impressive. That girl and her Pokemon trust each other enough to not have to use commands every turn,"_ the redheaded man sitting on the school's roof thought to himself as a sly grin stretched across his face. Pulling a crumpled up piece of paper out of his pocket, he began jotting down a few notes, occasionally glancing up to examine Gray and her Sneasel.

"You were great, Furcifer!" Gray commended as she knelt and patted her newest Pokemon on the head, drawing a smile from Furcifer.

"Thanks! I'm ready to go another round!" she exclaimed, which was met with Gray shaking her head.

"I know you can, but I want Bellator to get this one, if you don't mind," the eighteen year old replied. Furcifer shook her head and then bowed to Bellator, who didn't respond. Instead, he walked past dark type and cracked his neck with a straight face, drawing waves of whispers from the crowd of students, all of whom were intimidated by the Oshawott.

"Sorry my strategy didn't work, Yamask. Return," Cheren said to the fainted Pokemon, who smiled weakly in response before being zapped into his Pokeball. "Now I have to deal with that Oshawott," the dark haired teen growled, staring at the Pokemon that didn't want him as a trainer.

Even though Cheren didn't have any intentions of picking Bellator, the fact that the water type wanted nothing to do with him drove Cheren mad. For whatever reason, it decided to go with Gray, a girl who had never been to Unova, had never spent time studying at the lab, and had never spent time interacting with the Unova starters. Tepig quickly ran forwards and lowered himself to the ground, narrowing his eyes at Bellator, whose calm expression turned to one of ferocity while Furcifer walked over to White, Snivy, and Unicus.

"Hey, does Bellator usually not acknowledge encouragement?" Furcifer asked Unicus, who shook her head along with Snivy.

"Not at all. He doesn't like talking, unless you ask him to train," Snivy replied. "That's what I've learned from being around him at the lab. He didn't even get along with the other Oshawott, which is weird."

Unicus and Furcifer turned to the grass snake, intrigued by the information, yet confused about the latter half of her response.

"What's so weird about that? Sure, they're the same species and all, but his personality seems like it'd fit his actions pretty well," Unicus asked, causing Snivy to turn towards her.

As she stared at Bellator, Snivy shook her head and sighed before finally turning back to the water type's teammates, who were staring at her. "He was born with them. Those were all his siblings."

"This battle will be between Tepig and Bellator! Begin!"

"Bellator, let's rock and roll!" Gray exclaimed, trying to pump up her Pokemon. She failed miserably though, causing her to sweat drop in embarrassment before regaining her composure. "Use Water Gun!"

The tiny otter wasted no time in firing a ridiculous blast of water from his mouth, which closed in on Tepig in a matter of seconds, wowing everyone that was watching the battle.

"Just what I expected," Cheren said under his breath while adjusting his glasses. "Jump out of the way and use Flame Charge!" Cheren retorted.

Tepig jumped over the blast of water after getting a running start, and he was engulfed in flames as soon as he landed. Speeding across the battlefield, Tepig began grunting with every stride he took, speaking volumes to just how much energy he was using with the attack. Gray, however, wasn't fazed by the sudden gain in speed from the fire pig.

"Use their aggression to your advantage, Bellator! Razor Shell!"

Bellator grabbed the scalchop on his chest with his right hand and charged as a blade of water appeared on top of the shell. Spinning as gracefully as a ballerina, the water starter swung his right arm as violently as he could, slashing Tepig across the face, which hurled the fire type backwards. Bouncing along the ground, Tepig cried out in pain before slamming his feet and skidding, only to stop a few inches in front of Cheren.

"Tepig, hang in there and use Ember!" the sixteen year old instructed, drawing a nod from his starter.

Rearing his head back just like Bellator had done, Tepig's nose began to glow orange before he shot orange bullets of fire at his opponent, who quickly extended his right arm and began deflecting the fire type attack with his scalchop. Everyone watching began roaring in support of the Oshawott, who, after blocking the Ember attack, pointed at Tepig, unnerving the pig.

"Great idea, Bellator!" Furcifer screamed while Unicus and Snivy cheered for the water type, who calmly placed his scalchop back on his chest.

"Lower Tepig's defense with Tail Whip!" Gray commanded, not paying any attention to the cheers for her and her Pokemon.

Doing the same thing as his trainer, Bellator spun around and began wagging his tail at Tepig, causing a green ring of light to appear around the fire type's body. After it completed a few revolutions, the ring disappeared into thin air.

"We're not letting this battle go on any longer, Tepig! Charge and use Tackle!"

Sensing the desperation behind his trainer's voice, Tepig sprinted towards Bellator and lowered his head, hoping to deal a hefty blow to the otter, who had been dominating the battle from the start. Much to Cheren's dismay, Gray nonchalantly pushed her hair out of her eyes and grinned before throwing her open hand forwards.

"Use Water Gun on the ground to get into the air!"

Bellator did just as he was told and aimed right at the ground before unleashing another wicked blast of water from his mouth. Everyone gasped in shock as the bipedal Pokemon skied high into the air, and Tepig stopped dead in his tracks, baffled by Gray's tactical thinking.

"What!? Don't let them fool you, Tepig! Flame Charge!"

"End this with Razor Shell!"

As Tepig was engulfed in flames, he shot into the air with the intent of letting Bellator know he wasn't going to back down just because of the way the battle had gone to that point. Bellator, however, didn't care about that. No, he was focused strictly on putting Tepig in his place, and that he wasn't going to get away with delivering cheap shots to his opponents, like he had tried to do against Snivy. Narrowing his eyes as he elegantly spun, Bellator grabbed his scalchop and slammed the blade of water over Tepig's head, spiking the four legged creature into the ground at the speed of a rocket.

Running towards the fire type, White raised her arms when she saw Tepig's eyes were closed, resulting in an explosion of cheers for Bellator and Gray, the latter of whom waved thankfully.

"Tepig is unable to battle! That means Gray, Furcifer, and Bellator are the winners!"

While Gray continued waving to the students that were cheering, Bellator made his way over to Tepig, who had somehow risen to his feet. Glaring at the Pokemon, Bellator sent chills down Tepig's spine.

"Listen to me, and listen to me well. If you _ever_ pull something like that again," he started, referencing the battle Tepig had with Snivy, "I wont hold anything bac, and I'll make sure you don't walk again. Got it?"

Tepig nodded in fear before hobbling over to Cheren, who patted his starter on the head.

"Nice job, Bellator!" Gray commended as she ran to her Pokemon's side with a smile, drawing a nod from the solemn water type standing in front of her.

Gray then looked up and at Cheren while Unicus and Furcifer attempted to talk to Bellator, only to find that he wasn't in the mood to talk. Cheren slowly withdrew Tepig and walked over to White and Gray before bowing to both girls, surprising the eighteen year old.

"Sorry about our battle, White. I don't know why I didn't stop Tepig, and I don't know what got into him," he said, still bowing.

"Don't worry about it, Cheren. It was probably just because of the emotions from the battle. I mean, you picked Tepig first, so he needed to prove that you didn't make the wrong decision. Don't you agree, Snivy?" White inquired.

"Yeah, no hard feelings," the grass snake said to Cheren, who smiled appreciatively before turning to Gray.

"There's no way I'm losing to you again, Gray," he said, fired up by the loss.

"We'll just see about that," the older girl replied with just as much excitement as her rival before they shook hands. "Just promise me you'll battle Bianca. She's training just to prove to you that she's strong," Gray continued, drawing a nod from Cheren.

"I will, thanks. And if we got off on the wrong foot, sorry. I can be a bit of a jerk," Cheren said as he adjusted his glasses with his right index finger.

"It's true, he can be a huge jerk," White joked, poking fun at Cheren, who shot her a look before laughing slightly. "I can't wait to see how much stronger you get the next time you and Gray battle," the sixteen year old continued, making Cheren blush before he nodded and turned away as quickly as he could.

"I look forward to it. I'll see you both around!" the intelligent teen shouted before sprinting away, leaving White in confusion while Gray shook her head, laughing at the younger girl's obliviousness. She then turned to her three Pokemon and beamed, kneeling as she motioned for them to huddle up.

Each of the three looked Gray right in the eyes, waiting for her to speak as she continued smiling.

"You two were amazing," the young woman said to Furcifer and Bellator, making the former nod. "And Unicus, I promise you'll be in our next battle outside of the Gyms."

"Good! I can't wait to kick some rival butt!" the shrew exclaimed as all of the students walked back into the school.

Suddenly, Gray heard someone clapping from afar. She turned around and wasn't able to see who the person was, which confused her, because it sounded like the applause was coming closer. The body of students, who were funneling into the school, was suddenly split, and a man with wild red hair appeared with a huge smile on his face. He wore a strange getup that made him look like a native of sorts, and there were large beads on a necklace he wore.

"Well done, young lady. You demonstrated that the bonds with your Pokemon were stronger than any strategy or perceived confidence. I'm impressed," he said, extending a hand to Gray, who shook it in confusion. "And you," the man continued, pointing at White and Snivy. "Even though you may have lost, your spirit and determination shone through. You have the makings of a great trainer!"

White and Snivy exchanged shocked glances before they turned back to the man and bowed thankfully for the praise. As the man started clapping once again, laughing heartily, he noticed Bellator standing in front of the group protectively while Unicus and Furcifer were by Gray's sides, ready to attack.

"No need to worry, you three, I'm not an enemy," the redhead said reassuringly as he squatted and slowly extended a hand, which Unicus and Furcifer shook while Bellator remained skeptical. "You're still not sold? HAHAHA!" the man boomed while rocking his momentum backwards so that he was now sitting on the ground. "You're certainly different than every other Pokemon I've met. I like it!"

Bellator continued looking at the man with a hardened expression, but it slowly turned to his resting face. Then, the water type took a step forwards and bowed to the man, making him laugh once again before he shifted his attention back to Gray and White.

"White, why is this guy so happy?" Snivy asked White, failing to whisper, which made the man laugh.

"Tell me, are you girls competing in the Unova League?"

"No, sir. Only Gray is," White replied, making the man focus solely on Gray.

"I'm sorry to be rude, but who are you?" Gray asked. "What's your name?"

"HAHAHA! I see why your Pokemon are so protective of you. You're focused on their wellbeing instead of yours, Gray. May I call you that? Gray?" the older man asked, completely ignoring the eighteen year old's question, which made her sweat drop.

"That's fine, sir, but would you mind giving us your name?"

"I'm Alder. It's nice to meet you both."

* * *

 **Alder? Why is Alder appearing so early? That, my dear readers, will be answered in the chapter preview (kind of) and later on in the story. Anyways, White lost to Cheren, but Gray ended up destroying him afterwards, so she's undefeated against her rivals so far. Next chapter will focus on the development of Gray and White's relationship - Alder will make sure they learn how to work together, believe me - and there might be some appearance by Flare, though I'm not sold on it. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Do you like the idea of Cheren not being a jerk to Gray? (He'll be a jerk to another person, but I can't say who)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Alder's Apprenticeship Advice"**_

 ** _After witnessing the beating White and Snivy took from Cheren and Tepig, Alder makes his presence known when he forces White and Gray to work on their relationship as teacher and apprentice. What exactly will Alder put them through in order to strengthen their bond?_**

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 10: Triple Triplet Rumble!**


	9. Alder's Apprenticeship Advice

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (** **Alain and Charizard appear while two Pokemon transform behind them)** **  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Fancy seeing you here again. You look horrible, go take a shower or something. Hello, readers! I don't know who wrote that first part, but they're an ass. Last chapter, Gray and White battled against Cheren, with White losing while Gray beat Cheren afterwards. This chapter, the two will learn a little thing about teamwork, and Alder will help them with that. ALSO, MAKE SURE TO VOTE ON THE POLL ON MY PROFILE! Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Wow, that team was almost what I had planned (minus Camerupt), but the idea of Gray getting a pseudo wasn't appealing because they are popular in stories, and that's what I'm trying to stay away from. Still, that's a really awesome team! And WhitexCheren gives me chills, haha. In regards to your question, you know I can't answer that, lol. That'd spoil everything!_

 **Defender31415:** _Kind of, yeah. He'll become a lot nicer as the story goes on, just like how Bianca will become more mature. This story's focusing on development more than anything, at least in my opinion, so most characters will be different in the end in some facet or another_

 **davidtheman23:** _Well, I never said Bellator would be evolving, so I don't get why people are assuming he will. Just kidding, it's because he's a starter. But he's not guaranteed to evolve into a Samurott, or just evolve in general. Decorus won't be returning because she's not as important as Durus, Ferus, or Fortis, so if anyone's going to return, and believe me, someone will at some point, it will most likely end up being one of those three. Gym Leaders will be a combination of B/W and B2/W2. Thanks for the review, and check out my profile if you want to read other stories (that are better than mine)!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Thanks! And I don't expect anyone to like him for a while, if at all. The way I think of him moving forward is kind of like Sawyer/Shota from the XY anime, though I understand why people will always hate him to some degree. Hopefully the battles keep getting better, which I think they will once Gray's Pokemon start learning more moves. Thanks for the review!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _He will, though there will be moments of jerkiness from him. I'm glad Bellator's as strong as he is so he can put people in their place, and Alder will actually help Gray and White, because it'll end up helping their relationship evolve_

 **FinLay Real:** _CherenxWhite is more one sided than anything, and I can assure you White will not end up with him. I agree that there is something off with him because I felt that way the entire time writing his change. I think with more time as not being a jerk will make him feel a little more natural. Also, Cheren won't be a jerk to White, he knows he likes her, so he won't be an idiot about it. No trolls, just being honest here, lol. Bellator is more than likely going to be the powerhouse so he's going to be a beast for the entire story, though Furcifer will slow down a bit. She'll still be really strong, just not as strong as right now, plus Unicus will definitely keep up_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 8, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 11, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 10, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)**

* * *

"Like, Champion Alder!?" White screamed as she smacked her hands against her face dramatically while her jaw hit the ground, making Alder laugh. "How did I not recognize you?" the rookie continued while Gray looked at the old man, analyzing his attire, which gave off the impression that he was carefree and into nature.

"Please, I don't like attention regarding my past," the man ordered rather seriously, catching Gray's attention.

"So what do you do now?" the eighteen year old inquired as Unicus crawled up and onto her head, making Alder crack a smile.

"Come with me. I'll show you," he replied while turning to walk back into the school.

Gray and White looked at one another and shrugged before following the powerful trainer. Once they stepped foot in the school, Alder walked to the front of the room and clapped his hands. All of the students' heads shot up and they stared at the man, who smiled and motioned for the girls to come to his side, which they reluctantly did.

"Students, please give a warm welcome to Gray and White. I'm sure you watched the, battle against that boy a few minutes ago."

The children followed Alder's instructions and clapped wildly for the trainers, who smiled and waved back along with their Pokemon, excluding Bellator, who turned to his right and crossed his arms while closing his eyes.

"I know we've been talking a lot about battling strategies, so feel free to ask either of them about what they were thinking."

All of the students raised their hands, prompting Alder to motion for Gray to call on one of them, which she did by pointing at a boy in the front. He quickly rose to his feet with a nervous look on his face, which was eased when Unicus and Snivy smiled at him.

"Uhm, how exactly did you think of having your Oshawott use Water Gun to push himself into the air?" the young boy quizzed before sitting down.

"Well, I saw it on TV one time when I was watching a league tournament."

"Who was it?" the same boy asked.

"I'm sure you've all heard of him before," Gray started with a sly grin, knowing she was making all of the kids anxious. "Owen Plateau."

Every one of the kids began screaming about how they had seen his battle with Red and about the Kalos Champion's other accomplishments, but they were silenced when Alder put his hand up.

"Any questions for White?"

A few hands shot up, and the rookie trainer pointed to the back of the room, making a young girl stand up.

"How do you battle someone when they have a type advantage?"

White smiled at the girl as she sat down and noticed everyone in the room, except Bellator, was staring at her, making the teenager sweat drop.

"I'm not the person you should be asking. Gray has a lot more experience than I do. Can you answer that, Gray?" White asked, drawing a nod from the older girl. Before Gray could speak, Alder tapped her on the shoulder and shook his head, prompting Gray to close her mouth.

"Before Gray answers, I'd like to ask you a question, White. Have you ever asked Gray for advice about these kinds of things?"

The two girls sweat dropped before White shook her head.

"Have you taken any notes on what she does well when battling? Training? Anything?"

Again, the sixteen year old sweat dropped and shook her head.

"Now, Gray, have you ever offered any advice?" Alder interrogated.

Gray shook her head.

"Have you battled with White, or pointed out issues with her battling?"

"She hasn't battled," Gray replied, making Alder shake his head in disappointment while the class full of kids sat back and watched, not knowing what to do while their teacher tore the trainers apart. "The one that you just watched was her first battle," Gray continued.

"It's true. Gray hasn't given me any advice because she hasn't had the chance to."

Alder rubbed his head and sighed in frustration, making both of the girls nervous along with their Pokemon. After taking another deep breath, Alder looked up at the girls and looked through their souls.

"Even though it's obvious you two get along, you don't seem to be working well together, and that has to change," he stated, confusing everyone. "Students, follow us outside."

Everyone walked to the battlefield out back and Alder walked into a trainer box while folding his arms over his chest. Unicus, Furcifer, Bellator, and Snivy stood alongside Gray and White while they kept away from the battlefield and they stared at Alder in confusion, unaware of what he was up to.

"We're going to have a double battle, and you're going to learn how to work together!" the former champion shouted to the girls, who flinched at the announcement before slowly making their way into the trainer box opposing the redheaded man.

One of the students then stood in the referee box and looked at both sides.

"This will be a double battle between the team of Gray and White, and the team of Alder! The battle will be over when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Choose your Pokemon!"

"Is this a joke or something?" White asked Gray, who glanced at Alder and took the stern expression on his face as a no.

"I don't think so. We're going to have to do this," Gray whispered to the younger girl, who deadpanned at the idea of having to battle a champion. "Unicus, are you ready?"

"Let's do it!" the ground type answered before rolling onto the battlefield with an excited look on her face.

"Snivy, I guess you're going out there," White informed her starter, prompting the snake to tiptoe forwards and stand next to Unicus, who nodded at her confidently. Gray did the same to White, and the rookie duo hung their heads in unison.

"Bouffalant, Accelgor, please assist me!" Alder shouted while tossing two Pokeballs high in the air.

They opened at the same time and two Pokemon unfamiliar to Gray materialized from the light emitted by the Pokeballs. Right across from Gray was a buffalo that resembled Tauros, though if had an afro and was a darker shade of brown. Across from White was a strange, pink headed bug whose lower body was wrapped in a grayish cloth.

Bellator eyed both Pokemon intently, impressed with the power radiating from them and Alder. Turning his attention to both Gray and White, Bellator sighed, knowing how badly they were going to get beaten.

"White, make sure you stay on your guard, okay?" Gray told the girl, who nodded slowly before taking a deep breath. "Unicus, if Snivy's in trouble I want you to help her out."

"Got it," the ground type replied before flashing her teammate a thumbs up, reassuring Snivy, who responded with a thumbs up of her own.

"This double battle will be between Unicus and Snivy, and Bouffalant and Accelgor! Begin!"

"Unicus, start off with Defense Curl!" Gray shouted to her starter.

Doing as she was told, Unicus grunted in response before curling up into a ball. A ring of green light spun around her a few times before disappearing while Unicus uncurled herself and rose to her feet.

"Snivy, lower their defenses with Leer!" White shouted, following Gray's lead.

Like Unicus, Snivy obeyed her command and shot a threatening look at Bouffalant and Accelgor. Much to her dismay, White watched as neither of her opponents were fazed by the look, and their defense wasn't lowered as a result.

"Accelgor, use Agility! Bouffalant, Swords Dance!" Alder instructed, drawing nods from both of his Pokemon.

While Accelgor began vanishing and reappearing in various spots across his trainer's half of the battlefield, Bouffalant stomped on the ground, causing two swords to clank in front of him. As a result, a red ring of light spun around the normal type's body before disappearing. Gray noticed the sudden change in Bouffalant's actions after Swords Dance, as the buffalo began swiping at the ground while glaring at Snivy, who trembled.

"Okay, Unicus, let's show 'em our strength! Use Rollout on Accelgor!"

Unicus nodded in response before curling into a ball for the second time in as many commands. Then, she started rolling across the battlefield at a furious pace, prompting White and Snivy to follow up with an attack of their own.

"Snivy, attack Bouffalant with Tackle!" White commanded.

Reluctantly, Snivy began running at top speed alongside Unicus, making Alder shake his head before throwing both of his arms forward. Somehow, his Pokemon sensed him doing that, so they prepared to attack at the exact same time, making the girls gasp in shock while the students began cheering for their teacher.

"Dodge it, Accelgor! Send Snivy flying with Head Charge, Bouffalant!" the former champion roared with a grin.

Accelgor narrowed his eyes and disappeared just before Unicus could hit him, making Gray's eyes shoot wide open in shock. Furcifer and Bellator were just as shocked by the bug's speed. Bouffalant then exhaled through its nose dramatically before sprinting towards Snivy while he was engulfed in golden energy. Snivy stopped dead in her tracks after seeing the insane attack, as did White, prompting Gray to act as fast as she could.

"Unicus, hop onto Bouffalant's back and steer him away from Snivy!" the eighteen year old shrieked, prompting Unicus to bolt after the charging normal type.

Somehow, Unicus managed to catch up to Bouffalant and she lunged at the buffalo, latching onto his back before grabbing a hold of his afro. Yanking on the ball of hair on Bouffalant's head, Unicus beamed when the normal type slammed his feet into the ground and stopped a few inches in front of Snivy.

"Now hit Bouffalant with Vine Whip!" White shouted, taking advantage of the situation Gray and Unicus had created.

Snivy nodded and two vines shot out of her neck before she began smacking Bouffalant as hard as she could. Despite the ferocity of the attacks, Bouffalant didn't appear to be hurt in the slightest, which Bellator took note of before seeing Alder smiling.

"Shake Unicus off with Thrash! Accelgor, follow that up with Swift!" the redheaded man yelled.

With one violent motion, Bouffalant launched Unicus into the air and kicked Snivy in the face, sending her crashing into White, who was knocked over as a result. The normal type then ran back to his trainer's side while White and Snivy got up slowly, rubbing their heads in pain before they rose to their feet and got back into the battle. Accelgor then jumped into the air and threw his stubby arms out to his sides, creating waves of golden stars being fired at Unicus and Snivy. The two were pelted by the normal type attack and let out cries of pain, causing both of their trainers to bite their lower lips nervously.

"Hit Accelgor with Crush Claw while he's falling!" Gray barked, throwing her right fist forwards.

After shaking her head as a result of the Swift attack, Unicus stuck both of her arms out and her claws began extending while turning cobalt. Before she could even attempt to run, White stepped forwards and cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of Gray and Unicus.

"Throw Unicus with Vine Whip, Snivy!"

The grass snake nodded and gave Unicus a thumbs up, making the ground type smile. Without hesitation, Snivy released two vines from her neck and grabbed Unicus before swinging her around and hurling her towards Accelgor as he was falling. Impressed by the teamwork the girls had shown, Alder smiled and looked down at the ground, allowing Unicus to slash Accelgor violently. After landing, Accelgor grunted to Alder and drew a nod from his trainer, confusing both Gray and White.

"Let's finish this. Bug Buzz!"

Accelgor threw his stubby arms forwards one more time and fired three rings of red energy at Unicus and Snivy, who gasped in shock at the powerful move. In the blink of an eye, both Pokemon were crushed and smashed into their trainers, who were knocked onto their backs. Once they sat up, White and Gray saw that Unicus and Snivy's eyes were closed, prompting the student acting as referee to raise his arms.

"Both Unicus and Snivy are unable to battle! Alder is the winner!"

While every one of the students cheered as they were escorted back to their classroom, Alder remained outside with Gray and White, smiling at the two girls as they hung their heads along with their starter Pokemon.

"Girls, that last sequence of commands was perfect! That's the kind of teamwork I wanted to see!" Alder exclaimed, smiling at the trainers, who cracked grins before bowing to Alder thankfully. "And you two," the man said to Unicus and Snivy. "That was a hard fought battle. Maybe we can do this another time in the future, once you've had more time to train... together."

"Definitely!" Unicus exclaimed while patting Snivy on the back, making her smile.

"I'd be up for it," the grass starter stated, making Alder laugh heartily as he placed a hand over his stomach.

"Wonderful! Gray, you're going to be challenging the Striaton Gym tomorrow, correct?" Alder inquired, drawing a nod from the girl.

"That's right. And we're going to win!" Furcifer replied excitedly while Bellator kept his arms crossed and nodded in agreement.

"I'd love to see it, if you don't mind. When are you battling?" Alder quizzed.

Gray paused, not remembering the time she had booked on the league website. Taking out her Pokedex to check, Gray sifted through several different pages before finding the time of her battle.

"Nine o'clock," the young woman said to Alder, who beamed in response.

"I can't wait. I'm sure you're going to do well."

Gray bowed in response along with her Pokemon, White, and Snivy, and they left the school's premises with newfound energy. Things were going well, though that wouldn't last long.

* * *

 **Well, Gray and White got obliterated by Alder and his Pokemon, but at least their training seems to have paid off now that Gray knows how she should go about mentoring White, and White knows how to go about asking for advice. Next chapter will be Gray's first Gym Battle of Unova, and hopefully she can pull off the win. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Triple Triplet Rumble"**_

 ** _With her first Gym battle finally getting under way, Gray finds herself playing by rules she has never come across. Now having to rely on all three of her Pokemon, Gray has the decks stacked against her when each of her Pokemon are weak to their opponent. Will Gray be able to overcome the odds and win her first badge?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 11:** **Adding a Wild Side** **  
Chapter 12: Gray vs Aliana: Fighting Flare!  
Chapter 13: Bat Out of Hell  
** **Chapter 14: Pranks Gone Wrong** **  
Chapter 15: Rivals and Romance? Enter Hugh!  
Chapter 16: White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole  
Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	10. Triple Triplet Rumble!

**Theme Song**

 **This is it, the final quest (Gray and Unicus look out at Unova from their boat and gasp)  
Your goal's to be the very best (Bellator hops off a cliff, spins, and hurls his scalchop at the screen)  
New and old will come together (Durus, Fortis, and Ferus stand by Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer)  
These memories will last forever (Cheren and Bianca stand behind their starters and square off with Gray)  
Don't slow down, keep trucking ahead (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer battle Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour)  
Those dreams of yours are almost dead (A picture of the Unova Elite 4 begins to burn)  
Even though that may be true (** **Alain and Charizard appear while two Pokemon transform behind them)** **  
Think of the things that you've been through... (Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer sit with Gray and look up at the stars)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's going on, everyone? Last chapter, Gray and White met Alder after (in chapter 8) they battled Cheren, and he destroyed them. However, his goal was to teach them about how to work together, and they passed that part of the test. He then brought them to the Striaton City Gym, and things will pick up where they left off. Also, I changed one of the titles for the Nacrene Arc (18), so keep an eye out for any other changes. Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _A few drafts ago, it was actually spot-on, minus Camerupt because of type redundancies. For the team I decided on, all of them were wrong XD Scizor's really cool and all, but it'd have to be strong and I didn't want Gray having three beasts. Two's fine, three's pushing it. WhitexHugh is a good guess, and I can't wait to introduce Flare! Unova hype!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Well, I've also finished writing five other chapters, so I'm on a tear, lol. White will eventually become REALLY strong, like, competing with Gray strong. But that's a loooooong way from now, and you'll just have to settle for her progressing one chappie at a time :3_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Oh, I was unintentionally misleading with that, my bad. He's just tired of people focusing on the past (honest, no trolls). That joke though (White and Black were supposed to be the original rivals, lmao). I haven't decided on the Unova champ yet, to be perfectly honest, and I like the predictions, especially with chapter 11. Most of them were very close, if not right (13 being the only one that's kind of off), so nice job! You won yourself one free ticket on the hype train! (PM me if you actually want to)_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Thanks! White's goals are still being worked out, (I can go several ways with her regardless of what she ends up doing) but she'll be training a lot with Gray a lot as a means of making up for her lack of a goal, which will be revealed at a later time. And Cheren's going to be a jerk to Hugh for various reasons, competing for White being one of them_

 **Defender31415:** _Haha, yeah they did. The only way I see that battle being relatively close would be if Gray had Fortis or MAYBE Ferus, but that obviously wasn't the case. They'll be working together quite a bit throughout the story, primarily in the middle when White decides what she wants to do, so expect more of that_

 **Eddy (guest):** _In my opinion, his Hoenn team was the strongest with Sceptile, Zangoose, Swampert, and Aggron. Sinnoh's a close second. His weakest is easily Johto. Gray's Pokemon (again, just my opinion) in terms of weakest to strongest are Agrestis, Pertinax, Fidens, Magna, Acer, Comis, Leviculus, Durus, Decorus, Placidus, Ferus, and Fortis. What're your thoughts?_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 9, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 11, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 10, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)**

* * *

Gray and White yawned as they strolled up to the Striaton Gym while Unicus rolled around energetically. Furcifer and Snivy, however, weren't even close to being as energetic, and looked like they were about to fall asleep, while Bellator looked like his usual self: disinterested.

"Today's the day," Gray started, smiling as she looked up at the top of the building, smiling as Unicus leaped up and landed on her shoulder, prompting Furcifer to jump onto her other shoulder. "Let's go get our first badge, guys!"

"YEAH!" Unicus and Furcifer shrieked as they pumped their arms in the air.

White, meanwhile, shook her head at the energy of Gray and her Pokemon, and Bellator did the same. Snivy was too tired to even care, though, as she yawned and closed her eyes while resting on White's head.

"I can feel the energy radiating from all the way over here! That's a sign of good things!" a familiar, masculine voice boomed from afar, drawing the attention of Gray and White. "It's wonderful to see both of you again. I would ask if you're ready, Gray, but I think I know the answer," Alder said, chuckling as he did so.

The eighteen year old nodded with a determined look in her eyes, drawing another hearty laugh from the former champion, who motioned for her and White to follow him inside. As they did, the trio of humans looked around and saw that the interior of the building was a restaurant, which perplexed Gray and her Pokemon.

"Uh, White, I thought you said this was a Gym," Gray whispered, causing the younger girl to blush in embarrassment before she began looking through her brother's notes. "Are you sure your brother actually traveled through Unova?"

The sixteen year old shot Gray a nasty look, causing her to sweat drop, but the standoffish attitude was dimmed when Alder put a hand up, drawing the attention of both girls.

"Relax, this Gym's also a five star restaurant. If you just go to the back, which we will, you'll find the battlefield. I'll show you," Alder informed the younger trainers, who nodded like idiots before following him to the back of the restaurant, which was packed with people wearing fancy clothes. As they made their way past several tables, a waiter with blue hair noticed them and followed, stopping the trio once they neared a counter.

"I'm sorry, can I help you with something, Alder?"

"Ah, Cress! This young lady here would like to order a battle," Alder replied, slamming his right hand down on Gray's shoulder, making the blue haired waiter narrow his eyes as he looked over the girl and her three Pokemon.

"I see. Please forgive me, ma'am," Cress said to Gray, bowing apologetically. "My name is Cress, and I'm one of the Gym Leaders," the young man continued as he extended a hand, which Gray shook.

"One of?" the brunette inquired, drawing a nod from White and Alder. "Huh, that's cool."

"That's right, there are three Gym Leaders," the blue haired man stated as he led Gray, White, and Alder to the battlefield, which was much nicer than most other Gym battlefields Gray had seen, the exception being Clair's back in Blackthorn City.

As soon as the foursome reached the battlefield, which was covered with rocks, two other men dressed in fancy attire, similar to Cress, appeared at the other end with eager smiles. Cress then made his way across the rocky terrain and stood with the two other men and smiled at Gray.

"Guys, this is our challenger, Gray Plain, I believe," Cress stated before confirming that he had gotten the girl's name right by checking the league website. "Welcome, Gray, to the Striaton City Gym! As you know, my name is Cress, and you'll need to rely on all of your Pokemon today."

"You're going to have to overcome adversity if you want to win this badge. I'm Chili," the redheaded man standing next to Cress informed his challenger with a bright smile.

"Optimal choices must be made in order to claim victory. Cilan's the name," the green haired Gym Leader announced, bowing alongside his brothers. "Our Gym doesn't work like any others across the world. We like to pride ourselves on that."

"How so?" Gray asked while the triplets stood in the same trainer box, each holding a Pokeball.

The young men turned to the referee, who nodded and turned to look Gray in the eyes before explaining the rules.

"This will be a best of three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leaders, Cilan, Chili, and Cress, where the Gym Leaders will be given type advantages in all matches! The battle will be over when either side has won twice. In the event of a tie, the Gym Leaders are declared victorious!" the referee explained while looking between Gray and the triplets, all of whom nodded while White shook her head in disgust.

"What's wrong, White?" Snivy inquired.

"These rules put the Gym Leaders at such a big advantage, and it's not fair! There's no way Gray can win if she doesn't have any type advantages!" the brunette whispered angrily before turning her attention back to Gray, Unicus, and Bellator.

Alder shook his head at White's opinion, causing the girl and her starter to turn to the former champion in confusion before he spoke up.

"Young lady, you'll learn sooner or later that type advantages mean little to nothing in battles. While they do determine the winner of a battle between two inexperienced trainers, all of that is thrown out the window when you're experienced like your friend. She's been around the block, so she knows how to overcome such things. Even if she were to lose here, the goal of these Gym Leaders is to teach trainers what I just told you."

Shocked by the wise answer, White turned back to the battlefield before her eyes went wide and she shifted her gaze back to Alder.

"Hey, how do you know Gray's been training for a while?"

The red haired man laughed at White's question before placing a hand on her shoulder as Gray withdrew Furcifer and Bellator.

"Let's just say I've heard about her from a few friends. Plus, it wasn't hard to tell given how different her composure and tactics were from yours when we battled yesterday morning."

"Furcifer, come on out!" Gray shouted while throwing her first Pokeball onto the battlefield, silencing Alder and White.

Bursting out of her Pokeball, Furcifer acrobatically spun through the air and landed on one of the rocks planted on Gray's half of the battlefield. Swinging her arms around and slashing at the air in front of her, the Sneasel smirked at her opponents and folded her arms over her chest confidently while waiting for one of the three Gym Leaders to step forward and battle her.

"If you have an ice type, then I'm your opponent for this battle," Chili announced as he stepped into the trainer box with a Pokeball in hand. "Pansear, I choose you!" he shouted while hurling the spherical device.

Once it opened, a red monkey materialized from the light and stared at Furcifer with its droopy eyes. The ice type glared at her opponent and shook her head, embarrassed by the fact that she had to battle such a goofy Pokemon.

"You can do it, Furcifer!" White and Snivy cheered in unison while the referee rose his arms and looked at both sides.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Pansear! Begin!"

"Pansear, use Incinerate!" Chili shouted, opting to use his strongest move first.

Whipping its neck forwards, Pansear shot a wave of flames towards Furcifer, who spun out of the way and landed on the ground next to the rock she had just been standing on. Pansear didn't relent, however, and continued using Incinerate attack after Incinerate attack.

"Dodge and counter with Quick Attack, Furcifer!" Gray countered, realizing the only way she could put an end to the onslaught was by going on the offensive.

Nodding slightly, Furcifer dropped to the ground and dodged yet another Incinerate before shooting across the battlefield as a white streak of light trailed her body. Before Chili could react, Furcifer lowered her shoulder and checked Pansear, sending the fire monkey skidding across the rocky battlefield.

"Wow, that was really fast. But we're not gonna let that keep us from winning. Charge and use Fury Swipes!" the redheaded Gym Leader commanded.

As Pansear rose to his feet, he grinned and threw his arms out to his sides. Suddenly, three claws shot out of his hands and were glowing white with energy before he charged towards Furcifer, who wanted to match her opponent slash for slash. Gray had a different mindset, however, and she stomped before issuing a counterattack.

"Furcifer, use Feint Attack!" she yelled.

Furcifer nodded and disappeared in the blink of an eye, catching Chili and Pansear by surprise. While they looked around for the ice type, Gray snapped her fingers and Furcifer reappeared right in front of her foe before punching him in the face, knocking Pansear to the ground while Chili looked on in fear.

"Paralyze Furcifer with Lick!"

Sticking his tongue out, Pansear swung his neck around. Somehow his tongue grew exponentially to the point where it looked like it could stretch across the world, grossing out White and Snivy while Gray tried to not pay any attention to the disgusting attack. Instead, she stuck her hand out and kept herself from seeing Pansear before issuing a command.

"Grab his tongue, Furcifer!"

Smirking, Furcifer snatched Pansear's tongue out of the air and snickered, unnerving both Chili and his Pokemon while Cilan and Cress were too shocked to utter a word.

"What is she doing!?" Chili screamed worriedly, looking at his brothers, who were lost.

"Now put Pansear's tongue against the ground and use Icy Wind!" Gray roared.

Furcifer did as she was told and released a freezing blast of wind from her mouth that stuck Pansear's tongue to the ground. Everyone looked at Gray in confusion except Alder, who laughed the cunning move before slamming his feet on the ground.

"That's incredible! I would've never thought of that!"

"Break free, Pansear!" Chili shouted desperately to his Pokemon, who attempted to pull his frozen tongue off the ground, but was unable to do so. "How? How did she do that?"

"Finish this up with Quick Attack!" Gray commanded, throwing her right hand forwards.

Speeding across the battlefield, Furcifer grunted loudly as a streak of white light trailed her body. She then slammed into Pansear, causing him to fly into the air and his tongue to rip off the ground, making the fire type scream in pain. Once he hit the ground, Pansear let out a weak cry before his eyes closed, prompting the referee to throw his arms in the air.

"Pansear is unable to continue! Gray wins the first match!"

"What'd you say about not being able to win?" Snivy remarked sarcastically, causing White to sweat drop in embarrassment before she recovered and eyed her friend, who hugged Furcifer while Unicus glared at the ice type.

"Furcifer was incredible! She made it look like Pansear didn't have a chance!" White exclaimed as she stared at Snivy, who nodded in agreement while Alder remained quiet, staring at Gray in awe.

"Awesome job, Furcifer!" Gray commended as she rubbed the ice type's head thankfully.

"Thanks. Those guys didn't know what hit 'em!" Furcifer exclaimed, punching her arms in the air. "There's no way they're going to beat us," she continued before sitting down next to her trainer, who paid no attention to the comment, instead opting to squat and place her hand on Unicus' head.

"Are you ready to go, Unicus?" Gray quizzed with a smile.

"Let's do it!" Unicus roared in response before jumping out of the trainer box and onto the battlefield, where she began swiping at the ground.

"I see, so it's a ground type. I shall be your opponent," Cress stated, sauntering forwards while his brothers stepped back. "Panpour, reveal yourself!" the blue haired trainer shouted as he opened his Pokeball, revealing a monkey that looked almost exactly like Pansear, except with a blue head and blue, geyser-like hair on top of its head.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Panpour! Begin!"

"Unicus, Rollout!" Gray barked while throwing her right fist forwards.

Doing just as she was told, Unicus curled herself into a ball and began rolling along the rocky battlefield, crashing through anything in her way. As she did so, Cilan and Chili exchanged impressed glances and nodded before turning their attention back to the battlefield, where Panpour began clapping like an idiot.

"Send Unicus flying back with Scald, Panpour!" Cress countered.

Panpour reared his head back and shot a powerful blast of boiling water at the ground type, who was clobbered as a result. After uncurling due to the force of the super effective attack, Unicus was sent flying into an enormous rock to Gray's left. After hitting the rock, Unicus slumped to the ground and whimpered in pain, drawing a concerned look from both Gray and Furcifer.

"Hang in there, Unicus! Retaliate with Poison Sting!" the eighteen year old commanded, prompting Unicus to rise to her feet.

Fighting through the pain, Unicus began running around while shooting waves of purple needles from her mouth, but Panpour managed to dodge all of them. Angered by her opponent's elusiveness, Unicus continued firing Poison Sting attacks from all different angles, prompting Cress to snap his fingers and smile.

"Block them all with Fury Swipes!" the calm trainer ordered tactically, catching Gray and her starter by surprise.

Panpour's claws extended dramatically while glowing white, and he swung at the Poison Sting attack Unicus had sent his way. After deflecting all of them, Panpour laughed like a buffoon and began clapping once again, enraging his opponent and her trainer.

"Try blocking this! Unicus, use Crush Claw!" Gray screamed.

Unicus, who had a running start, nodded in response to her trainer's command and wound both of her arms back. All of a sudden, her claws extended and began glowing cobalt, and she jumped forwards while spinning, mimicking Bellator's movements. Alder was the only one to realize that, though, and he smiled while laughing under his breath, drawing White's attention.

"There's no need to block when we can dodge. Spin out of the way!"

Still laughing, Panpour began twirling around like a ballerina and evaded each of Unicus' attempted slashes, angering her even more. Feeding off her Pokemon's anger, Gray stomped on the ground and threw her right hand forwards.

"Not on our watch! Pursue him and keep using Crush Claw, Unicus!"

Refusing to relent in her assault, Unicus continued swinging at Panpour. With each miss, she grew more frustrated and, in turn, swung even more violently. As Panpour spun around blindly, he eventually tripped over a rock and face planted, presenting Unicus with the perfect opportunity to strike. Not holding anything back, Unicus slashed her opponent across the face as harshly as she could, causing the water monkey to screech in pain while rolling around on the ground, breaking Cress' composure. Running back to her trainer's side, Unicus flashed Gray a thumbs up before turning to glare at Panpour, who had risen to his feet with an evil look on his face.

"Let's end this with Scald!"

"Land another Crush Claw!"

The combatting Pokemon obeyed their commands and began performing their respective attacks, with Panpour rearing back while Unicus bolted across the battlefield. Just as Panpour shot another stream of boiling water from his mouth, Unicus slashed him across the chest. The attacks landed at the same time and sent their targets flying, making everyone in the room gasp as both Pokemon hit the ground at the same time with their eyes closed.

"Both sides are unable to continue! The second match is a draw!" the referee announced as Gray ran to Unicus' side.

"Thank you so much, Unicus," Gray said to her starter as she carried her off the battlefield and laid her down against the wall behind the trainer box. "You just stay right there and watch us finish this up, okay?"

Unicus nodded, too disappointed in herself to say anything. Furcifer slowly walked over and placed a hand on the ground type's shoulder, nodding at her, though that didn't help soften the blow of the loss.

"Oh man, now Gray has to win this if she wants to get her first badge," White muttered while shaking her head. "She can't lose! Come on, Gray!"

"Bellator, I choose you!" Gray shouted.

Once the Pokeball opened and revealed the tiny otter, Furcifer walked away from Unicus and eyed Bellator intently. Alder did the same and smiled at the water type, who simply crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the triplets, shaking their confidence.

"Relax. Bellator has this in the bag," Snivy reassured her trainer. "If there's anything I've learned living with Bellator, it's that he always comes up big," the grass type continued, remembering all of the times Bellator battled and defeated the other starting Pokemon at Professor Juniper's.

"You don't even have to know him to be confident in his abilities," Alder stated, turning to White and her starter. "Sure, I saw Gray's battle against that boy and Bellator kicked that Tepig's behind all over the place, but even if I didn't see it, it's not hard to believe in him," the older man continued.

"It's all up to you, Bellator. Are you ready?"

Bellator didn't answer Gray. Instead, he turned his back to the girl and stepped onto the battlefield with an emotionless expression, causing the young woman to sweat drop along with Unicus and Furcifer. Cilan then stepped forwards and enlarged the Pokeball in his hand.

"For your water type, I have prepared a grass delicacy!" the weird man announced. "Pansage take the battlefield!"

Materializing from the Pokeball Cilan had thrown was a green monkey that looked very similar to Pansear and Panpour, except there seemed to be a green bush growing atop his head.

Bellator kept his blank expression even as his opponent appeared on the other half of the battlefield and motioned for him to charge, which he didn't. Instead, Bellator turned and glanced at Gray with an annoyed look, which made the girl laugh and nod before he turned back around and resumed glaring at Pansage.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Pansage! Begin!"

"Bellator, use Tail Whip!" Gray commanded, prompting Bellator to turn and wag his tail, causing a ring of green energy to spin around Pansage before disappearing. "Now charge and use Tackle!"

Nodding, Bellator took off like a rocket and lowered his head in preparation for impact. Shocked by the speed of the bipedal otter, Cilan and Pansage were unable to react to the Tackle attack, resulting in Pansage being launched into the wall behind the three Gym Leaders. Somehow, the monkey got up in a split second and jumped after Bellator, who was shocked by his opponent's ability to recover.

"Grab his legs with Vine Whip and smack Bellator against the ground!"

After slapping Bellator in order to disorient him, Pansage snickered as two vines shot out of his neck and wrapped themselves around Bellator's legs. Gray gasped in shock as she watched her Pokemon get thrown into the air before being slammed against the ground like a child would do to a toy. Surprisingly, Bellator twisted his way out of the grasp of the vines and glared at his opponent, prompting Gray to issue another command.

"Dish out a Razor Shell attack at full power!" the girl yelled.

Bellator didn't have to be told twice to attack, and he shot forwards while grabbing his scalchop with his right hand. As a trail of water transformed into the shape of a blade, the Oshawott spun around, as he always did when performing the attack, and slashed Pansage across the chest as harshly as he could. The grass type let out a cry of pain as a result of the wicked attack, and Cilan couldn't help but be impressed by Bellator's strength.

"Hurry and use Vine Whip, Pansage!" Cilan shouted after realizing Bellator was returning to Gray's side.

Pansage got off the ground at light speed for the second time and smacked Bellator across the back as hard as he could, sending the water type skidding along the ground face first, making Gray, Furcifer, and Unicus gasp while White covered her eyes. Snivy and Alder, meanwhile, looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the reactions.

"Bellator, are you okay?" Gray asked worriedly, watching her Pokemon struggle to his feet. Once he stood up, Bellator nodded in response and spun around before pointing his scalchop at Pansage, which he then brought up to his neck and pretended to slit his throat, scaring the grass type. "Okay, now use Water Gun!"

While Pansage was unnerved by the threatening motion, Bellator shot a devastating blast of high-pressured water from his mouth, which smacked into Pansage and sent him rolling along the rocky ground. Pansage's tumbling was finally stopped when he hit into the largest rock on Cilan's half of the battlefield, and the green haired Gym Leader looked on in concern before letting out a sigh of relief once Pansage got back up.

"Bullet Seed, Pansage!"

The green monkey obeyed his command and sent waves of solar bullets at Bellator, who acted on instinct by grabbing his scalchop and sticking it out, effortlessly deflecting every bullet headed his way. As soon as Pansage's Bullet Seed attack ceased, Bellator turned to Gray and tapped his foot against the ground while nodding, making the brunette smirk.

"What's she up to?" Alder asked aloud, not expecting an answer.

"I don't know, but it has to be something cool," White muttered, eagerly awaiting Gray's next move.

"Time to wrap this up! Bellator, use Water Gun on the ground to shoot yourself into the air!"

Bellator bent over and released the strongest Water Gun he could muster up, propelling himself into the air as if he were a rocket. All three of the Gym Leader's gasped in shock while White, Snivy, and Alder cheered, recalling how Gray and Bellator had done the same thing when they battled Cheren the day before.

"Take him out of the air with Vine Whip!" Cilan commanded.

"Spin and use Razor Shell!"

Pansage fired two vines from his neck and attempted to grab Bellator, but the Oshawott spun out of the way of both as he grabbed his scalchop. Continuing his wild spinning, Bellator let out a ferocious roar before he slashed Pansage, knocking the grass type unconscious instantly. Running over to the downed monkey's side, the referee immediately threw his arms up when he saw Pansage's eyes were closed.

"Pansage is unable to continue! That means Gray, Furcifer, Unicus, and Bellator are the winners!"

"YEAH!" Gray screamed along with Unicus and Furcifer as they embraced. Bellator, meanwhile, waltzed over to the trainer box and nodded at the group, but soon found himself wrapped into the group hug despite his protests.

After the initial euphoria of their victory subsided, Gray and her Pokemon hurried over to the Gym Leaders with bright smiles, making the older men laugh as they each pulled out pieces of metal.

"You and your Pokemon truly fought as one today," Cress started, handing Gray a tiny piece of metal with a blue dot in the middle.

"You overcame adversity," Chili continued, handing Gray a tiny piece of metal with a reed dot in the middle.

"And because of that, you were victorious. Congratulations," Cilan commended, handing Gray another piece of metal that had a green dot on it. "If you put those together, that's the badge."

"Thank you. I know I couldn't have done it without these guys," Gray replied while smiling at her three Pokemon after she clipped the three pieces of metal together, creating one badge.

Both Unicus and Furcifer smiled at the praise from their trainer, but Bellator simply crossed his arms over his chest and looked away almost as if he weren't interested in being in the Gym any longer.

"We all wish you the best of luck on your journey, too. Make sure you train a lot before battling the Nacrene City Gym Leader, though. Her Pokemon are a lot stronger than ours and our strategy combined," Chili warned Gray, who nodded and bowed thankfully for the information.

With that, Gray, her Pokemon, White, Snivy, and Alder walked out of the Gym and through the restaurant before celebrating once they were outside.

"That was a great battle, Gray. I know this is sudden and all, but I really must get going. I need to show the students how you defied the odds and overcame type disadvantages."

Before Gray could say anything, Alder ran in the direction of his school, leaving her and White speechless. The two then turned to each other and shrugged, not knowing what to do.

"Want to head back to the Pokemon Center?"

"Sure. I have to tell my other Pokemon about the battle!"

* * *

 **Wow. All three of Gray's Pokemon won and Bellator was the one to earn Gray her first badge with his victory over Cilan's Pansage. Next chapter will focus on the return of a familiar face, who'll stick around for a while, and that's really it. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Who do you think was the most impressive of Gray's Pokemon?  
2) Do you like the idea of Furcifer pulling pranks (freezing Pansear's tongue to the ground, for example) during battle?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Adding a Wild Side"**_

 _ **After having a discussion with one of her Pokemon, Gray decides to bring it back! Who is it? What kind of role will they play? How will they get along with the Unova team?**_

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 12:** **Gray vs Aliana: Fighting Flare!** **  
Chapter 13: Bat Out of Hell  
** **Chapter 14: Pranks Gone Wrong** **  
Chapter 15: Rivals and Romance? Enter Hugh!  
Chapter 16: White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole  
Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	11. Adding a Wild Side

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and another Pokemon try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (Camera shows flocks of Pidove flying overhead, and then shifts to the sea where Basculin jump out of the water)  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and another boy smile at Gray, ****then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City** **)  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, and four other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Wow, the first arc's over. Well, there are a lot more to come, so no need to worry! Last chapter, Gray challenged and defeated the Striaton City Gym, where all three of her Pokemon earned victories. As for this new arc, it will have a different focus than the last, with Team Flare and the relationship of Gray's team being the main points of this one. This chapter will focus on the return of a Pokemon you should all be quite familiar with (mentioned last chapter), and that's all I have to say. Now lets get going!**

 **MerlockVonBaron:** _Comis would be a welcomed addition, though I don't think he has the personality needed to act as a mentor :/ Still, there's a chance he could make an appearance, given last arc's theme song and all_

 **FinLay Real:** _Haha, I saw that as soon as you reviewed Chapter 9. The predictions were really good, and I've never seen Zubat or Noibat in stories (only one for each), which is shocking considering how cool Noivern and Crobat are. Maybe your indecision on chapter 19 could be about Bellator... hmmm :3 Unicus will eventually cement herself as their equal, or close to that, once she evolves, and that'll lead to her having her own signature style_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _If you watch the anime (or check in like I do), Bellator's going to be very similar to Ash's Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja, though the comparison to Ferus is also justified, considering they're both quiet and serious, plus badass_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Thanks! Bellator will definitely evolve, though I'm not sure when. Frogadier's trainer will also be one of Gray's rivals (with one more remaining), and Alain will lose a Mega Battle, but he's also going to have at least six more. Favorite Pokemon this region? Bellator. Of all the Pokemon Gray's had? Either Durus or Fortis_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Yeah you are right about that (pretty sure I mentioned that to someone last chapter) and I don't know who the Champion will be, plus, Gray might not win on the off chance I decide to write a Champion League story_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _She's on a roll and it definitely helps that her team is really strong. Oh, if only Ash's Oshawott was anything like Bellator :(_

 **Defender31415:** _Durus would be a really good member to bring back, considering the success she had with mentoring the Johto team in its early stages_

 **Adverbous:** _I don't have any issues with that order, I just came up with mine on the fly. And the Johto team (don't count Suicune, that was such a shitty decision) is the weakest, IMO, because of how few of the Pokemon were actually strong. Sure, there's Tyranitar, but he evolved in the Silver Conference. From weakest to strongest (based on how they performed) I'd say it goes Johto, Kanto/Unova, Kalos, Sinnoh, and Hoenn. Kanto and Unova are tied, for me, and Sinnoh's near the top because of how strong all of the Pokemon were_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _I'm sorry, but who are you? Lol. No problem about not reviewing, especially if something in the real world popped up. Thanks! There are going to be a lot more battles and, hopefully, victories in the future, along with Furcifer's battling style being the main attraction of a few bouts_

 **Hotrod198:** _Thanks! I think this arc will be better than the last, though the initial hype to start a story always plays a factor. Funny thing about Furcifer is she wasn't even supposed to be in the story (originally supposed to be a Sableye). The age gap between Hugh and the others will be nonexistent because I made the trio sixteen, so maybe he'll be seventeen, but that'd be it_

 **davidtheman:** _Thanks and no. One, Gray already has a Sinnoh Pokemon (Weavile) and two, Riolu/Lucario is really popular, and I don't want to use Pokemon that are that popular_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 13, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)**

* * *

"Gray, would you might helping Snivy and me train?" White asked, taking Alder's advice.

The girls and their Pokemon were in their room in the Pokemon Center. Gray was laying on her bed, Unicus and Furcifer were resting on the floor, and Bellator was simulating a battle with imaginary opponents, working heavily on his technique with Razor Shell. White and Snivy had been resting after being woken up so early, but they had finally awoken from their nap.

"Sure, right after I call home," the older girl replied while dialing her home phone number.

Before Bellator could offer to help White and Snivy with their training, Gray spoke up loudly, causing Unicus and Furcifer to snap out of their slumber.

"Hi, Mom!" Gray shouted.

"Gray! How are things going?" the girl's mother questioned. "It's been a while since you checked in," she continued, making Gray rub her neck sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, a lot of stuff happened. You know, catching Pokemon, meeting rivals, making friends," the girl replied, listing all of the reasons why she failed to call her mother. "Speaking of friends, White, come here for a second," Gray ordered.

The younger girl rolled her eyes at Gray while Snivy perched herself on her trainer's shoulder. As soon as the two stood behind Gray and appeared on the screen in the bottom corner of the large Pokedex, they waved at Gray's mother, who waved back.

"Mom, this is White and her Snivy. Unicus and I met them when we arrived in Nuvema Town. She's a rookie trainer," Gray explained, trying to keep the woman on the other end of the call from scolding her for not calling.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you, ma'am," White greeted, drawing a smile from the older female.

"Likewise. Please make sure Gray doesn't do anything too stupid, would you? She has a knack for acting without thinking."

White, Snivy, and Mrs. Plain laughed while Gray scowled at her mother's request, shooing her friend away before motioning for her Pokemon to greet her mom. Unicus, Furcifer, and Bellator hopped onto their trainer's bed and appeared on the screen.

"Mrs. P!" Unicus squealed with delight as she pressed her face up against Gray's Pokedex and smiled. "It's Unicus!" the Sandshrew greeted, feeling the need to introduce herself, which made her trainer's mother laugh.

"Don't think I haven't forgotten you already, Unicus," the middle-aged woman said, drawing a nod from Unicus before she was yanked back by Gray, allowing her other Pokemon to appear on the screen.

"This is Bellator. He was one of the starter Pokemon Professor Juniper was giving out," the eighteen year old started while pointing at her Oshawott, who bowed respectfully.

"Nice to meet you, Bellator."

"It's an honor," the water type replied, which nearly made Gray's mom burst out laughing. Somehow, she managed to keep her cool and nod appreciatively.

"And this is Furcifer. We ran into her just outside Striaton City," Gray explained as she pointed at her Sneasel.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Furcifer greeted.

"Likewise," Gray's mother replied, prompting Bellator, Unicus, and Furcifer to follow White out of the room as they went to go help her train. "Gray, I'll talk to you some other time, okay?"

"No problem, Mom. I'll call as soon as I get-"

"Hold on," a robotic voice interrupted, silencing Gray. "You didn't forget about me, did you?" Ferus asked as he appeared on the screen next to Gray's mother, making the trainer face palm in embarrassment. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about something," the Houndoom stated.

"Yeah, I remember... now. So what's up?" Gray quizzed as her mother walked away from the conversation, leaving Ferus alone.

"Please, just hear me out for a second before you make any decisions. Can you do that?" Ferus inquired, drawing a nod from his trainer. "Okay, I know this is weird and all, but I want you to bring me to Unova."

Gray stared at her Pokemon, thinking he was joking. Then she realized it was Ferus.

"Why? I mean, I'd love to have you back, but why do you want to come here?" the Kantonian asked, wanting to know her Pokemon's intentions.

Ferus's face scrunched up and he took a deep breath. After repeating the process three times, Ferus opened his eyes and looked at Gray with as serious an expression as one could give.

"Ever since I lost to Typhlosion, I feel... off. I know you need to focus on training your other Pokemon, but I want to train with you and get as strong as I can, or at least practice Mega Evolution. Please, Gray, I can't get stronger here with all of these... idiots," Ferus pleaded, making Gray laugh.

"What about Durus?"

"She's too busy keeping everyone under control."

Gray nodded and brought her hand up to her chin, pondering the idea of brining back her Johto powerhouse. Staring at the dog, Gray sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She had to make a decision.

000

As Gray walked out to the battlefields behind the Pokemon Center, she smiled when she saw Unicus walking Snivy through each movement she was supposed to make when attacking while Furcifer served as the dummy. Bellator, meanwhile, was off by himself, as usual, though he occasionally looked over and corrected any mistakes Unicus made.

"Gray, how'd things go with your mom?" White inquired as she saw the older girl walking towards her.

She nodded in response and looked at her Pokemon before clearing her throat.

"Everyone, could you come here for a second?" the brunette asked, motioning for her three Pokemon to huddle up.

They obeyed and ran over to her, eagerly awaiting Gray's announcement.

"Bellator, Furcifer, I want you to meet a very good friend of mine," Gray said to the two creatures who had yet to meet any members of the Kanto or Johto teams, at least face-to-face. "He's going to be staying with us for a while, and if you ever need any help or advice with battling, he's the guy to ask," the brunette continued, drawing nods from both Pokemon. "Come on out!"

In a burst of light, a four legged creature materialized from the Pokeball Gray had tossed. Once the light faded, Bellator and Furcifer examined the unfamiliar Pokemon standing before them. His skin was black and red, and there were two gray horns on the top of his head that curled back almost like those of a ram. Strange, gray, rib-like objects were on his back and neck, he had a short black tail with a tip in the shape of a pitchfork.

"Ferus!" Unicus exclaimed as she rolled over to the Houndoom, returning to her normal posture once she reached his side. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"It's only been a month," the fire type replied sheepishly, sweat dropping at the younger Pokemon's use of hyperbole. "How have things been?" he asked after Unicus stopped hugging him.

"Awesome! We got our first badge, we beat two rivals, and... I feel like I'm forgetting something," the Sandshrew muttered before turning to see Bellator and Furcifer standing silently behind her. "Oh yeah, I have new teammates! That's Furcifer," she said, pointing at the Sneasel, who bowed. "And that's Bellator."

The water type also bowed, and Ferus walked over to the unfamiliar Pokemon before sitting down and extending a hand.

"I'm Ferus. Nice to meet you," he greeted, making Gray smile as she stood with White and Snivy, whose mouths were agape.

"I knew you competed in other leagues, but wow! That Houndoom looks strong!" the rookie trainer exclaimed, making Gray laugh as Ferus turned around and walked over. "My name's White Peak, and this is Snivy," White said to Ferus, shaking the fire type's hand.

"Ferus," the Houndoom said, bowing.

"Hey, Ferus, I was just telling Bellator and Furcifer that if they need any advice with battling or training they could come to you. Is that okay?" Gray asked the eldest Pokemon, who nodded without hesitation.

"Absolutely. Don't hesitate to ask," Ferus told the newest Pokemon, who nodded in response. "So, what are the plans?"

White and Gray looked at one another before the former took out her Pokedex and closely looked at the map of Unova.

"The next closest Gym is in Nacrene City, which we can get to by going to the northwestern exit of Striaton. Estimated time of arrival by foot is a week," the Unova native announced, drawing a nod from Gray.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

000

"So this is the Unova region," Noah said aloud while looking at the enormous buildings that made Castelia City so famous. "You said she only has one badge right now, right, Arcanine?"

The fire type nodded, making Noah breathe a sigh of relief as he pulled out his Pokedex and eyed the map of Unova before tapping on Nacrene, which displayed information about the city.

"She's got to be going here for her second badge," the eighteen year old told Arcanine, who nodded in acknowledgement. "I guess I'll get a cab to get there faster," Noah muttered.

 _"She better be there. She has to be there."_

000

"Remember, everyone, our goal is to find one of the legendary Pokemon so we can power the Ultimate Weapon," a redheaded woman wearing a strange pair of goggles announced while looking at a group of people dressed in red suits with wavy red hair and red glasses.

"But, Aliana, what if someone sees us in there?" one of the strangely dressed people asked.

The woman who was leading the group, Aliana, waved off the question and began marching down a dirt road just outside Nacrene City.

"We have enough people and Pokemon to keep them quiet. Don't worry about it," Aliana replied confidently while grabbing a Pokeball from her belt. "And if you're not willing to shut them up, I am."

* * *

 **So, Ferus has been brought back for several reasons, the main one being his desire to work on Mega Evolution and redeem himself. The others will be revealed next chapter (look closely, because I won't be saying what they are). Also, Noah arrived in Unova and he'll be heading to Nacrene City. Then things ended with Aliana, an admin (scientist, actually) for Team Flare saying she'll make sure no one prevents them from achieving their goals. Next chapter, Gray and White will have their first interaction with Team Flare, and there're going to be a few battles. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Thoughts on Ferus joining?  
2) How do you think he'll fit in with the others?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "** **Gray vs Aliana: Fighting Flare!** **"**_

 ** _While on their way to Nacrene City, White and Gray are stopped by a Roggenrola that's desperate for help. Once they arrive in Wellspring Cave, the girls find themselves faced off against a mysterious group of people obsessed with the color red. Who are these people? Will Gray and White be able to defeat them?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 13: Bat Out of Hell  
** **Chapter 14: Pranks Gone Wrong** **  
Chapter 15: Rivals and Romance? Enter Hugh!  
Chapter 16: White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole  
Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	12. Gray vs Aliana: Fighting Flare!

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and another Pokemon try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (Camera shows flocks of Pidove flying overhead, and then shifts to the sea where Basculin jump out of the water)  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and another boy smile at Gray, ****then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City** **)  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Ferus, and three other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey look, a wild "New Chapter" appeared (joke courtesy of ShadowDragon9000)! Last chapter, Gray brought Ferus back because he wanted to train and redeem himself for his loss against Joey and Typhlosion, Noah arrived in Unova, and Team Flare made their debut! This chapter will be the first interaction between Gray and Flare, and things are going to get intense. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE ON THE NEW POLL ON MY PROFILE! Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Haha, I can't tell, are you hyped? Lol. Ferus won't be participating in any Gym Battles because he's going to be leaving once Gray gets her sixth Unova member. He will get to battle some really strong opponents, though, and he was definitely my favorite in Johto too. But you probably could've guessed that based on how much attention he's received_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Lol, I get why you think that way, but Ferus won't be participating in any rival battles, or Gyms. His main purpose is to give Gray a capable battler against Flare for the time being until her team develops to the point where they can hold their own. And Gray will actually become a lot more tactical than she has been, but I won't delve too deep into that. The Unova Elite 4 won't be killed, it's just foreshadowing for them being toppled by Lysandre_

 **FinLay Real:** _Haha, updates are going to slow down a lot because I completely ditched the idea of getting X chapters ahead. And I know, right? It feels like I was just starting PJA:ANG yesterday. You're right about how he'll fit in with the team too (so long as I actually show him getting pissed). You made it!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Oh, he most definitely will help. Ferus will actually be around for a pretty long time (around forty chapters, including this one), and his role will be taking on really powerful opponents that the Unova team won't be able to handle until they become strong enough to hold their own_

 **Defender31415:** _Yeah! Ferus hype! The battle in this chapter, sadly, is a beatdown, but it sets the stage for an epic one that's coming up fairly soon (an arc or two)_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _You'll find out about the predictions soon enough ;) As for the Champion, I really don't think he/she will be important to the story, so I doubt they'll make an appearance, so I won't be thinking about it unless I decide Gray will win the league. Also, about a second organization, did I say there would be another? If so, my bad, there's only going to be one XD I thought about Grim coming back, but that made no sense_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 13, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Walking along Route 3, Gray looked to her right and saw the Day Care Center where several children were playing with a bunch of Pokemon, presumably ones that had been dropped off by their trainers. She then turned to her right and looked at her four Pokemon, only to see Unicus and Furcifer pestering Ferus with question after question while Bellator kept to himself, not wanting to annoy the older Pokemon.

White and Snivy, meanwhile, were talking to each other about their plans for training and what their schedule was going to be once they reached Nacrene City. Just listening to the two speak made Gray crack a grin. Something about them made the older girl feel as if she were looking at herself and Durus when they were traveling through Kanto.

"Why does she always zone out like that?" White asked Ferus, who shook his head, perplexed by the older girl's constant lack of focus and dreamlike state. "Gray!" White screamed, making the Kantonian sweat drop as she snapped out of her daze. "Jeez, I was just asking you if Snivy and I could help you out with some strategy for your next Gym Battle."

Gray laughed as White crossed her arms and pouted like a child while Snivy shook her head at her trainer's immature actions.

"Sure. Do you have any ideas right now?" the older girl asked, making White's face light up as she nodded violently. "Fire away."

"Okay," the younger of the two started, taking a deep breath as if she were preparing to deliver a huge presentation. "So I was doing some research and the Gym Leader specializes in normal types, which means you don't have an advantage, but you also don't have a disadvantage," White started, presenting information Gray already knew because of her years of traveling. "After thinking about it, I came up with the perfect strategy!"

Gray, Unicus, Furcifer, and Ferus stared at White intently while Bellator sighed, knowing full well what was about to come.

"Teach all of your Pokemon fighting type moves!" White screamed proudly, almost as if she had discovered the cure to a fatal disease.

The four listeners immediately deadpanned at the idea, and the Pokemon turned their attention to Gray, eagerly awaiting her response, which she was having trouble coming up with. She knew she had to follow Alder's instructions and give White advice, but still, she didn't know the girl well enough to rip her idea apart.

"That's... not a bad idea, White," Gray replied, giving a political answer.

"No it's not," Bellator mumbled under his breath, shaking his head at his trainer's lack of a spine. "What Pokemon does she use?" the water type asked White, catching everyone, except Ferus, who didn't know what Bellator was like, by surprise. The sixteen year old fumbled her words, trying to regain her composure before pulling out her Pokedex and searching for an answer.

"It says here that Lenora, the Gym Leader, uses a variety of different Pokemon," White started as Bellator sped up his walking and hopped onto the girl's shoulder, catching her off guard. "And her Watchog is the most often used. According to trainer reviews, apparently it's her strongest Pokemon and hardly ever loses, if at all."

Bellator smirked at the idea of defeating the supposedly unbeatable Pokemon, but stopped as soon as he realized he was smiling. The idea wouldn't leave his head, though, and he couldn't stop thinking about ending someone's reign of terror.

Furcifer, meanwhile, scowled at the thought of Watchog, catching Snivy's attention before she decided to ask about the ice type's reaction.

"What's wrong, Furcifer?" she asked, prompting everyone to shift their gaze to the Sneasel, who continued scowling before turning her head away from the group as Bellator thanked White and hopped off her shoulder.

"It's nothing," she replied, ending the conversation immediately.

Continuing their way to Nacrene City, the group remained silent, not knowing what else to talk about until rustling could be heard in the trees to their right. Without hesitation, Ferus sprung forwards and snarled defensively, though that didn't stop the rustling. Not one to stray from a battle, Bellator ran forwards and stood next to Ferus while preparing a Razor Shell attack, nodding at Ferus, who nodded back in response.

"Ferus, use Iron Tail!" Gray commanded, fearing a potential attack from an enemy.

Doing as he was told, Ferus began running towards the trees while his tail started glowing silver, and he jumped as high as he could before spinning like a wheel. Just as he began descending, a strange Pokemon hopped out of the woods and took the wicked attack head-on. Somehow, it didn't faint and stood its ground, shocking Gray, Ferus, and Unicus while Furcifer, White, and Snivy looked at the Houndoom with unimpressed expressions. Seeing his enemy still standing, Bellator charged and prepared to attack, but stopped dead in his tracks when he realized the Pokemon wasn't moving.

It looked like a navy blue boulder, but had two brown feet and there was a hole where its face would've been. There was also a strange stem sticking out of the top of its head.

"Roggenrola, the Mantle Pokemon. They were discovered a hundred years ago in an earthquake fissure. Inside each one is an energy core," Gray's Pokedex stated.

"Bellator, what's wrong?" Furcifer asked as the water type put his scalchop back on his chest and bowed to the unfamiliar Pokemon. "Aren't you going to attack it?"

"No," the bipedal otter replied swiftly. "It's not an enemy, it needs help," Bellator continued as he returned to Gray's side and nodded at the unfamiliar Pokemon, who took that as a sign to begin speaking.

"Roggen! Rog rog!" it cried rapidly, jumping from one foot to another while turning around and back to face the group, confusing Gray and White while the Pokemon understood exactly what it was saying.

"Something's attacking its home and it needs help," Unicus stated, drawing a nod from the odd-looking Pokemon. "Let's go help! We can always get to Nacrene City, but what if there home's destroyed? They can't go back there!" the ground type pleaded, staring at her trainer and White, who exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

"Rog!" Roggenrola cheered merrily before bolting down the road, prompting everyone else to follow.

000

Meanwhile, in Wellspring Cave, Aliana and the group of strange people dressed in red suits looked around, searching avidly for the unnamed legendary Pokemon Lysandre had ordered they find. While they were searching with their Pokemon by their sides, attacking all of the Pokemon living within the cave, Aliana grew frustrated as she was unable to find anything that could lead them to another room.

"I don't think there's anything in here, people. There aren't any openings in the walls, ladders leading to a lower floor, or stairs. Lysandre got it wrong, we have to go look in another cave," the woman announced, drawing a series of groans from her henchman while a Pokemon hid in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

"But how will the boss react if we tell him we didn't find anything?" one of the woman dressed in red inquired, causing Aliana to freeze up before sighing.

"I'm not sure, but if we all let him know how hard we searched, I'm sure he'd let us off the hook... hopefully."

While the group of strange people continued talking, the lurking Pokemon, understanding what they were saying, decided to lay back after hearing them say they'd leave.

"Well, if we're going to do that, we might as well catch him a bunch of Pokemon as some sort of consolation," one of the people suggested, making Aliana smile before she nodded. "Hey, there's a Woobat over there! Houndour, Dark Pulse!"

Just as the four legged dog prepared to attack a tiny Woobat, which looked to be a baby, the hidden Pokemon slammed its feet on the ground, causing a column of dirt to shoot out of the ground and strike Houndour in the chin, knocking the fire type unconscious instantly. The owner of the Houndour withdrew their Pokemon immediately and looked around with everyone else, searching for the attacker.

Refusing to shy away from the intruders, the Pokemon revealed itself and let out a menacing roar, slamming its feet on the ground once again, this time trying to intimidate the group, which worked. Only one of the oddly dressed people didn't shy away, though, and the powerful Pokemon narrowed its eyes, ready to defend its home.

000

"Man, for being a rock type, Roggenrola sure can fly," White remarked as she and Gray lagged behind all of the Pokemon. "I hope we can get to its home in time," the girl continued worriedly before, ironically, stopping at a cave, which all of the Pokemon were standing in front of, waiting for their trainers to arrive.

"Roggenrola said there are a lot of them in there, so be careful," Ferus informed the two girls, who nodded in unison before White stepped forwards.

As she did so, she knelt down and placed her hand on Roggenrola's head, smiling as she did so, which confused the rock type.

"Don't worry, Roggenrola, Gray and I will make sure your home's safe," she said as Snivy hopped onto her shoulder and gave a thumbs up to confirm her trainer's statement, making the rock type jump up and down with glee while Gray smiled at the actions of the younger girl.

Turning to her Pokemon, Gray squatted and motioned for them to gather around, which they did without reluctance.

"I want you all to be really careful in there, okay? If there are as many intruders as Roggenrola says there are, I'm going to need all of you to be willing to battle. Are you okay with that?" Gray inquired, drawing nods from all of her Pokemon. "Good. Ferus, I want you to take the lead. Bellator, you're going to watch Ferus' back, and Furcifer and Unicus, you two need to stick together."

Unicus rolled her eyes at the commands Gray was giving, but she obeyed and stood next to Furcifer while Bellator and Ferus stood next to each other, making the brunette smile as she turned to White and nodded.

With that, the two girls and their Pokemon headed into Wellspring Cave with Roggenrola following, sticking to White's side. As soon as they stepped foot in the cave, the trainers gasped when they saw a crowd of people dressed in red huddled about ten feet away, their backs facing the exit.

"Hey! What're you doing in here?" Gray shouted, making all of the people jump in shock before they spun around and locked eyes with eighteen year old and White, who took a deep breath and attempted to muster up the courage Gray was showing.

As she stepped forwards, White took note of the strange outfits the people had on and had to hold back any laughter that attempted to escape into the open. Snivy hopped off White's shoulder and landed on her right side while Roggenrola stood to her left, and they prepared to engage in battle. Gray's Pokemon did the same, with Ferus and Bellator taking a few steps forwards while Unicus and Furcifer stayed behind them, wanting to protect Gray.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll just turn around and leave," a man with swirly red hair, red goggles, and a red suit warned, drawing a Pokeball from his belt.

"And if you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't be dressing like Willy Wonka," Ferus retorted, making the man and the similar looking people scowl. "Now get out or I'll roast you like the chickens you are," the fire type warned fiercely, sending chills down the spines of the strange group.

"Gigalith!" a menacing Pokemon roared from across the cave, grabbing everyone's attention.

As soon as the sound hit Gray, White, and their Pokemon, Roggenrola bolted towards it, speeding past Snivy, who tried to grab and stop him. Despite pleas for him to come back, Roggenrola made his way past the group of weird people and let out a joyous cry once he saw a familiar, and reassuring figure. Stepping in front of Roggenrola was another person dressed in red, though her outfit was a bit different than the grunts'.

The woman was wearing a red skirt with yellow knee socks and red boots, and a terrifying pair of glasses resting on her face made it look as if she had one eye like a cyclops. Snickering at Roggenrola, the woman terrified the rock type, who looked across the room only to realize the familiar Pokemon he had been so happy to see was in horrible pain and had collapsed, prompting Roggenrola to run towards it.

As Roggenrola did so, Gray and White sprinted after the rock type and around the redheaded woman, who flipped a switch on her goggles and scanned each of the five Pokemon standing before the two unfamiliar trainers.

"Roggenrola, what're you doing?" White asked the wild Pokemon before noticing he was tending to another injured creature, prompting the rookie trainer to pull out her Pokedex.

"Gigalith, the Compressed Pokemon, and the final evolution of Roggenrola. Compressing the energy from its internal core lets it fire off an attack capable of blowing away a mountain," the hi-tech device stated before White put it away and stared at the ailing rock type.

"The Pokedex sure does exaggerate the strength of Pokemon," the redheaded cyclops said smugly, pointing at Gigalith. "That thing wasn't a challenge."

Glaring at the unnamed woman, Gray turned so her body was pointed right at her enemy while White stayed by Gigalith's side with Snivy and Roggenrola, spraying the injured Pokemon with a Potion, which did next to nothing.

"Those two Pokemon aren't challenges either."

Unicus and Furcifer stared daggers at the speaker, whose harsh words stung like a hornet, and the woman turned her attention to Ferus, scanning him with her goggles while Bellator stayed behind the fire type, waiting for the opportunity to catch the woman by surprise. A smirk suddenly appeared on the redhead's face as her eyewear allowed her to see an overwhelming amount of aura surrounding Ferus' body.

"That one, the Houndoom," she started, pointing at Ferus, "is a worthy opponent."

Gray continued glaring at her enemy, but stopped when a Pokeball appeared in her hand.

"If you kids would've just left us alone, you could've continued living your lives. But, they must end now that you've intervened. Mightyena, go!"

The familiar dark type materialized from a blast of light emitted from the Pokeball and barked at Houndoom viciously, drawing wicked snarling from the fire type, who lowered himself to the ground while preparing to protect his trainer and her Pokemon.

"Hey, before you battle you have to give us your name!" White shouted, pointing at the woman and her Mightyena, the former of whom laughed at the childish declaration.

"Hahaha, fine. My name is Aliana, though I don't see how that's important when you won't be breathing in the next few minutes."

"The name's Gray, and I can guarantee you'll be hearing from us again," the brunette proclaimed calmly, ridding Aliana of her smirk. "Ferus, why don't we show 'em what they're getting themselves in to?"

"It'd be my pleasure," the Houndoom replied confidently, keeping a solemn expression on his face. "You messed with the wrong people, lady," Ferus told Aliana and Mightyena, who continued looking at Gray and her Pokemon in confusion.

White, meanwhile, stopped tending to Gigalith and stared at Gray, unaware of what the older girl was about to do. Bellator, Furcifer, Roggenrola, and the barely conscious Gigalith shared the same lack of knowledge with White, but Unicus had a sense of what was about to happen.

"Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

Throwing his head straight up, Ferus let out a fearsome roar while the stone encased in the metal sleeve on his neck began illuminating. Aliana and her henchman gasped in shock as Ferus was engulfed in a pink egg of energy before it shattered and a rainbow colored double helix appeared over the fire type's head.

Gray's Pokemon, White, Snivy, Roggenrola, and Gigalith stared at Ferus, whose appearance changed, with a bone-like chest plate being the most notable difference. Ferus let out another terrifying roar and stared Mightyena down, though the Hoenn Pokemon refused to back down to its opponent while Aliana continued staring at the Mega Evolved Pokemon.

"Ferus, use Flamethrower!"

Not wanting to wait any longer, Ferus reared his head back and unleashed a wave of blue flames at Mightyena, who was so shocked by the speed and ferocity of the attack she was unable to move. As a result, the supercharged move landed and exploded on contact, launching the hyena past her trainer and towards the group of grunts near the exit of Wellspring Cave.

"Don't back down, Mightyena! Use Shadow Ball!"

The Flare admin's Pokemon rose to her feet and bounded across the cave before springing into the air while a ball of purple and black energy formed in front of her mouth. Spitting it at Ferus, Mightyena smirked smugly as she watched the ghost type attack closed in on her opponent, who didn't seem worried in the slightest, nor was his trainer.

"Use Shadow Ball as a spring with Iron Tail, and then use Fire Fang!" Gray countered tactically, throwing her right hand out to her side.

Ferus nodded in response and jumped, spinning like a wheel as his tail began glowing silver. Slamming his tail on top of the powerful attack, Ferus shot into the air like a rocket, wowing Aliana and Gray's Pokemon, especially Bellator. Then, descending with his sights locked on Mightyena, Ferus opened his mouth as a wave of fire began forming, and he chomped down on his opponent, once again causing an explosion as the flames rushed out and burned Mightyena. Yelping in pain, the Hoenn Pokemon rolled along the ground and struggled to her feet as burn marks covered her body. Ferus, on the other hand, had yet to take any damage and continued staring down the enemies.

"Use Dark Pulse, Mightyena!" Aliana screamed, agitated by the power of Gray and Ferus.

Mightyena hurriedly fired a spiraling ray of black and purple energy at Ferus, but the fire and dark type wasn't interested in being hit. Gray shared the same thought and threw her right hand forwards and, somehow Ferus sensed it, bolting forwards as a result.

"Run around it and finish this with Iron Tail!"

Using his increased power to his advantage, Ferus got as low to the ground as he could while making a sharp right turn, dodging the dark type attack. Aliana gasped in shock, along with White and the Pokemon standing behind Gray, as Ferus hopped into the air while his tail was glowing silver. Then, spinning like a wheel, he let out a loud grunt while slamming his tail over Mightyena's head, smashing the sinister Pokemon against the ground and knocking her unconscious. Running back to Gray's side, Ferus let out a proud roar before shifting his glare back to the Flare admin standing before him.

"Urgh," the woman growled, enraged by her brutal loss. "Mightyena, get back here," she spat, withdrawing her lone Pokemon to its Pokeball as Ferus roared victoriously for a second time, still in his Mega Evolution form. "The boss is going to be so pissed when he finds out about this," Aliana woman muttered.

"So are you going to tell us why you were here?" Gray interrogated, drawing the Flare admin's attention. "Or do we have to force it out of you?" she asked as Ferus began charging a Flamethrower attack.

The redheaded woman laughed at Gray's empty threats while the Kantonian scowled alongside White and Snivy, who were trying to hide behind the more experienced trainer and her Mega Evolved Pokemon.

"We all know you're not going to actually attack me. You don't have what it takes to do that," Aliana taunted, knowing full well she was right.

Ferus snarled as he continued holding off his attack, hoping Gray would give him the green light, but it never came.

"You're right; I don't have what it takes to torture people, but that doesn't mean I won't find out what you're up to," the brunette replied confidently, wiping the smug look off Aliana's face.

Before Gray could do anything, the Flare members bolted out of the cave at light speed, preventing Ferus from pursuing. Once he realized the threat was no longer present, Ferus reverted back to his normal form and smiled at Gray, who rubbed his head thankfully, only to be stopped by Unicus, Furcifer, and Snivy swarming the fire type.

"That was incredible! How'd you do that!?" Furcifer shrieked like a fangirl, staring at the older Pokemon. "Can I do that!? Gray! I need to do that!"

Gray laughed at her Pokemon's excitement as she walked over to Roggenrola, Gigalith, and White before pulling out a bunch of Potions from her bag. After spraying Gigalith with all of the bottles of medicine, Gray smiled at the powerful Pokemon and patted it on the head.

"You're going to want to take it easy for the next day or two to get back to full health, Gigalith."

The monstrous rock type nodded at the girl's words before bowing thankfully, making Gray smile. Then, she and the large Pokemon turned their attention to Roggenrola and White, who were laughing together. Seeing the sheer joy Roggenrola was having, Gigalith began speaking to him while Gray spoke to White.

"You know, it seems like Roggenrola really likes being with you, White," she stated, making the younger girl beam proudly. "Maybe you should ask him if he wants to come with you," Gray continued.

"Rog!" the rock type exclaimed, shaking his head at Gigalith before stomping on the ground as Snivy hopped onto White's shoulder.

"Roggenrola wants to stay here until Gigalith make a full recovery," the grass snake announced, making Roggenrola nod while Gigalith grumbled about the idea of being taken care of.

White nodded at the information and patted Roggenrola on the head with a smile, making the boulder cheer.

"If you ever do want to come with us, Roggenrola, I'd be more than happy to have you on board," White said. "We'll be in Nacrene City if you change your mind."

Roggenrola nodded at the words coming from White, and the sixteen year old smiled before nodding at Gigalith, who stomped over to Ferus, bowing to him appreciatively. The fire type nodded back and patted Gigalith on the shoulder with his front right paw, making Gray smile as she watched Gigalith thank the others, even though they didn't battle.

"Remember to call us if anything like this comes up again, Gigalith. We'd be more than happy to help," Gray told the rock type as she and White began walking towards the exit.

"Gig! Gigal!" Gigalith shouted, waving his gigantic front leg.

"Roggen!" Roggenrola called as the Pokemon and girls waved goodbye.

As they exited the cave, White smiled and looked back inside with Snivy. She knew leaving Roggenrola behind was the right thing to do, as much as she hated it.

"White!" Gray shouted, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. "Come on! Nacrene City's only a few hours away!"

The younger of the two nodded and began running after Gray, Roggenrola still in her thoughts.

000

"Aliana, what's wrong?" a voice on the other end of the call inquired as the Flare admin panted wildly. "Take a deep breath and tell me so I can help you."

The woman nodded even though she knew the person she was talking to couldn't see her, and she took a deep breath.

"This girl, Gray, I think, can use Mega Evolution, and her Houndoom is no slouch. Sure, we weren't trying at all, but Mightyena wasn't able to land a hit," Aliana announced, silencing the person on the other end of the call. "But that's not the scary part."

"What is?" the person inquired.

"There's another Pokemon, I scanned it with my glasses," the redhead stated, struggling to say the latter half of her warning. "It, it's going to be a lot stronger than the Houndoom. I've never seen anything like it!"

Once again, silence fell over the person Aliana was speaking to before they were able to speak up.

"I'll make sure to tell Lysandre, but you said this girl can you Mega Evolution?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That's impressive, that's all," the person fibbed. "Listen, I'll call you back as soon as I finish talking to Lysandre, okay? Okay, bye."

After ending the call, Alain rose to his feet and set a destination point on his Holo Caster as he walked along the streets of Virbank City, a place he had gone to in hopes of finding another Mega Trainer.

"Alain, did you get word of another Mega Trainer?" Charizard inquired, drawing a nod from his trainer.

"Yeah. We're going to need to train, Charizard. Apparently Aliana couldn't get a hit on her Pokemon," Alain stated, causing Charizard's eyes to shoot wide open as Alain began walking away.

 _"Whoever you are, Gray, I will defeat you, and I will stand at the summit."_

* * *

 **Well, Gray and White had their first interaction with Flare, and I think it's safe to say they're not a group to be trifled with, even though Ferus made Aliana and her Mightyena look like a joke. Of course, this is only the beginning so Flare's going to become a lot stronger, and they'll be making a lot of appearances in the future. Also, Alain appeared at the end of the chapter and was warned about Gray, so it looks like they're set to collide sooner or later.  
As for next chapter, it will focus on the group's arrival in Nacrene City and some other stuff, but that won't be posted for a couple days because I have yet to start it :/ I have a bunch of random chapters written, but it's like one every arc. Again, there won't be another update for a while so I can get ahead. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) How often do you want the Flare admins to appear?  
2) When do you think Alain and Gray will meet? When do you want them to?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Bat Out of Hell"**_

 ** _Gray and White arrive in Nacrene City only to encounter a vicious Noibat that attacks anyone it sees. Wanting to capture the dragon type, Gray turns to Furcifer in hopes of defeating Noibat. Will she be able to tame, and capture, the wicked bat?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 14: Pranks Gone Wrong** **  
Chapter 15: Rivals and Romance? Enter Hugh!  
Chapter 16: White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole  
Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Salamence  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	13. Bat Out of Hell

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and another Pokemon prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and another boy smile at Gray, ****then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City** **)  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (** **Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Ferus, and three other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, people! Gray and White have finally arrived in Nacrene City, after one chapter of waiting, haha, and they're going to stay there for a little while. Last chapter, Team Flare was encountered for the first time, and the duo of Gray and Ferus put Aliana (an admin) and her Mightyena to shame. Things ended with Aliana telling Alain about Ferus and another Pokemon, one that's poised to become stronger than Ferus, and Alain finished things by declaring he'd beat Gray. This chapter will focus on a Noibat causing issues in Nacrene, and Gray will have to put a stop to it. Now let's going!**

 **MerlockVonBaron:** _That's the plan, but only if I scrap one of White's two captures_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _You can say that again. He's going to be battling most of the admins (according to my outline), so there're more chances for Flare to show they can actually do something. It's only a matter of time before Alain battles Gray, and it's going to be really, really good_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Not just this one battle, but one or two (hell, why not twenty?) more! Think of their battle as round 1 of a three round fight. Goomy is easily my favorite dragon type and was originally supposed to be the Kalos member, but I'm not a fan of writing about slower Pokemon because I feel like there's less potential for battles with them, hence the addition of Noibat/Noivern_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _She will, no trolls. I'm trying to find the perfect time for a Mega Tournament, actually, because the one tournament (a normal one) that I have slated to happen is in Driftveil City, so that's a really tough thing to pull off, unless... holy crap, I think I've got it!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I would have Fortis reappear, but he doesn't have a Mega. There are a few other Pokemon (one of which will be caught this region) that can Mega Evolve, so that will happen_

 **Defender31415:** _Definitely. Ferus is going to keep beasting and feasting, lol. And I'm glad you asked that question, because it's actually not Gigalith! If you have the time, reread the formation of Gray's Pokemon very carefully, and then you'll find the answer_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _By analyzed do you mean when Aliana scanned Ferus? Every arc for the admins seems like a good idea, and why not all three? Haha, just kidding. I think they're supposed to have two, maybe three battles, so they will be stretched out over the course of the story_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _That will never be overused! NEVER! Thanks for the compliment (I always say this after responding to the intro, lol). Team Flare will definitely become a threat, especially with the way things are planned to go in the Castelia Arc. They'll also be reappearing at the end of chapter 20 as a means of connecting this arc to the next, so yeah. Alain vs Gray hype! It's only going to build, too. Your guess about the Pokemon? Maybe. It'll be answered relatively soon_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 13, Taunt, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Rubbing her eyes while yawning, Gray slowly turned to lay on her side. Then, as she opened her eyes, Gray saw Unicus staring right at her, causing the eighteen year old to scream and fall out of her bed, waking White and Snivy up. Along with them, Bellator and Ferus sprung onto their feet and looked ready to kill someone while Furcifer groggily opened her eyes and muttered something under her breath.

"Unicus, what are you doing!?" Gray screamed at the friendly Pokemon, who continued sitting on the bed with a smile. "Why were you staring at me?" she continued as Ferus laid back down to go to sleep while Bellator extended his arms over his head and started stretching to get loose for training.

"I wasn't staring, I was watching you sleep," the ground type retorted, making Gray sweat drop at the creepy statement while White laughed and Snivy grabbed a pillow to put over her ears. "We just got to Nacrene City, so I figured it'd be the perfect time to challenge the Gym!" Unicus explained as Gray began changing into her usual clothes with an annoyed expression.

The ground type rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as Gray stormed into the bathroom to do her hair before shifting her attention to Ferus and Furcifer, who were sleeping once again. She then noticed Bellator doing his usual stretching routine and shook her head at the serious Pokemon, who was always focused on nothing but training.

After an hour or so of Gray and White getting ready, they finally opened the door to get breakfast only to be cut off by Unicus, Furcifer, and Snivy bolting in front of them and down the hallway. Sighing at the overwhelming amount of energy, Gray shook her head and closed the door behind Bellator and Ferus while White waited for her.

"So, are you planning on challenging the Gym today?" the younger girl inquired, which was met with an emphatic no from Gray. "I guess it makes sense. I mean, you just won your first last week, so training's probably the number one priority."

"That's right," Gray replied, rubbing her temples as she could've sworn she heard a ringing noise echoing in her ears. "You'll find out soon enough that half of your journey, whenever you decide to compete in a league, will be training. Then there's traveling, and battles are the smallest part."

White frowned at Gray's estimates as the two arrived in the dining hall and sat at a table their Pokemon had taken hostage. Seeing the look on her friend's face, Gray raised an eyebrow, prompting the Unova native to speak up.

"That sounds so boring, though. I would've thought it'd be more battling, and catching Pokemon, and, well, fun!" White exclaimed, making Ferus laugh while the other Pokemon looked at each other and shrugged, unaware of how wrong White was.

Gray shook her head at the girl's assumption and continued rubbing her temples, as the ringing grew worse and worse.

"Are you okay, Gray?" Snivy asked the Kantonian, who nodded in response before turning back to White to address her concerns with traveling, particularly training and traveling, being boring.

"I'm fine, thanks. Going back to what you said, there are two things you need to hear. One, if you don't train you won't win any battles, and if you don't win battles, you can't travel. Two, your Pokemon get stronger from training, and watching how far they come is what all the fun in traveling is. Sure, winning league battles is the real goal, but when you think about what you and your Pokemon were like before you met each other, it's pretty incredible," Gray stated, thinking about each of her Pokemon and what they were like before evolving and maturing.

White nodded at Gray's words, still struggling to accept the idea of training being fun. Still, she saw Gray's points even though they weren't applicable to her, at least not yet.

All of a sudden, Gray grabbed her head along with everyone else in the dining hall, and they began looking around for the cause of the painful ringing. Before she could even ask, the ringing stopped and a few seconds passed until Gray saw a trainer sprint inside with a Pokemon in her arms, prompting her to run after the girl as she handed Nurse Joy the injured creature. Following, White and the Pokemon arrived at Gray's side just as she started talking to the girl.

"Excuse me," the eighteen year old started, grabbing the unfamiliar girl's attention. "Was that ringing noise your Pokemon?"

The girl shook her head immediately as she turned back to watch her Pokemon get placed in the immediate care unit.

"No, there's this really strong Pokemon that every trainer in Nacrene City has tried catching. Haven't you heard about it?" the girl quizzed, making Gray and White shake their heads. "Oh man, don't even try. That thing is just crazy!"

Intrigued by the idea of a challenging opponent, Bellator stepped forwards and patted his chest, causing Gray to turn him and squat with a smile.

"I'll beat that Pokemon to a pulp. Where is it?" the water type questioned while looking at the girl, who smiled at the honorable Pokemon before pointing outside.

"It's by the museum. Please be careful," the girl begged, drawing nods from everyone.

With that, the group ran outside the Pokemon Center and made their way towards the museum near the northern tip of the city. The entire way there, a painful ringing sound exploded in Gray's ears, making her grimace every time it occurred. Her four Pokemon looked on in concern while White and Snivy looked like they were about to die after the ringing grew louder and louder.

Upon arriving at the museum, the girls looked around for the alleged cause of the horrible noises before spotting a tiny bat swoop down towards a boy and his Patrat while its wings were glowing. Smacking the Patrat with its wings, the tiny bat sent its opponent spiraling into its trainer, knocking the boy down and making him run away.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Bellator muttered under his breath as Gray pulled out her Pokedex and scanned the Pokemon.

"Noibat, the Sound Wave Pokemon. They live in pitch-black caves, and their enormous ears can emit ultrasonic waves of 200,000 hertz. Type: Dragon and Flying."

After putting away her Pokedex, Gray looked over at her Pokemon and pointed at Furcifer with a grin, wanting to go with a type advantage, which made Bellator scowl at his trainer. Ferus smirked at the water type's response but remained silent and dipped back so that he stood by Gray's side. Furcifer then stepped forwards and pointed at the wild Noibat, who let out a deafening screech, making everyone cover their ears and scream in pain.

"Furcifer, use Icy Wind!" Gray commanded, keeping her hands over her ears.

The Sneasel hopped into the air and opened her mouth, releasing a powerful, chilling wind of energy that struck Noibat and made the dragon type shut its mouth as it began to fall to the ground. Somehow, the winged creature regained control of its flight and zipped towards Furcifer an inch off the ground, catching Gray and her battling Pokemon by surprise.

"Noi!"

Noibat grunted loudly as its wings began to glow white, slamming them against Furcifer's head as hard as it possibly could. Gray watched in awe as Furcifer rolled along the ground and held her aching head in pain as she rose to her feet and glared at her dragon type opponent, turning back to Gray and nodding.

"Okay, let's use Feint Attack!"

Furcifer snickered and disappeared in the blink of an eye, confusing Noibat while it continued flying around. All of a sudden, Furcifer reappeared and tapped the winged creature on her left side, causing Noibat to turn in that direction while Furcifer disappeared and tapped Noibat on the right. Everyone laughed at the childish prank Furcifer was pulling, except Bellator, but the ice type decided she had enough when she reappeared and grabbed Noibat's legs while falling towards the ground.

"Throw it!" Gray screamed as she punched her right fist forwards.

Furcifer snickered and began spinning like a wheel along with Noibat before slamming the dragon type against the ground violently, causing a cloud of dust to shoot up into the air and cover both Pokemon. After waiting a few seconds, Gray cheered when Furcifer walked out of the dust with a confident grin, but she stopped when an explosive roar echoed through the air.

"BAAAAAT!" Noibat boomed, whipping its wings violently as a means of getting rid of the dust cloud before slouching over in exhaustion, still refusing to quit.

Ferus stared at the winged creature before smirking slightly, grabbing the attention of Snivy and White, who turned back to see Gray doing the same thing while Furcifer, Unicus, and Bellator glared at the powerful creature.

"That's one tough Pokemon," Ferus muttered, drawing a nod from Gray. "To be able to win as many battles in a row as it has, and it can still fight? That's impressive."

"Definitely. And there's only one thing to do," Gray said aloud, shocking White, Snivy, and her Unova Pokemon. "Go, Pokeball!"

Noibat's eyes went wide as the Pokeball hit her in the face before sucking her inside the spherical device.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

Gray rushed over to the Pokeball and picked it up victoriously, hoisting it above her head before celebrating with Furcifer.

"Come on out!" Gray shouted, releasing her newest capture.

Once she materialized from her Pokeball, Noibat looked around and shrieked at the top of her lungs, making everyone scream in pain as they covered their ears. Satisfied with the damage she had done to their eardrums, Noibat sat down and folded her arms, glaring at Gray as she pulled out her book of latin words, knowing exactly what she was going to call Noibat.

"Noibat, I know you're mad about being caught and all, but I'm sure we can make a great team with how strong you are," the eighteen year old said, which the dragon type didn't listen to. "I'm gonna call you Potens, which means powerful."

The bat's ears perked up slightly, appreciating the name. At the same time, though, she continued scowling at the trainer standing before her, despising the fact that she had been captured.

"We're going to make a great team, Potens. I know it!"

* * *

 **Big catch for Gray, but not really. Potens is going to be a pain in the arse for a while, because she won't listen to Gray at all. The group dynamic will also be a lot different with her on board, and Gray's abilities as a trainer are going to be tested. Of course, she'll end up getting through it... maybe. Next chapter's going to focus on how Potens will fit in with the group, and it's going to be really short. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Thoughts on Potens?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Pranks Gone Wrong"  
**_

 _ **With Potens now in the fold, tensions rise when she decides to take Furcifer's harmless prank to a whole other level. What will happen? Who is the target of this malicious prank?**_

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 15: Rivals and Romance? Enter Hugh!  
Chapter 16: White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole  
Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	14. Pranks Gone Wrong

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White** **)  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and another boy smile at Gray, ****then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City** **)  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Heyo! What's up, people? Last chapter, Gray and White arrived in Nacrene City, and Gray ended up catching a powerful Noibat, nicknamed Potens, that had managed to defeat all of her previous opponents. This chapter will focus on how Potens fits in with the group, and things won't go well. Now let's get going!**

 **MerlockVonBaron:** _No. I've said several times that Gray's getting one Pokemon per region_

 **FinLay Real:** _YEAH! And I really do need to slow down, haha. Last chapter wasn't supposed to be out for at least a week, but I finished this one and a few others right after. Don't worry, Potens won't target Ferus. She may be an ass, but she's not stupid_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Personally, I prefer Noivern, but Goodra (stat-wise, of course) is better. Talonflame... I didn't even think about that ;-;_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _She'll be going into a drought very soon. Her next capture isn't happening for roughly fifteen chapters, and then there's another fifteen to twenty between that and her last capture_

 **dragonplayer18:** _She's going to be the most confusing battler. Sometimes she'll be really strong, others she'll be awful. She and Bellator won't have a relationship for a while, but it'll go from a heated rivalry to a respectful rivalry to a friendship. Bellator won't bother with her for the most part because of her attitude and lack of wins, though_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _You know me, totally original, lol. And I just realized that I spoiled her name. It's kind of hard when everything's been planned for so long. As for her next two captures, they're_ _going to let her know they want to join, but she'll have to beat them in battle_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Ah, just wanted to make sure so I wouldn't sound like an idiot, which is a pretty common occurrence. You'll find out the answer to that in a few arcs. Potens is going to show flashes of how strong she can be, but will suck for the most part, haha. And Potens is going to be a whole different monster with how Gray's going to deal with her. She'll make Durus (in the very beginning) look like nothing_

 **Defender31415:** _Absolutely, and she's conniving too, but you'll get to see that this chapter. Things will definitely be more hectic with her around and she's going to be the toughest Pokemon Gray's ever had to deal with_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _She's definitely something, haha. This is just a weird coincidence, but I'm thinking there will be co-powerhouses like when Owen was in Unova with Heatmor (Bellator) and Krookodile (Potens), or the other way around. Either way, they're both going to be really strong, though there just MIGHT be a seventh capture that throws everything upside down_

 **jail251:** _Thanks. I'd like to think that made up for Purity's inactivity over the course of two stories, but it doesn't. Flare, however, will be the most active antagonist organization I've written. They should have between 1-4 appearances per arc, excluding the eventual Flare Arc. As for Potens, she'll be annoying, not only in the story, but for me because having to write battles with her not listening is going to suck. But overall, I've really enjoyed writing this story, so yeah!_

 **Hotrod198:** _He won't be appearing in any Gyms, so no need to worry about that. Flare and Alain will have to face him, though, and I wish them both the best of luck, haha. But in all seriousness, Flare will be appearing pretty often, and so will Alain (I'm pretty sure he's going to have at least 10 'Mega Battle' chapters), so I'm really pumped! And if Fortis were to come back, which I don't think will happen thanks to Ferus, he would be a mentor to Potens until she really tapped into her potential, and then they'd be rivals, though still friends_

 **Guest:** _Not closely, but I have played a few fanmade games, and have heard of Insurgence. Mega Flygon (from that version) seems really cool and I'd be more than willing to use it, but Fortis isn't set to appear at any point in this story, except maybe for a league appearance. And I won't be following the games all that much, just the order in which Gyms are visited. Thanks for the idea!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 16, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Peace. Serenity. Bliss. That was how the morning started for Gray and White, at least, until Potens woke up.

"AAAAAGGGHHHH!" the Noibat shrieked, waking up not only the girls, but her teammates and Snivy, drawing enraged looks from all of them. It didn't seem that Potens cared in the slightest, though.

Even though she wanted to explode with rage, Gray refrained from doing so and took a deep breath, not wanting to scold the newest Pokemon to her team because, you guessed it, Potens was the newest. Maybe it was just a faze.

After both girls got ready, they went through their normal routine of getting breakfast with their Pokemon, though it was much different with the addition of Potens, who was making things a lot more difficult for whatever reason. Instead of their usual, harmonious breakfast, it was filled with yelling and fighting, primarily between Unicus and the dragon type. Ferus tried with all his might to keep the two from clashing, Furcifer was too busy laughing at the insane altercations, and Bellator kept quiet while focusing on eating.

"Potens, please just eat your breakfast," Gray begged, receiving a nasty look from the Noibat, prompting Ferus to snarl aggressively in an attempt to scare Potens, but it didn't work. Instead, Potens rose to her feet and looked ready to fight Ferus, which forced Unicus to leave her bowl of food unattended as she tried keeping Ferus from mauling the insane bat.

"Psst," Furcifer whispered to Bellator, who slowly turned his attention to the ice type with a cold look on his face. "Should I put this in Unicus' food?" the Sneasel inquired after snatching a tube of hot sauce from the table.

Bellator simply stared at Furcifer, making her sweat drop. The Oshawott then stood, grabbed his bowl, and walked away, muttering something vulgar under his breath while shaking his head at his teammates' immature actions. Despite the negative reaction from Bellator, Furcifer snickered and poured a tiny bit of the hot sauce, which was labeled with a Heatran, an indicator for it being the hottest of all hot sauces, into Unicus' bowl of food and laughed to herself while thinking about how Unicus would react.

Of course she'd understand that it was a joke, given how little hot sauce was added.

"Ferus, you're supposed to be a mentor, not a murderer!" Unicus shouted at the older Pokemon, who was trying to rip Potens apart.

"Yeah, you're a glorified babysitter!" Potens mocked as she continued trying to poke Ferus in the eyes.

While her Pokemon continued verbally assaulting each other, Gray looked around and blushed in embarrassment as everyone in the dining hall stared at her and began whispering to each other. White, on the other hand, was too oblivious to notice, and she continued talking to Snivy about the dumbest things Gray had ever heard.

"Ferus! Potens!" Gray hissed in a hush whisper, grabbing the attention of the feuding Pokemon. "If you both don't shut up, I'm going to tape your mouths closed. Got it?" the brunette threatened, drawing a shamed nod from Ferus while Potens snickered and turned her back to Gray, making the Kantonian deadpan.

With the feud ending, Unicus let out a sigh of relief and returned to her breakfast with a stupid smile on her face. Furcifer watched intently as Unicus turned to her left and began talking to Ferus, and the ice type nearly screamed in fear when an unfamiliar hand fell on her shoulder. Turning, Furcifer saw Potens staring at her and then the dragon type pointed at Unicus.

"What'd you do?" she asked, making Furcifer snicker once again before placing her hand over her mouth to whisper to her newest teammate.

"I put the strongest hot sauce on the market on her breakfast. As soon as she takes one bite, she's going to flip out," the pink eared creature replied before cracking up, which made Potens cackle before sneakily grabbing the tube of hot sauce. "What are you doing?" Furcifer questioned as she watched Potens creep towards Unicus' bowl of food.

She watched as Potens poured all of the hot sauce on Unicus food and smeared it so that it was impossible to tell anything had been added to the bland breakfast, leaving Furcifer's jaw on the ground.

The sneaky Noibat then moved back to Furcifer's side and put the hot sauce back on the table by White, who was an avid fan of the insanely hot topping.

"This is going to be great, just watch," Potens whispered to Furcifer, who uneasily shifted her gaze back to Unicus' breakfast.

After she finished speaking to Ferus, Unicus grabbed her bowl and, instead of eating a small bit, inhaled the entire thing, causing Furcifer to cringe while Potens snickered at the site. Before either could say anything, Unicus' face turned as red as a cherry, and she opened her mouth while screaming in agony, making everyone in the dining hall stare at her.

"Unicus, what's wrong?" Gray asked in concern as she hurried to her Pokemon's side as Unicus continued screaming and fanning her mouth.

Ferus, who was trying to help find out what was wrong, began sniffing the air before moving over to Unicus' food bowl and sniffed it before bringing his front paws up to his face.

"Someone put hot sauce in her bowl and she ate all of it," Ferus informed Gray.

The girl immediately glared at Potens, but the dragon type shook her head and pointed at Furcifer, making the ice type gasp in shock before she opened her mouth to talk.

"I didn't do that! I mean, well, I put a drop in, but that was it!" Furcifer shouted, enraging Gray as Bellator walked over and stared daggers at the ice type, who hung her head in shame while Potens acted by glaring at her.

"Ferus, could you take Unicus to Nurse Joy?" Gray asked, drawing a nod from the fire type.

"I'll go to," Potens announced, playing off any suspicion of her tainting Unicus' food.

While Ferus and Potens took Unicus to Nurse Joy, Gray glared at Furcifer, who continued hanging her head due to the fact that, not only had she been framed by Potens, but Gray refused to listen to her. Bellator, who was standing by Gray's side, shook his head in disgust at the ice type before following after Ferus and Potens, leaving Furcifer all by her lonesome.

* * *

 **Well, shucks. Potens is an ass and she and Furcifer are going to have a really weird relationship. Also, Furcifer pissed Gray and Bellator off after allegedly pulling a prank on Unicus, so there's going to be a divide for the remained of the arc and most of Castelia. Next chapter will be the debut of Gray's third rival (only one left), and that's all I have to say. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Would you like to see a Mega Evolution Arc? (It'd be a Mega Evo tourney)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Rivals and Romance?**_ _ **Enter Hugh!"**_

 ** _Deciding to help Gray train for her second Gym Battle, White finds herself trying to prove her strength when a boy by the name of Hugh comes looking for a battle. Despite his desire to face Gray, Hugh accepts White's challenge, and Snivy finds herself battling quite the formidable foe. Will she and White be able to defeat Hugh and his Pokemon?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 16: White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole  
Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	15. Rivals and Romance? Enter Hugh!

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (** **Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and another boy smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, my dear readers. Tis the time for White to get some focus and development, along with the debut of Gray's third rival, Hugh. Last chapter, Furcifer got framed by Potens, who poured an entire bottle of hot sauce in Unicus' food, which pissed off Gray and Bellator. This chapter, as stated above, will be primarily about White and Hugh, and there will be some attention paid to Gray's team and how they'll be getting along after that incident. Also, if there are any weird typos, it's because I cut my finger pretty badly so I can't type with as much accuracy as before. Now let's get going!**

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Haha, you're spot on with this one, and your distaste will only grow the further we get into the story_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _There aren't many, if any scenes involving him until next arc, but Alain's going to be appearing a bit, from what I remember (chapter 18's weird when it comes to chronological order). Either him or Flare. Ferus would be the one participating in the Mega Tourney, though. Hugh's going to have a weird assortment of Pokemon, but they're going to be freakishly strong at the league, and WhitexHugh is the leader atm, for White pairings_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yeah, there's nothing like not knowing where you're going to take a chapter and you decide to throw in a bunch of random dialogue, hahaha. As for the mega, it's Scizor. I could've sworn I had changed it for that chapter (and this one), but I guess I didn't. But, to reaffirm, it's Scizor. Thanks for letting me know about that, btw!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _She will, don't worry. And Potens is only going to get worse. A lot worse, though she'll keep herself in check for the remainder of this arc, though the Castelia Arc has the potential to be filled with some Potens chaos_

 **Defender31415:** _WOOH! The horribleness (I can't believe that's a word) and hilarity of Potens will continue and grow as we progress_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Oh god, you're back and as hot as ever ;) It's only a matter of months before everything clears up, so there's no wait at all... but not really :/ And of course Hugh's not going to have Froakie! Why would a rival appear in two of three chapters? I mean, it obviously has to be Gray's XD_

 **FinLay Real:** _Good, I want you to. You're going to get over what she can do, though, because she's going to be such an ass. She won't be stupid enough to prank Ferus, but she'll be dumb/confident enough to clash with him, and Bellator, and Unicus, and Furcifer, and, well, you get the point (Since when was believability a word? Lol)_

 **Guest:** _Okay, thanks for letting me know. The poll's closed now, and the vote for other was also Mega Fusion vs Mega X_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Welcome aboard the hype train, sir. You're hatred for Potens will continue to grow (how many times can I say that?), so don't think it's going to change any time soon (unless you appreciate her battling skills). Gray vs Alain is coming a lot sooner than you think, that much I can tell you, and Ferus returning is something I've looked forward to ever since starting Johto (I've had this planned for I don't know how long. The Pokemon, not so much, but the main plot, yeah), and he's going to have a tough challenge when he faces Charizard. That's easily going to be the toughest battle he or Gray will ever have to be a part of (aside from when Owen kicked her ass in Saffron that one time, or against Mewtwo)_

 **davidtheman:** _Eevee's popular, as is Ralts, and I don't want to use the most popular Pokemon. Ekans isn't possible because she already has a Kanto Pokemon in Unicus. I don't know if I'm going to do another story, because this one could end up being 100 chapters, and I don't know if I'd have enough time to write in college, so there's that. And her final two Pokemon won't be anything like those two, sadly, because they're both going to have to be good battlers in order to keep up with the others. However, I think they'll provide interesting personalities that will definitely clash with the current team_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 16, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Unicus sat along the side of the battlefield and glared at Furcifer as she and Snivy sparred. Ferus, who was watching both Pokemon closely in order to pick up on any tendencies they had, sat next to Unicus protectively along with Bellator, while Potens was busy trying to distance herself from everyone.

"I still can't believe she'd do that," Ferus mumbled, shaking his head at the ridiculous antics he thought Furcifer was guilty of, which she was, to some degree. "How're you holding up?" he asked Unicus, turning to her in concern.

The ground type had been mandated to refrain from training for three days just to make sure her mouth didn't get any worse.

"Fine. I just don't know how Gray can even practice with her right now," Unicus answered abruptly, angered by the fact that she wasn't allowed to spar. "As soon as I'm able to, I'm going to kick Furcifer's ass," the ground type continued, glaring at the ice type while she continued battling with Snivy, who was holding her own.

Bellator shook his head at the comment made by his teammate, causing her to turn to him and wait for an explanation. The water type, however, didn't feel the need to explain himself and continued shaking his head, leading to Unicus shoving him slightly.

"Are you going to talk?" she interrogated, making the powerful Oshawott turn his head slightly, locking eyes with Unicus.

"You're just as bad as them if you stoop to that level. That's all I have to say, and that's all you should have to hear. But you're going to do what you want to, and I don't have any control over that."

Rising to his feet, Bellator walked away from Unicus and Ferus, the latter of whom grinned at Bellator's wise words. Unicus, meanwhile, pouted but stopped when she saw the look on Ferus' face, which was when she realized that what Bellator had said was right.

"Now, Snivy, use Tackle!" White shouted while her starter was a few feet away from Furcifer.

Doing as she was told, Snivy shot forwards head first and prepared to crush Furcifer, who narrowed her eyes and waited for Gray to issue another counterattack, which came within nanoseconds.

"Jump back!" the older trainer retorted, drawing a smirk from White.

Furcifer immediately did a backwards cartwheel and evaded Snivy's initial attack, but what Gray didn't realize was that White had planned for her to counter in the exact way she did.

"Take Furcifer's legs out with Vine Whip!" the rookie commanded, snapping her fingers.

Snivy grinned as two vines shot out of her neck, and she used them to smack Furcifer's legs out from underneath her, resulting in the ice type falling on her back. As soon as she hit the ground, Potens, who was watching from the top of a tree, cackled while Gray stepped forwards to end the sparring match.

"Nice work, White," Gray complimented as she walked to Furcifer's side, trying to keep her anger with the ice type in check. "You and Snivy are getting better and better every time we practice," the Kantonian commended, resulting in White and Snivy bowing thankfully.

"That's what happens when you learn from the best," White replied with a cheeky grin as she gave Gray a thumbs up, making the older girl laugh as she patted Furcifer on the head, thanking her for helping White. "So when do you plan on challenging the Gym? Do you know who you're going to use?"

Gray shook her head immediately as she and White walked over to the table Unicus and Ferus were sitting by. As the girls sat, Bellator began practicing his battling movements on his own while Potens watched, unbeknownst to the others.

"All I know right now is that Bellator's battling. Furcifer, maybe. That incident yesterday might end up with her being sidelined," the eighteen year old said, shooting a look at the ice type, who frowned in response. "Unicus can't practice for the next few days so I'm not sure about her, and Potens is..." Gray trailed off, looking around for the Noibat. "Where is Potens?"

"She's right there," Bellator announced, his back facing the tree Potens was resting in.

Then, he grabbed his scalchop and hurled it without even turning, and the object nearly hit Potens in-between the eyes, but she managed to get out of the way. While she flew out of the tree, Potens glared at Bellator, not knowing whether to be annoyed at him or impressed with his aim.

"How'd he do that?" Ferus asked aloud, resulting in everyone shrugging.

"Potens!" Gray called, grabbing the bat's attention. "Do you want to practice against White and Snivy?"

The dragon type continued flying around before sitting on the roof of the Pokemon Center, and she glared at Gray.

"Want to kiss my-"

Before Potens could finish speaking, she was cut off by a pair of unfamiliar figures running out of the Pokemon Center and towards Bellator, confusing the dragon type as she watched from above. Remaining silent, Potens began backing away before laying down so that no one could see her.

"That was awesome! How'd you know where that Noibat was?" an excited teenager inquired while squatting so that he could be near eye-level with Bellator, who wanted no part of the enthusiastic trainer.

Seeing the annoyed look on her Pokemon's face, Gray hurried over to Bellator's side with Ferus in tow, and she patted Bellator on the head, easing his anger while grabbing the attention of the unfamiliar trainer.

"Oh, is this your Oshawott? Wow! You must be some trainer!" the blue haired teen exclaimed, extending a hand. "The name's Hugh, and this is my number one partner, Froakie!"

As White walked over, Gray stared at the strange frog resting on Hugh's shoulder, and it nodded at the girl.

Hugh had spiky, navy blue hair that looked almost like a pinecone, and he had a stylish, red and white vest on that was zipped up the entire way with its collar popped. Covering his lower half was a pair of baggy, navy blue pants and red running shoes.

"Thanks. My name's Gray Plain, and this is my friend, White," Gray replied, introducing the younger girl, whose eyes turned to hearts as soon as she saw Hugh.

"Hi!" the younger brunette screamed, making Hugh laugh as Gray covered her ears and looked at White as if she were deaf. "This is my best friend, Snivy!"

"Stop yelling, please," the grass snake begged before bowing to Hugh, who continued laughing at White's nervous antics. "If I wanted to hear something that loud, I'd ask Potens to scream in my face."

Hearing the foreign name, Hugh looked around in confusion before pulling out his Pokedex and searching for a Pokemon by the same name, only for the search to come up empty.

"What's a Potens? Is it some kind of new Pokemon? Oh man, now I have to catch one!" the blue haired teen exclaimed, causing Bellator to face palm as Unicus and Furcifer made their ways over to Gray, separately, of course.

"No, it's a nickname. I give all of my Pokemon nicknames, actually," she started, piquing Hugh's interest. "This is Unicus, and Bellator, Furcifer, and Ferus. Potens is a Noibat I caught a few days ago, but I don't know where she is," Gray stated, drawing a nod from the seventeen year old standing in front of her.

"That sure looks like a really powerful group of Pokemon, don't you think, Froakie?" the Unova native asked his starter, who nodded in response, refusing to use the translator that was wrapped around his neck. "Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?" Hugh muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as Gray and her Pokemon looked at Froakie worriedly. "Froakie doesn't like talking, even around me."

"Sounds like Bellator," Unicus stated while turning to her powerful teammate, who, ironically, stayed silent and glared at her in response. "Say, does Froakie like to be by himself even around your other Pokemon?"

"Yeah, all the time, actually. He's always training and pushing himself to the extreme."

Dumbfounded by the coincidence, Gray turned to Bellator and saw that he and Froakie were in the middle of a staring contest, neither refusing to give in. Seeing how similar the two were made Gray shake her head in disbelief before she ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"It looks like those two really want to battle," Ferus opined aloud, making Hugh's eyes light up instantly.

Potens, who remained laying on the roof of the Pokemon Center, rolled her eyes at the annoying boy's ability to be excited.

 _"I bet if I threw him a stick in the park he'd bring it back like a Furfrou. Idiot."_

"Hey, how about we battle, Gray? Are you up for it?" Hugh inquired, making Gray shake her head in response.

"Sorry, Hugh, but I only have two Pokemon that can actually battle, and one of them has to sit out of all battling for another day, for reasons I can't go into."

Pouting, the blue haired teen turned to Froakie and shrugged, though the water type paid no attention to his trainer and continued staring down Bellator.

"Well, I guess I'll catch you guys around. See ya later," Hugh muttered, waving dejectedly to White and Gray, the former of whom began looking back and forth, not wanting Hugh to leave.

"Wait!" she screamed, causing Hugh to spin around. "Uhm... Snivy and I will battle you. I mean, if you want to. I don't, but, you know, like," White continued rambling on, blushing wildly at the boy that continued staring at her while Gray shook her head at the younger girl's antics.

Hugh, however, smiled and nodded at White, whose face turned as red as a cherry before turning to Snivy and away from Hugh, who looked on in confusion.

Sitting atop the roof of the Pokemon Center, Potens shook her head at the sixteen year old's inability to talk to the opposite sex and decided she'd had enough of watching the painful interaction. Hopping off the roof, the dragon type descended slowly while flapping her wings, and she landed on White's shoulder, tapping the top of the girl's cap.

"Stop acting like an idiot and just go over to the trainer box," the Noibat ordered in a hush whisper, confusing White and Gray. "Just talk to him like you would Gray, it's not hard."

With that, Potens flew off White's shoulder, muttering something about her being an idiot, and she landed back in the tree Bellator had previous driven her away from. After sitting so that she could watch the battle through the leaves, Potens tracked Gray as the eighteen year old walked into the referee box along with Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, and Ferus.

"This will be a one versus one battle between White and Hugh! The battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue! Now, choose your Pokemon!"

"Snivy, let's win this!" White exclaimed while pointing straight ahead.

The grass snake scampered onto the battlefield and puffed her chest out in an attempt to show off how confident she was. Her attempt failed, however, when Hugh cracked a smile while Froakie maintained a stone cold expression.

"Froakie, I'm counting on you!" Hugh announced as his starter leaped forwards and landed in a crouching position, locking eyes with Snivy.

"This battle will be between Snivy and Froakie! Begin!"

"Froakie, start this off with Quick Attack!" Hugh commanded, throwing his left fist forwards.

Doing just as he was told, Froakie bolted across the battlefield while a streak of white light trailed his body, and everyone gasped in shock at the insane speed the water type was displaying. Even Bellator was left in awe of the water starter, and he stared as Froakie slammed into Snivy without reluctance, launching her past White, who turned around and stared as Snivy, who was still on her feet, was grimacing in pain.

"Answer right back with Vine Whip, Snivy!"

Snivy nodded in response and two vines shot out of her neck before she attempted to whip Froakie with them. Much to her dismay, Snivy watched as Froakie acrobatically evaded each attempted strike from his opponent. White gasped once again and could only stare as Froakie began moving along the battlefield while performing gymnastic-like moves.

"Use Pound!" Hugh shouted.

As Froakie planted both of his hands against the ground and spun himself, he threw his legs downwards and planted his feet before shooting up and punching Snivy in the face with a glowing white fist, knocking the grass snake onto her back.

Shocked by the power of Froakie's moves, White was at a loss for words as Snivy rose to her feet and slouched over in pain, struggling to remain conscious despite only being hit by two attacks, speaking volumes to Froakie's strength. Eyeing the Kalosian starter, Gray smiled at him and Hugh while Bellator continued looking over the water frog closely, trying to pick up on any movements that gave away when he'd attack.

"Snivy, I know you can keep going. Use Tackle!" White ordered, placing all of her confidence in her starter, who was reenergized as a result.

Taking off at the speed of light, Snivy zipped across the battlefield and closed in on Froakie in a matter of milliseconds, taking Gray and her Pokemon by surprise, mainly because they had never seen Snivy move at such a speed during their sparring matches. Hugh, however, managed to keep his composure and quickly issued a counterattack to his starter.

"Blind Snivy with Smokescreen, Froakie!"

Froakie opened his mouth and released a cloud of thick black smoke, which stopped Snivy dead in her tracks. Somehow, though, White was able to think fast enough to counter the otherwise tactical move from her opponent.

"Spin and use Vine Whip!"

Snivy nodded and began spinning, almost like whenever Owen's Pokemon would use countershield, and the two vines from her neck whipped through the smoke and cut through the smoke while also closing in on Froakie, who kept his calm look throughout the entire battle.

"Dodge it and finish this with Water Pulse!" Hugh countered, stomping on the ground.

Froakie immediately dropped to the ground, barely dodging the first vine, and then he rolled to his left to avoid the second vine, which caused the ground to crack due to the force of the attack. After popping off the ground, Froakie sprinted towards Snivy while a ball of water formed in his right hand and he jumped before spinning almost exactly like Bellator did whenever he'd use Razor Shell. Unable to act due to how shocked she was, White watched as Snivy was clobbered by the water type attack, and it exploded upon impact.

Gray followed the grass type with her eyes as she rolled past White and onto another battlefield, prompting her to throw her arms in the air while White ran over to her starter's side.

"Snivy is unable to battle! That means Hugh and Froakie are the winners!" the Kantonian exclaimed, prompting Froakie to nod while Hugh ran after White and knelt by Snivy's side along with the brunette.

"I'm so sorry about that, White. Froakie must've gone too far," Hugh apologized, bowing to the sixteen year old and Snivy, making the former of the two blush wildly.

"Uh... no problem, Hugh! That was a great battle!" White shouted, too nervous to contain her excitement. "Froakie's really strong, and I'm sure you'd be able to give Gray a run for her money if you two did battle."

Hugh smiled and nodded thankfully for the kinds words, again making White blush, and Potens, who was resting in the tree, shook her head at the sixteen year old's lack of composure. Then, she turned her attention to Gray and glared at her, along with Unicus, Bellator, and Ferus.

Meanwhile, Bellator sensed Potens' glare and motioned to grab his scalchop, but he was stopped by Furcifer, who shot him a weary look before shaking her head. Reluctantly, the Oshawott nodded at his teammate and decided to not throw his scalchop at the prima donna.

"Gray, hopefully we get to battle some time soon," Hugh said as he extended a hand to the older girl, who nodded in response before shaking his hand.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Hugh. Best of luck with your Gym Battle."

The blue haired teen nodded and bowed to both girls before walking away with Froakie on his shoulder, though the water starter locked eyes with Bellator and they nodded at each other.

"Bye, Hugh!" White screamed, waving to the boy who waved back, making Gray shake her head while laughing. "So, do you want to go back to sparring?"

* * *

 **Strange ending, I know, but it feeds into the next chapter. As for Hugh, he's going to be a formidable rival in the future, and it looks like his Froakie has a bit of a rivalry with Bellator because of how similar they are, and that's going to be a matchup to look out for, since it's going to mirror Fortis and Garchomp's rivalry. Next chapter will focus on White catching her first Pokemon, and that's really it. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole!"**_

 ** _With her loss to Hugh behind her, White asks Gray to help her train so she can be better prepared for other potential battles. Seeing her passion, Gray decides to help White catch her first Pokemon. When White and Snivy come across a Tympole, they find themselves with only one shot at capturing the water type. Will they succeed?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 17: Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!  
Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	16. White's First Catch: Terrible Tympole!

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and three other people)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Froakie smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome back to another update, readers! Last chapter, Hugh made his debut, which was a successful one with a victory over White and Snivy. His Froakie seems like he'll be a beast, similar to Bellator, and they're going to have an awesome rivalry. As for this chapter, the focus will stay on White, as she'll be catching her first Pokemon! Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Yeah she does, lol. Bellator and Froakie are going to have a really awesome rivalry (I've started watching the anime and I got the idea from that, with Greninja and Sceptile), and Bellator's going to be the one that keeps Potens in line, at least, for now. Eventually that responsibility will shift to another Pokemon, though I can't say who_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _You don't know how loud I laughed at that (my parents think I'm retarded now XD). You're definitely right about him being the strongest, unless you count Alain as a rival. Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja might end up being the most OP Pokemon of all time when it's all said and done, especially with an Ash-Greninja variant being possible, so Gray's going to have her hands full with the greatest starter ever. And thanks! That battle wasn't all that great, but chapter 17 will definitely make up for that!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Hugh's probably my favorite rival, just because of what he's going to be like at the end of the story, along with the development he'll get. I'm thinking of him as what Larenz should've been (in terms of the development he should've gotten), and I'm determined to make sure he becomes what I want him to. Benga could be interesting, and I was actually thinking about that, but I might just end up making a poll if I decide to have Gray win. I'm not sure if White will catch a dragon type (she's only supposed to catch two), because I really want her three Pokemon to get enough development, but if she did, I'd imagine it'd be something like a Goomy or Deino. Thanks!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Oh god, I'd die from hype, haha. I would love to do that, and there's a chance it could happen, but the only thing holding that back is the fact that Gray would have to command both, and there wouldn't be much drama surrounding it (unless one of them were to become possessed or something, which I'm not very fond of). If you have any ideas how that could work out, I'm more than willing to listen!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Cheren's going to be pissed! XD Hugh will easily be the strongest rival of all time (could've been Silver but I blew that), and they will be battling next chapter. White's going to become a very strong battler too, and you'll get some insight on that this chapter, especially with how she's going to go about training this "terrible" Tympole (who will also become incredibly strong)_

 **Guest:** _Ah, I'm glad you pointed that out. She does have a "soft" side, kind of, and you're right that she doesn't hate everyone, but Potens will be a jerk a lot of the time unless she sees someone (which will mainly be White or Snivy) really struggling with something. And I didn't really like his story either, but I did appreciate his character and the motivation he got from it. His team will be significantly better than it was in the games, and I can assure you his story will definitely be better, too_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Thanks, and I completely lost count too, hahaha. Their rivalry is definitely going to be my favorite (even though there's only one other), and Bellator may or may not be the Fortis 2.0 I was talking about ;) White's battle with Hugh will inspire her to train a lot more, and you'll get to see that right away_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 13, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Speeding towards her target, Unicus held nothing back and slammed into it at full speed, refusing to worry about her previously injured mouth. Much to her dismay, the target wasn't injured by her Rollout attack, and instead stood its ground, shocking her, Furcifer, White, and Snivy.

Letting out a powerful roar, Ferus threw his head upwards and sent Unicus rolling back along the battlefield and to Gray's side, where she slammed her feet against the ground and stood upright, impressed with her mentor's strength. Bellator then stepped forwards and looked ready to fight Ferus, but the fire type let out an exaggerated yawn and sauntered over to Gray, making the water starter deadpan.

"Thanks for your help today, Ferus. I can't believe how much stronger everyone's gotten since you've come back," Gray said to her Johto powerhouse, who smiled and wagged his tail at the kind words. "If you want, you can have the rest of the day off," the girl continued, prompting Ferus to eye the three younger Pokemon standing before him, each with eager looks on their faces.

"I'll take one more challenger," he announced, making Unicus squeal with excitement until she realized she wasn't going to be battling, given the fact that she had just had her turn. "How about Potens?" Ferus suggested, much to Bellator's dismay.

Gray nodded at the suggestion and began looking around for her newest Pokemon, who was no where to be seen. Shaking her head, Gray turned to Ferus and tried giving him a look, as if she were trying to tell him to change his mind, but the fire type was set on working with Potens. Sniffing the air, Ferus tried tracking the Noibat's scent, but was unable to find her.

"That's weird, I can't track her scent," the Houndoom muttered, shaking his head at his inability to locate the winged Pokemon.

"Don't worry, Bellator can do this," Furcifer announced, drawing the attention of her teammates and Gray as Bellator walked out to the middle of the battlefield and sat down, taking a meditation pose.

All of a sudden, the water type rose to his feet and hurled his scalchop at the roof of the Pokemon Center, where it hit a strange metal object, causing an obnoxious ringing noise. Then, Potens shot off the roof and began staring daggers at the water type, who looked right back at her before walking over to the spot his scalchop had landed, picking it up and dusting it off before placing the prized object on his chest.

"Thanks, Bellator," Ferus said, drawing a nod from the water starter. "Potens, want to battle for a little?" the Houndoom inquired as he watched Potens descend and, eventually, land on the ground a few feet away from the group.

"With you? I think I'll pass," the dragon type stated, angering Ferus. "So, why'd you call?" Potens quizzed, locking eyes with Bellator, who hadn't looked away from her since she had landed.

Gray, sweat dropping at the hostility, stepped forwards and attempted to defuse a potential fight breaking out between Potens and Bellator.

"Ferus wanted to see how strong you were in a battle," Gray replied, piquing the dragon type's interest. "We'd be working together, of course, while Ferus would be battling on his own."

Potens immediately scowled after hearing more about the idea of battling, and she turned her back to Gray, causing the brunette to sweat drop as White and Snivy walked out of the Pokemon Center with determined expressions plastered on their faces. Turning her attention away from Potens, which annoyed the Noibat, Gray made her way over to her friend and her starter, who appeared to be fired up over nothing.

"It's about time you two got up. Why were you asleep for so long?" Unicus inquired, eyeing Snivy, who pumped her fist in the air, showing a level of excitement that was very uncharacteristic.

The younger pair glanced at each other before punching straight forward, nearly clocking Gray in the mouth.

"We were just going over our battle with Hugh, which was recorded on the Unova league website under his profile," Snivy started, turning to White, who took the cue and began speaking.

"Yeah, we were trying to find what we were doing wrong against him, but then we realized something, Gray!" the sixteen year old shouted, getting incredibly close to the older girl's face. "Want to know?"

"Uh... sure," the older brunette replied.

White stepped away from her friend and beamed at Snivy, who nodded in response before they spoke in unison.

"Nothing!" they exclaimed, drawing the presence of Gray's other Pokemon, who looked at their trainer, waiting for her to explain what White and Snivy were so excited about.

"They're talking about what went wrong against Hugh," she said, drawing nods from Ferus, Bellator, and Furcifer, while Potens began laughing right away. Still laughing as she flew over to the group, Potens wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head, staring at White and Snivy, who were too happy to stop smiling.

"Seriously? You had to look up a video and dissect it to see what went wrong? I could've told you right off the bat," she said, unintentionally making an awful pun while pointing at herself, which drew laughs from Unicus. "You're just weak. Hugh was, and is way stronger than you. That's what went wrong."

"Potens!" Gray hissed, preparing to scold her Pokemon.

White stopped her, however, and stepped in front of Potens protectively, shocking the dragon type.

"No, Gray, she's actually right. It may not sound like she said that to be right, but she's spot-on," White stated, shocking Gray as Unicus, who was resting on her head, stared in confusion. "You see, Snivy and I had a good plan going into it, we're just not strong enough."

"Yeah, we were actually going to talk to you about it last night, but you fell asleep before we could bring it up," Snivy stated, making Gray sweat drop. "But that's no big deal. Actually, we have a favor to ask you," the grass starter announced, drawing a nod from Gray.

"Sure. What is it?"

The younger duo looked at each other and nodded before turning back to Gray with fire burning in their eyes.

"We want you to help us become stronger. Teach us how to be like you!" White exclaimed, taking Gray back along with Ferus, who eyed his trainer while White and Snivy continued staring at the older girl with a look of determination. "You don't have to, of course, given you having to compete in the league and all, but we'd really appreciate it."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Gray looked at White, thinking about what Alder had said back in Striaton City when he demanded they battle him.

 _"Now, Gray, have you ever offered any advice?"_

The question still rang in her head as clear as ever.

 _"White's trying to hold her end of the bargain, but have I? I mean, she's been taking notes, asking me to train all the time, and she's even looking at videos without having to ask for my help. What have I done to help her?"_ Gray thought to herself, angered by her lack of helping White.

"Absolutely. I'd be more than glad to help you two," Gray stated, making the two cheer, which drew a smile from the Kantonian. "But I want you both to know, I've never done this kind of thing before, so please bare with me if I'm not exactly great at helping you out."

"Of course. I was an awful student in school, so it's only fair," White joked, laughing along with her mentor. "So, when do we get started? After you beat Lenora?"

Gray looked over at her five Pokemon - Potens refused to look at her, so she didn't pay any attention - and they all shook their heads, making the brunette smile as she turned back to White and punched her right fist into her open left hand.

"Nope! We're going to start today, and it's going to be the most basic of all lessons!" Gray exclaimed, deciding that she had done enough training for the day.

"Awesome! What is it? Should I get a pencil and paper? What should Snivy do? Do you want us to stretch first?"

"White, shut up," Gray said, chuckling as she did so, prompting the younger trainer to nod and close her mouth, bouncing up and down with Snivy on her left shoulder. "It's the one thing al trainers have to learn at some point or another if they want to become successful: catching a Pokemon."

The sixteen year old's eyes went wide, and she nearly exploded with excitement while Ferus laughed at the younger girl while picturing how Gray was when he had first met her. She was nothing like Gray, that was certain. Then again, Gray had already traveled across Kanto and even reached the semifinals in her first league tournament, something very few trainers could say.

"Are you even qualified to teach this? I mean, you did tell Bianca that almost all of your Pokemon willingly joined you," Unicus interrupted, causing Gray to deadpan while Ferus, Furcifer, and Potens laughed, the latter for different reasons, the main one being how much of an idiot Gray looked like.

"Yes, I'm qualified," the eighteen year old snapped. "I caught Potens, didn't I? And, well, I didn't catch any of my Johto Pokemon, but that's not important. What is, is that I'm going to help you, White, catch a Pokemon today!"

White jumped for joy along with Snivy, but they stopped when Gray waited for them to become silent.

"The first thing is to check your Pokedex to see what kind of Pokemon are in the area. Now, I never do this, because I have a knack for running into Pokemon that I have connections with, but it's never bad to start by doing this."

White nodded and pulled out her Pokedex, searching for information on the areas around Nacrene City.

"Once you've seen what kind of Pokemon you can find, make sure you have Pokeballs - which I'm sure you do," Gray instructed while watching the younger trainer grab a pack of six Pokeballs from her backpack. "Good. Now, if there are any Pokemon you think you'd want to catch, then we can go there right now and look for it."

After looking over the list of Pokemon that are most commonly found in the area to the left of Nacrene City, White pointed at one Pokemon in particular and smiled, prompting Gray to gather her things.

000

"So how did you catch your first Pokemon, Gray?" Snivy inquired as she, White, Gray, Unicus, and Ferus walked around the tall grass to the left of Nacrene City. "What kind of Pokemon was it? I know you've caught a lot, just hearing White talk about it, but I've never actually looked it up," the grass snake continued, making Gray smile as she watched Unicus sift through the grass in search of the Pokemon White had targeted.

"Well, the first Pokemon I caught was a Poliwag that protected me from a group of Mankey. His name was Leviculus, and he was probably my strongest Pokemon for a while," Gray started, recalling her travels in Kanto. "He was a really goofy Pokemon, hence the nickname, and aside from him, I've caught fifteen Pokemon, if you're counting Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, and Potens."

Ferus nodded at the statement, confirming Gray's numbers.

"What about your first Pokemon in Johto? Was it Ferus?"

"It actually wasn't me," Ferus answered. "I'm pretty sure it was Acer - a Breloom - right?" the fire hound asked, drawing a nod from Gray.

"Unless you count Comis, my Gliscor, who my mom gave me before I competed in the Indigo League."

"Wow. That must be so cool to have all those Pokemon and sharing so many experiences," White said to Gray, who nodded along with Ferus and even Unicus, who was around long enough in Johto to experience the comradery amongst all of Gray's Pokemon, who shared stories about what they had gone through while traveling their respective regions.

"It really is amazing. Your Pokemon become your new family because you're with each other for the better part of a year," Gray informed the younger girl, who smiled at the thought along with Snivy, picturing their potential travels with a set of insanely powerful Pokemon.

"I can't wait for when we go on our own journey, White," Snivy stated, drawing a nod from her trainer. "And to think our first friend could be waiting around here. It's so cool! Say, Ferus, what was it like the day you met Gray? Did you have a feeling that everything was going to be different?"

Before Ferus could respond, Bellator broke out of his Pokeball and began gasping for air, turning to frown at Gray, who laughed at the water type's actions. He then turned and realized he must have interrupted a conversation, prompting Bellator to bow apologetically before walking next to Gray in silence.

"Well, it started like any other day, really," Ferus started, looking at Snivy, who nodded. "At the time, I was traveling with a pack of Houndour, and our leader, a Houndoom, had made plans for us to attack and invade Violet City, for whatever reason, so there was a bit of a different feel, yeah. Then, before we could even get there, Gray stopped us and I battled her with my leader,"

"Seriously? I never knew you lived in a rebel pack!" Unicus screamed, making Ferus and Gray laugh while White and Snivy stopped searching through the grass, hanging on every word Ferus was saying. Even Bellator, who rarely let anyone know he was listening, was leaning towards Ferus, wanting to hear more about the fire type.

"Yeah, I was. But everything changed during that battle, when my leader turned on me," Ferus informed Unicus, who gasped in shock while Bellator turned away and scowled.

"That's terrible! Why would he do that?" Snivy quizzed.

Ferus turned to Gray and motioned for her to speak, so she did, recalling the events with ease.

"It's because Ferus was knocked out of the battle. I remember watching him try his hardest to get back on his feet, but his leader just attacked," Gray stated, staring at Ferus, who nodded and began speaking once again.

"He told me it was because I was useless. But Gray protected me and drove them away. That's when I realized my life was going to change, whether it was for better or worse, though I had a feeling it was the former," Ferus proclaimed, making Gray smile as she rubbed the dark type's head. "And thanks to that being the foundation of our relationship, we're able to use Mega Evolution."

Bellator returned to staring at Ferus, this time in awe, and he began rubbing his chin, wondering if he too, would be able to use Mega Evolution.

"That would be so cool if we learned how to use that, Snivy. Don't you think?" White asked her starter, who nodded in response while Gray sheepishly grinned and rubbed the back of her neck.

"The only problem with that is scientists don't know if Serperior are able to Mega Evolve. If you're really interested in it, there's a website that has a list of every Pokemon that can Mega Evolve, though you shouldn't catch a Pokemon just because they can do that," Gray told White, who nodded at the advice and information.

All of a sudden, a tiny Pokemon shot out of the grass near Snivy and caused her to fall over in shock as she screamed, grabbing everyone's attention. The two girls, Unicus, Ferus, and Bellator turned to face Snivy and that's when they saw the Pokemon White had decided she wanted to catch. Taking out her Pokedex to scan the creature, White's hands trembled from angst.

"Tympole, the Tadpole Pokemon. By vibrating its cheeks, it emits sound waves imperceptible to humans. It uses the rhythm of these sounds to talk."

Putting her Pokedex away, White quickly grabbed a Pokeball from her belt and prepared to throw it at the wild Pokemon, but her arm was stopped when Gray grabbed it.

"White, you have to weaken it first!" the girl shouted, making White face palm as she somehow forgot the most essential part of catching a Pokemon.

"Snivy, let's do this thing and get our first Pokemon!" the sixteen year old screamed excitedly, drawing a nod from her starter while the wild water type turned and locked eyes with Snivy.

As soon as it did so, Tympole let out a terrified scream and attempted to hop away, but White wasn't about to let that happen, nor were Gray and her Pokemon, who looked ready to prevent the wild Pokemon from escaping.

"Snivy, grab Tympole with Vine Whip!" White commanded, prompting Snivy to grunt before she jumped.

While doing so, two vines shot out of Snivy's neck and closed in on Tympole, who shrieked once again as soon as he was wrapped up by the vines. Snivy then prepared to slam her opponent against the ground, but White noticed the petrified look on Tympole's face, prompting her to step forwards and place a hand on Snivy's head.

Smiling as she watched Snivy place Tympole on the ground, Gray turned to Ferus, Unicus, and Bellator, and squatted to pet each of them. Of course, Bellator wasn't a fan of the interaction and backed away, though he did appreciate Gray's efforts.

"Tympole," White started once Snivy released the tiny Pokemon and walked over to her trainer's side, "I know we just met each other and all, and we ambushed you, but would you want to come along with me?" White asked, confusing the wild Pokemon, who didn't seem to understand the question. "Snivy, would you mind?"

Snivy shook her head and stepped forwards, causing Tympole to hop back in fear, but he stopped once he saw the sincere look on Snivy's face. Turning her translator off, the grass type began talking with Tympole, who nodded a few times before turning to White, waiting for her to speak.

"He's not sure," Snivy stated, worrying White, making the girl sweat a bit. "I don't blame him either, to be honest. We did just jump him, after all."

"That's true. Would you mind translating for me?"

"No problem."

Snivy flicked her translator off once again, and White took a deep breath as she knelt on the ground and smiled at Tympole, easing the wild Pokemon's nerves.

"Tympole, I know you're scared, and I would be to, but don't be. You see, I want to become a trainer and compete in league tournaments, but I can't do that with only one Pokemon. If we work together - you, me, and Snivy - there's not a doubt in my mind we can make each other stronger. So what do you say? Want to join?"

Snivy relayed the message back to the wild water type while Gray and her Pokemon watched anxiously, hoping that Tympole was going to join White and appreciate the girl's efforts. Once Snivy finished speaking, Tympole looked at the grass type and began speaking to her, almost as if he were stuttering, which made Unicus' ears perk up.

"Wow, he's a really unconfident guy. I don't think I've ever met someone like that," the Sandshrew whispered to Gray, Ferus, and Bellator.

"Yeah, that's not the kind of Pokemon White should catch, Gray. If he goes with her, I don't know if she'll be able to help him," Ferus stated while Bellator remained silent and looked at the water type, who trembled as he spoke.

After hearing Ferus' concerns, Gray prepared to speak to White, but she was stopped by Bellator tugging on the leg of her jeans. As soon as she turned, she saw Bellator shaking his head, making her stop, respecting the Oshawott's opinion.

White, meanwhile, waited for Tympole to finish speaking, and she turned to Snivy once he did.

"Tympole said you don't want a Pokemon as weak as him, and that he'd be a burden. He offered to find a different Tympole that's stronger, though," Snivy said to White, who shook her head immediately, shocking everyone, especially Tympole.

"Not a chance. I don't care if he thinks he's weak, because I know he's not. Tympole, I promise you and I will reach your potential together! Even if you don't believe in yourself, I believe in you, and that's all that matters!"

Gray smiled at the younger girl and nodded at Bellator, who simply folded his arms over his chest, not wanting to boast about betting on White's abilities as a trainer.

The Tympole stared in shock after Snivy relayed the message, and it slowly nodded at White, who pumped her fist in the air, making the water type bolt to find protection. Once he realized White was simply celebrating, he returned to her while she sweat dropped and grabbed an empty Pokeball off her belt.

"We're going to be the best of friends, Tympole. I know it!" the sixteen year old exclaimed, drawing a nod from the water type, who managed to understand what White was saying just from the tone of her voice.

Once White brought the Pokeball to his head, Tympole flinched and closed his eyes, but he opened them once White lightly tapped it against him. The timid Pokemon was suddenly sucked inside the spherical device and it began shaking in White's hand.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

Beaming at the fact that she had caught her first Pokemon, White lowered her arm and allowed Snivy to tap the Pokeball excitedly, releasing Tympole. As soon as he appeared, the water type saw Gray and her Pokemon, making him scream in fear before hopping so that he could hide behind White's leg. The girl laughed along with Snivy while Gray smiled, and she could've sworn she saw herself in place of White. Shaking her head to snap out of her daze, Gray began walking back to Nacrene City with Unicus, Bellator, and Ferus in tow.

White, however, walked at her own pace with Snivy and her newest Pokemon, Tympole, who White knew was going to be quite the challenge. What she didn't know, however, was how strong she, Snivy, and Tympole were going to become together.

* * *

 **White and Gray have quite the problematic Pokemon in Tympole and Potens for different reasons, obviously. Anyways, Gray decided to take White under her wing (which will turn her into a really good trainer) and then White caught an incredibly weak and timid Tympole, who's going to become a powerhouse in the future. Next chapter will be a battle between Gray and Hugh, which is going to be really intense, so buckle up, buttercup. Till then, peace out.  
** **On a side note, I wanted to let you all know that the poll on my profile has been closed, and the battle that won (and will be happening at some point) is Alain vs Red! When will that come up? Only time will tell. I might end up posting Gray's battle with Hugh, too, but that depends on whether or not I finish chapter 19 (which I accidentally deleted) and 20 (highly doubt it).**

 **1) Thoughts on Tympole?  
2) How do you think he'll get along with everyone?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!**_ _ **"**_

 ** _Practicing for her upcoming Gym Battle, Gray receives help from Hugh, who has already claimed his second badge. Will Gray and Bellator be able to defeat their powerful rivals when everything comes down to one final battle?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 18: Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor  
Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	17. Bellator vs Frogadier: Water Warriors!

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Froakie smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome back, everyone, to another update! Last chapter, White caught her very first Pokemon, a Tympole, and it has probably the worst personality ever, so I guess that means it'll get along with Potens (laugh plz). This chapter, Hugh will finally (and by finally I mean after 2 chapters) get his chance to battle Gray now that Unicus is all healed up, and the end of this will lead into chapter 19. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Thanks! I'm hoping to develop her a lot (I'm really going ham with this story) and Tympole will be a great member for her once he can get over being so timid. As for White's inspiration, I'm thinking she'll rotate with Gray when it comes to battling rivals (she'll have another battle or two against Cheren, at least two against Bianca, and I think there might be another with Hugh), and they'll kind of be like her version of Gyms. Thanks again!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Lololol. Seismitoad hype! It'll most definitely be a huge addition (both literally and figuratively speaking) when he evolves and reaches his potential_

 **FinLay Real:** _Wooh! The updates would be faster, but I accidentally deleted chapter 19, and I was wayyy too salty to do anything until today. Tympole's going to be a nice addition to the cast, given his different personality, and you're right about all of the relationships except for one. Bellator definitely won't shun him because, like you mentioned, his sense of nobility, and they're also both water types, so there's a connection. No need to worry about reviewing all the time, just make sure you don't fall behind!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Lol, I'm not surprised. It's pretty feeble and all. And I love Skunktank! Potens will eventually be put in her place (kind of in this battle, but not really), so she won't think she's all that. Maybe, just maybe, one of her teammates will open up a can of whoop-ass_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _You should be! This is my favorite battle that's going to happen (through the first three badges), and Tympole's going to get a lot stronger._

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _This website is so troll, it's not even funny. They need to make a way to recover documents (recovering stories was an incredible idea, though), and please, keep hitting Potens. Just... DO IT!_

 **Defender31415:** _Well, I didn't even think of that, haha. Tympole's going to be a nice addition, though, and he won't be a loner in the traditional sense_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _That's weird, haha. And I'm glad you brought that up, since (I think) people will hate her more knowing she's capable of being nice (in her own way). And thanks! I think the personalities are, this time around, actually good_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 12, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 14, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 16, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Now, Snivy, use Leaf Tornado on Bellator!" White commanded, pointing right at the Oshawott on Gray's half of the battlefield.

"Furcifer, block it with Icy Wind! Bellator, once you see an opening, charge and use Razor Shell!" the older girl retorted.

As Snivy pointed her tail at Bellator, Furcifer jumped in front of her teammate and released a powerful, freezing wind of energy from her mouth, which collided with the tornado of leaves. After the attacks cancelled each other out, Bellator sprinted around Furcifer and grabbed his scalchop before blue energy formed like a blade. Then, as he jumped, Bellator began spinning wildly before attempting to slash Snivy, but White was quick to react.

"Tympole, send him flying with Round!" White yelled to her new Pokemon, who immediately ran away, causing the rookie trainer to deadpan while Snivy and Bellator sweat dropped as the latter stopped his attack and bowed to his friend from Juniper's lab.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Gray and Furcifer exchanged glances of confusion before Unicus rolled over to check out what was happening.

"Soooo, did you win?" she asked Gray, who glared at the ground type in response, causing her to curl into a ball until she thought Gray had stopped. "I'll take that as a yes. But seriously, what happened?"

"Tympole, I know you're scared, but you have to listen to me!" White screamed at the timid Pokemon, who became even more scared and hopped away in fear. "I don't get it! Gray, what did I do!?"

Sweat dropping, Gray walked over to the younger girl and placed a hand on her shoulder as a means of calming her down which, surprisingly, worked. Then, she simply pointed at the sky before pointing back at Tympole, who was too scared to talk to Ferus.

"Sometimes that's just the personality of the Pokemon. You have to deal with it, and eventually you'll get through to them," Gray instructed, remembering the growing pains with Durus and, to a lesser extent, Ferus. Then there was Potens. "A friend of mine had quite a few Pokemon that didn't listen to him for a while, but he kept at it, and eventually they turned out to be some of his most trusted companions, even though this is a different situation," Gray continued with a smile.

"Oh really? And who was that friend?" White questioned, sneering at the story she believed to be fictitious.

"Owen Plateau," Ferus answered before Gray could open her mouth, silencing White. "Yeah, I figured that'd be your reaction," Ferus said with slick grin as he and Gray walked away from White with Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer in tow before sitting next to Potens, who glared at her.

"So, Potens, what do you say to getting some practice in before our Gym Battle?" Gray quizzed with a smile.

"I say kiss my-" Potens cut herself off when she saw Hugh walking out of the Pokemon Center with Froakie resting on his shoulder and he turned to his left to see White screaming at Tympole, causing him to sweat drop before he turned to his right and saw Gray.

"What's up, Gray?" the friendly teen inquired as he walked over to his rival and sat at the nearest table, allowing Froakie to hop off and talk to Unicus before he saw Bellator resting in a tree branch, throwing his scalchop against the wood only to pick it out and throw it again.

"Hey, Hugh! How'd the Gym Battle go?" Gray asked with a smile as she turned away from Potens, who continued glaring at her.

"It was close, but Froakie really came through in the clutch," Hugh replied excitedly, catching Bellator's attention as he slowly opened his left eye and shifted his gaze to the left in order to examine the water frog. "Here's a tip; make sure you have a really agile Pokemon battle against Watchog," he continued, this time catching Furcifer's attention as she heard about Watchog.

"I can handle that thing. Besides, I've got some unfinished business with the Watchog species," the Sneasel informed Gray, who laughed and nodded at Furcifer's determination, a trait she had come to love during her two years of traveling across the globe.

"So what were you up to? Froakie and I were just about to head out and visit Castelia City for our third badge. Isn't that right, buddy?" Hugh asked his starter, who turned away from Unicus and nodded, still refusing to use his translator.

"We were actually just training for our Gym Battle, but Tympole kind of..." Gray trailed off and remained silent as she and Hugh looked over at White.

"Please, Tympole, listen to me one time, and you won't be sorry! I swear! We can become stronger together!" the sixteen year old begged as she was laying down on the ground, cupping her hands together while Snivy walked away in embarrassment.

"Well, we could help you. After all, we could always use some more practice. Plus, we beat Lenora, so you can see if you need to do any more training," Hugh suggested, drawing a thankful smile from Gray, who bowed immediately.

"That would be really helpful. Thank you."

000

"This will be a three versus three battle between Gray and Hugh, where both trainers may substitute Pokemon freely! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue!" White shouted as Snivy rested on her shoulder and Tympole, who refused to look at his trainer, rested next to her. "Now choose your first Pokemon!"

"Okay, which one of you should go first?" Gray asked rhetorically while looking at all four of her Pokemon. "Unicus, how about you?" the girl suggested.

Unicus rolled forwards and popped out of her curled state before bowing to Hugh and Froakie. The boy laughed at the polite gesture and bowed back while Froakie refused to perform such acts on a battlefield, opting to remain stoic and silent, just like Bellator, who had walked over to the tree behind Gray and decided to take a nap on the branch near the top.

"Axew, I choose you!" Hugh roared, hurling his first Pokeball while Froakie jumped and mimicked his trainer.

Slowly, Gray watched as a tiny, bipedal, green dinosaur appeared with two husks shooting out of its mouth, and she and White immediately went gaga over it.

"That's such a cute Pokemon!" the eighteen year old remarked, causing Axew to rub the back of his head sheepishly as White repeated what Gray had said before regaining her composure and acting as the referee.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Axew! Begin!"

"Unicus, start by using Defense Curl, and turn that into Rollout!" Gray commanded, knowing that her tactics would lead to a supercharged Rollout attack.

Obeying the strange set of commands, Unicus curled herself into a ball and a green ring of light spun around her body before disappearing. Then, she started spinning across the battlefield like a wheel, and she smashed into Axew, sending the bipedal dragon soaring through the air before he smacked against the ground and weakly rose to his feet.

"That's the spirit, Axew! Use Dragon Rage to retaliate!"

Axew wasted no time in retaliating as he opened his mouth and fired a gigantic ball of orange energy covered in flames that hit into Unicus and sent her bouncing along the battlefield before she stopped a few feet in front of Gray and Ferus.

"Wow! That had to have hurt!" Snivy exclaimed as she stared at Unicus, who was writhing in pain, eventually rising to her feet.

"You can say that again," White started. "Dragon Rage does a set amount of damage, and considering how low of a level all of Gray's Pokemon are at, relative to the spectrum that they're on, it's no surprise that hit so hard."

"Unicus, I know you can keep going!" Gray yelled to her starter, who got back up out of sheer willpower, drawing applause from White, Snivy, and Furcifer, though the ice type stopped when she saw the look Unicus gave her. "Great job! Now use Rapid Spin!"

Spinning like a disc, Unicus zipped through the air and slammed into Axew, sending the tiny dragon skidding across the battlefield and back to Hugh's side, making the teen look on in concern before Axew smiled at him.

"Axew, I want you to charge and use Dual Chop!"

"Intercept with Crush Claw!"

Both Pokemon charged at one another and hummed lowly as they prepared their attacks. Rearing her arm back, Unicus' claw began glowing cobalt while Axew's hands were glowing the same color. Throwing his arms at Unicus, Axew gasped in shock when the ground type ducked and evaded the attempted strikes before countering with a wicked uppercut, knocking Axew unconscious.

"Axew is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!" White announced while pointing at the blue haired boy, who ran over to his Pokemon's side and helped him up gently.

"You're getting stronger every day, Axew. It's only a matter of time before you really start showing your potential," Hugh said with a warm smile as he sprayed Axew with a Potion, making the dragon type smile as he nodded at the encouraging words before running over to White's side, where he started talking to Snivy, who hopped off White's shoulder.

Suddenly, Hugh's face went from being filled with joy to rage and sorrow, catching Gray off guard as he enlarged his second Pokeball, which he stared at for ten seconds before looking up and tossing it.

"Purrloin, I choose you!"

The familiar purple cat appeared in front of Hugh and hissed at Unicus, who was panting heavily while bruises and cuts were all over her body, prompting Gray to call her back.

"Unicus, take a break," she demanded, prompting Unicus to return to her trainer's side. "Potens, you're up!" Gray exclaimed cheerily, making the Noibat roll her eyes as she flew onto the battlefield and yawned at her opponent, who narrowed her eyes and hissed once again.

"This battle will be between Potens and Purrloin! Begin!"

"Purrloin, charge and use Scratch!" Hugh demanded, throwing his hand straight forwards.

Bounding across the battlefield, Purrloin began to hiss as her claws extended and began glowing white. Meanwhile, on the other end of the battlefield, Gray confidently went over how she should counter before finally deciding on a method and calling out to Potens, who was flying a few feet off the ground.

"Blow her back with Gust, Potens!" the brunette shouted.

Much to her dismay, Gray watched as Potens swooped down and performed a Tackle attack, completely ignoring what she had been told to do. As a result of the idiotic move, Potens was scratched across the face, and she was sent rolling along the ground before hopping back up and flying around angrily.

"Huh? Why isn't Potens listening to Gray?" Snivy asked White, who shrugged in response before turning her attention back to the battlefield.

"Now use Fury Swipes!"

Purrloin lunged after Potens as her claws remained long and continued glowing, but Gray was quick to issue yet another counterattack, hoping Potens would listen.

"Potens, hit her with Wing Attack!"

Reluctantly obeying, Potens channeled all of her energy into her wings and they began to glow white as a result. She then flew towards Purrloin and whacked her across the face twice, knocking the dark type away before she began to grin slyly at her injured opponent.

"Wow, Potens is really tough," Hugh mumbled, noticing the pained expression on Purrloin's face despite the fact she was only hit by one move. "Now use Pursuit!"

Purrloin refused to give in and she threw her front right paw forwards, firing a black ray of energy at Potens, which struck her in the chest and caused the dragon type to gasp in pain before slowly descending to the ground. Her eyes shot wide open, however, and she began to screech at a deafening pitch, causing everyone to hold their ears while Bellator fell out of his spot on the tree branch and glared at Potens.

"Gain some speed with Agility!" Gray screamed over her Pokemon, who refused to listen and instead swooped down while using Wing Attack, causing the girl to stomp in frustration.

"Assist!" Hugh countered immediately.

Purrloin suddenly opened her mouth and shot an enormous ball of orange energy, and it exploded on contact with Potens, launching her through the air before she smacked against the ground with her eyes shut tight, making Gray curse under her breath while White raised her arms in the air.

"Potens is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Thanks for the great effort out there, Potens," Gray muttered, angered by her Pokemon's disobedience as she clipped Potens' Pokeball onto her belt. "Now, how about..." the young woman paused as she looked between Unicus and Furcifer, only to see Bellator walk onto the battlefield and square off with Purrloin. "I guess I pick you, Bellator," Gray said while laughing.

As the brunette continued laughing, Ferus eyed Bellator closely before smirking.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Purrloin! Begin!"

"Purrloin, charge and use Fury Swipes!" Hugh yelled, unaware of what he was getting himself into by charging at Bellator.

Despite the command being idiotic, Purrloin obeyed wholeheartedly and sprinted across the battlefield while her claws extended and began to surge with energy. Then, as she jumped and prepared to scratch, Gray cleared her throat, threw her left arm out to her side, and spoke up.

"Blast her back with Water Gun!"

Bellator reared his head back and fired a high-powered blast of water at the feline, which struck her and sent Purrloin tumbling through the air before she landed on her head and rolled around in pain, leaving Hugh in a state of shock while Froakie narrowed his eyes and analyzed Bellator, who noticed and locked eyes with the Kalosian starter.

"Wow, that was strong, but we're not gonna give in! Use Assist, Purrloin!"

Purrloin nodded and charged at Bellator once again, this time with both of her front arms glowing cobalt. She jumped in the air for a second time and attempted to strike Bellator, but the Oshawott's instincts combined with Gray's experience prevented the Dual Chop attack from landing.

"Jump out of the way and then use Tackle!" Gray commanded.

Doing a backflip, Bellator managed to barely avoid being crushed by the dragon type attack, but he responded quickly by lunging headfirst and ramming into Purrloin's gut, knocking the wind out of the dark type's lungs as she laid on the ground and gasped for air.

"Hang in there just a little longer, Purrloin," Hugh said to the injured Pokemon, who slowly rose to her feet. "Scratch!"

"Wrap this up with Razor Shell!" the older trainer yelled as soon as Hugh finished speaking, causing him to gasp in shock while White and Snivy shook their heads, knowing that there was nothing Hugh could do.

Sprinting across the battlefield, Bellator ripped the scalchop off his chest and a blade of blue energy appeared behind the shell as he spun and delivered a wicked slash to Purrloin's face, knocking the feline out cold in an instant as she flew through the air and crashed into Hugh, who fell onto his backside as a result of the impact.

"Purrloin is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your final Pokemon!" White shouted while pointing at the rookie trainer, who stared at his fainted Purrloin and looked like he was about to tear up. He stopped, however, and patted the creature on the head, whispering something that no one was able to hear as it was withdrawn to its Pokeball.

"Froakie, it's all up to you!" Hugh shouted while pointing forwards.

Using his incredible leaping abilities, Froakie covered several feet in one hop, landing inside the lines of the battlefield as he locked eyes with Bellator, who actually looked like he was going to enjoy a battle.

"Bellator, come back," Gray ordered.

Sighing and fighting every fiber of his being to remain where he was standing, Bellator turned around and returned to Gray's side, pouting as he did so. Unicus then nodded at him, and he nodded back while she walked onto the battlefield and prepared to duel with Froakie.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Froakie! Begin!"

"Fire away with Poison Sting!" Gray yelled.

Unicus opened her mouth and shot waves upon waves of purple needles at her water type opponent, who continued crouching even as the needles reached an uncomfortably close distance, which prompted Hugh to speak up.

"Dodge it and use Smokescreen!" the sixteen year old shouted as he stomped on the ground.

Froakie sprung into the air and released a thick black cloud of smoke, which covered the battlefield and blinded Unicus, who looked around worriedly until she heard Gray's voice ring in her ears.

"Clear the smoke with Rapid Spin!"

Doing as she was told, Unicus started spinning like a top as fast as she could, which allowed her to get rid of the disgusting smoke that surrounded her. However, she and Gray soon realized that was what Hugh wanted them to do, with Froakie flying overhead.

"Now hit her with Water Pulse!"

Froakie hurled the sphere of water that had formed in his right hand, and it exploded on contact with Unicus, who was forced against the ground as a result of the super effective attack. Slowly, she rose back to her feet and shook herself in an attempt to get dry, but she stopped and turned to see Gray throwing her left fist forwards.

"Unicus, get in close and use Crush Claw!"

"Water Pulse again!" Hugh shouted as soon as Unicus took off.

Wasting no time in attacking, Froakie formed another ball of water in his hand and chucked it at Unicus, whose eyes went wide before being clobbered by the devastating attack, which sent her soaring through the air. Eventually, she crashed into the ground limply with her eyes closed, prompting White to raise her arms in the air.

"Unicus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!" the younger girl said to her mentor, who nodded and cradled Unicus in her arms as she walked back to her trainer box.

"Don't worry, Unicus, we're going to win this battle. You were so great," Gray complimented as she sprayed her starter with a Potion, allowing her to stay out of her Pokeball and watch the final battle. "Bellator, I'm counting on you," the trainer continued while eyeing her strongest Pokemon, who nodded in response before stepping foot on the battlefield.

Both water starter's analyzed each other closely while taking battle stances, and White slowly raised her arms to start the battle.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Froakie! Begin!"

"Bellator, charge and use Tackle!" Gray ordered swiftly.

Charging wildly, Bellator lowered his head and prepared to crush Froakie, who turned back to Hugh and nodded at the teen, calming his nerves and allowing him to issue a counterattack.

"Meet him head-on with Quick Attack!" the rookie commanded as he adjusted the zipper on his vest, popping the collar as he did so.

A sudden burst of speed allowed Froakie to butt heads with Bellator, and a ray of white light trailed his body prior to the collision. Despite his gain in speed, Froakie was overpowered by Bellator, who slammed him against the ground before Gray's voice rang in his ears.

"Now jump back and use Water Gun!" she commanded.

Gracefully jumping as high as he could, Bellator reared his head back and shot a stream of light blue water at Froakie, which struck and pinned him against the ground. As a result, the ground began to crack underneath the power of Bellator's Water Gun, and Hugh bit his lower lip while trying to think of a way to free his starter. He didn't have to, however, as Bellator stopped on his own and nonchalantly landed a few feet in front of Gray.

"Froakie, hang in there and use Water Pulse!"

After rising to his feet, Froakie slouched over and panted wildly before a ball of dark blue water formed in his left hand. Using all of his might, Froakie flung the powerful water type attack at Bellator, but he and Hugh were shocked when the bipedal otter started running towards the attack.

"Slice through it with Razor Shell and end this!" Gray bellowed, punching her right fist forwards.

Bellator nodded and grabbed his scalchop before transferring energy into it. A blade of water appeared along the shell, and he sliced through Water Pulse before continuing towards Froakie, who was horrified. With a graceful spin, Bellator slashed his opponent across the face and sent him spiraling through the air. He eventually hit the ground limply, and Unicus and Furcifer stared in shock.

"Please, Froakie, get up!" Hugh begged as Bellator placed his scalchop back on his chest and returned to Gray's side, convinced he ended the battle. Much to his surprise, Bellator heard Froakie grunt, making the Oshawott spin around. Then, as Froakie smirked, he began to glow white, blinding everyone.

Once the light faded, a new Pokemon stood in Froakie's place. It was a bit taller and had much longer limbs, darker skin, and the frubbles around his neck extended further back than they did during his previous stage.

"Frogadier, the Bubble Frog Pokemon, and the evolved form of Froakie. Its swiftness is unparalleled. It can scale a tower of more than 2,000 feet in a minute's time. New moves learned: Acrobatics, Cut."

White and Snivy stared at the newly evolved Pokemon in shock before breathing sighs of relief as they were glad they didn't have to face Frogadier earlier in the week. Gray, Unicus, and Furcifer stood in silence, shocked by the unfortunate evolution. Bellator, meanwhile, grinned at his new opponent and looked ready for the challenge, which Frogadier noticed, causing him to rise to his hind legs and take a ninja pose.

"Wahoo! Way to go, Frogadier!" Hugh cheered joyously as his starter maintained the same ninja pose until the teen took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the battle. "Let's see how fast you really are. Acrobatics!"

In the blink of an eye, Frogadier was right in front of Bellator, but the Oshawott was somehow quick enough to react as he began evading each and every one of the punches and kicks sent his way. What he didn't realize, though, was that Frogadier had yet to reach max speed. Suddenly, the bipedal frog kicked it into high gear and pulverized Bellator, finishing his barrage off with a kick to the face that sent the otter sliding along the ground on his back.

"Bellator, hang in there and use Water Gun!"

Answering right back with an attack of his own, Bellator shot off the ground and fired a powerful blast of water, which struck Frogadier and pushed him several feet back as he grunted in pain before finally getting away from the attack. Grinning at the strength of his opponents, Hugh suddenly flicked his wrist upwards and called out to his newly evolved Pokemon.

"Ram into him with Quick Attack!" Hugh screamed, punching his fist forwards.

"Collide with Tackle!" Gray retorted right afterwards.

The water starters sprinted towards one another and butted heads, sending both Pokemon stumbling back to their trainers while they held their throbbing heads in pain before recovering and locking eyes once again, though it was clear that Bellator was beginning to grow tired while Frogadier looked like he could fight for another ten days.

"Now, Frogadier, get in close and use Water Pulse!"

Before she could even breathe, Gray watched as Frogadier made his way across the battlefield while a ball of water formed in his right hand, and he slammed it against Bellator's chest, sending him flying as an explosion occurred.

"Bellator!" the brunette screamed as she watched her Oshawott hit the ground like a bag of bricks, but he pushed himself back up, blood dripping from his mouth. "Please, hang in there a little longer and use Water Gun!"

Once again, Bellator reared his head back and unleashed a high powered burst of water that struck Frogadier and knocked him onto his back. Despite the fact that the attack wasn't very effective, it did a surprising amount of damage, and Frogadier could attest to that as he had already taken two head-on.

"Now use Cut, Frogadier!" Hugh yelled.

"Block it with Razor Shell!" Gray retorted.

While Frogadier's arms turned into blades of energy, Bellator grabbed his scalchop and a blade of water appeared around it. Frogadier then began swiping at Bellator, but the bipedal otter managed to block each of his opponent's attempts, wowing the spectators and even Frogadier, though he didn't show any emotion during the battle. He did notice, however, that Bellator nearly lost a hold of his scalchop several times. Still, Bellator eventually found an opening when Frogadier loaded his arms back, allowing the shorter water starter to slash him across the chest, blowing Frogadier back to his trainer's side.

"I'm really impressed, Gray. Bellator's kept up with Frogadier even though he evolved and has these crazy stat boosts," Hugh commended as he bowed to Gray and Bellator. "But this is where the battle ends. Frogadier, use Cut!"

"Bellator, show him he's right and that we'll end the battle! Razor Shell!"

Without hesitation, both Pokemon bolted towards each other once again, this time with the intention to end the battle. While Frogadier's hands turned to sharp blades of energy, Bellator yanked his scalchop off his chest, but messed up the transition. As his scalchop fell to the ground, Bellator was sliced up by Frogadier, who violently hurled his arms several times before ending his onslaught.

Despite the immense pain in his body, Bellator stood tall and glared at Frogadier, surprising the water starter and Hugh, both of whom looked ready to faint from shock. Just as he bent over for his scalchop, Bellator grimaced and the pain was too much for him to overcome. His legs suddenly gave out and he hit the ground face first, desperately trying to get back up and continue the fight.

Hugh and Frogadier saw the resilient Pokemon's efforts and nodded at each other before marveling at the sight. White, however, didn't want to let the battle go on any further, prompting her to raise both arms in the air.

"Bellator is unable to continue! That means Hugh, Axew, Purrloin, and Frogadier are the winners!"

As soon as she announced the result of the battle, Frogadier rushed over to Bellator's side and helped him up while Hugh cheered for the Oshawott's resiliency. Once he was back on his feet, Bellator stared at Frogadier, and vice versa, for what seemed to be an eternity. Then, all of a sudden, Bellator extended his stubby right hand and nodded at the victor, who shook his hand and nodded in response.

"Wow, you totally should've won that," Hugh said to Gray while laughing at his luck. "If Frogadier didn't evolve, that was yours for the taking. And Bellator, I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it was to see you refuse to give in. That's what I like seeing in a rival!" the sixteen year old exclaimed, drawing a nod from the Oshawott while Gray shook his hand. "You shouldn't have any trouble with Lenora, especially if your Pokemon battle the way they did today."

"Thanks, Hugh. I don't think I've seen a Pokemon more impressive than Frogadier this early in my travels," Gray commended, causing the ninja frog to blush slightly before bowing to Gray thankfully. "I'm sure we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other, and when we do, I want a rematch," Gray informed her rival, who grinned and nodded in response.

"I'd love that. Here, I'll give you my number, so if we're ever in the same city, we can meet up," Hugh said as he motioned for Gray's Pokedex, which she handed over while watching Hugh punch in a series of digits before handing it back to her. "Well, it was great getting to battle you, and best of luck with Tympole, White," the blue haired boy said.

"Th-thanks," the sixteen year old replied while blushing.

"Okay, we're heading out. Safe travels, guys!" Hugh shouted as he began walking away, waving to Gray, White, and their Pokemon.

Frogadier waved along with Hugh but stopped when Bellator ran after him, only to stop about five feet away.

"Make sure you get even stronger for our rematch," the Oshawott ordered.

"You too," Frogadier replied, talking for the first time.

Nodding at the same time, the two water starters turned away from each other and maintained emotionless expressions on their faces, which masked the excitement racing through one mind while doubt crept into the other's.

 _"Bellator's my toughest rival yet. I can't let him down and be weak the next time we face each other! I have to train more often, and at longer intervals!"_ Frogadier thought to himself while grinning.

 _"I can't believe I actually lost. Maybe I'm not as strong as I thought I was,"_ Bellator thought as he followed Gray inside the Pokemon Center, refusing to talk to anyone. _"All of them were right. I am a failure."_

* * *

 **Man, Hugh is going to be the strongest rival I've ever written (for Gray or Owen), and his Frogadier just destroyed Bellator's confidence. Also, Potens refused to listen to anything Gray said, and that'll be a pretty common theme for a little while unless I get annoyed with writing her lack of response.  
Also, before anyone asks, some of Gray's Pokemon won't evolve at their normal levels (Bellator). They may evolve earlier or later than usual, but I just wanted to let you know in advance. Next chapter will shift the focus over to Alain and his quest to defeat all Mega Evolutions, so yeah, another battle! Till then, peace out.**

 **1) What do you think was going on with Hugh when he sent out Purrloin and when she fainted? (It's not because of his sister losing her Purrloin)  
2) Which of Gray's Pokemon do you think did the best? (I'd say Bellator. He managed to keep up with Frogadier)  
3) Did you like the style of Bellator's battle with Frogadier? If so, should I make all of their battles like this one?  
4) Do you think Gray would've won had she used Furcifer instead of Potens?  
5) Crossover hype?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "**_ _ **Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor"**_

 ** _Continuing their pursuit of defeating every Mega Evolution, Alain and Charizard come across a powerful Mega Trainer who just so happens to be attending medical school in Castelia City. As their battle intensifies, Alain notices a crowd growing and he eventually catches the eye of a very important person. Will Alain win? Who is this person that's so important?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 19: Crashing Confidence  
Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	18. Mega Battle 2: Charizard vs Scizor

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, everyone! Time for another Alain chapter, and this will actually be taking place in the future (it's after the events of chapter 21 and before 22). Last chapter, Gray finally had a battle with Hugh, but she lost! That could be blamed on Potens, but I'm of the thought that it's because Froakie evolved and went beast mode against Bellator, who suffered his very first loss! This chapter will be focused on Alain, obviously, and he'll get to face another Mega Trainer. Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! And no, she hasn't if you don't count Durus. Water starter hype! (And that's not the crossover I was referring to, but hype for that!)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _No, not another Ferus depression, since it will lead in to some very important things in the future_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _No clue what you're talking about, unless it's the potential for a Mega Tournament Arc :/ Definitely not a good thing Bellator's losing confidence, but Mega Battle Hype!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Every battle (I think) between Bellator and Frogadier will definitely be a lot of fun to write, and I'm hoping it will be the same reading. Tell me! Tell me what you think his story is! And gimme dat bacon, señor (I have witnesses to support me not changing plans)_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Oh, it's going to get worse XD Hate on Potens, ftw. Thanks for answering!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _The wild Thornberrys (it hurts looking at that)! I can't wait to write more of their interactions, too. And thanks! Hugh's story's going to be pretty different than what it was (thank god this isn't a story for children... or it it?) Your plot twist totally isn't right, pfft. *Goes to change Hugh's backstory* Yeah, crossovers suck. Unless... we might have to get a new vehicle. Maybe something like a rocket ship_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Lol, I forgot that thing existed. Bellator will be just fine, eventually, that is, and if you're going to guess who it is based off the preview, you just might be right. DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 15, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 17, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 16, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Swiftly navigating his way through the packed streets filled with suits and various other citizens, Alain kept his hands buried in his pockets and continued staring at the ground the entire time he was walking. Refusing to lift his head to avoid bumping into anyone, the nineteen year old simply plowed through anyone standing in his way, resulting in expletives and threats being thrown his way. Of course, no one would've done that had Charizard been by his side, but hearing the words entertained him to some degree, even though he never reacted.

Instead, he just kept trucking along, pushing through people and turning at seemingly random blocks. To an outsider, it would seem as if Alain was lost and aimlessly turned in an attempt to stumble upon his destination, but he knew where he was going. After all, the idea of facing not one, but hundreds of Mega Trainers was a dream come true.

Taking the sheet of paper out of his pocket to see what Mega Pokemon he had defeated, Alain found pride in the work he and Charizard had put in. Since battling Neal, they had defeated eight other Mega Trainers with ease, proving how valuable their training in Kalos with Lysandre was while bringing the total of 48 targets down to 25, as they had bested fourteen trainers in Kalos.

 _"Since getting to Unova, we've defeated Swampert, Slowbro, Pidgeot, Aggron, Medicham, Garchomp, Steelix, and Camerupt. At this rate, the only ones standing between us and complete victory are Rayquaza, Diancie, Latios, Latias, and Mewtwo. Then again, they don't really count, seeing as only one of them has been captured before,"_ Alain thought to himself before looking up from the ground once he noticed a sign to his right.

After recognizing where he was, the nineteen year old looked at his Mega Bracelet and back at the sign before walking down a path that led to a college campus. People from the ages of sixteen to twenty two were walking around with their partner Pokemon, and Alain kept a close eye out to see if there were any that he knew could Mega Evolve. Sadly, none of the Pokemon he encountered could, and he headed towards the recreational center, where he hoped he'd find a trainer or two with Mega Stones.

While he continued walking, Alain checked his Pokedex and looked over the messages Lysandre had sent him. None of them were important, though that was a good thing, because if they were, then Alain would've known he had done something wrong. Instead of having a threat sent to him, the texts were simply filled with applause and thanks for placing trackers on each of the Mega Trainers, and that Alain's contribution would certainly help push research on Mega Evolution to unimaginable heights.

Once he walked into the recreational center, the black haired teen looked around before spotting a door leading to a series of battlefields, which he headed towards. Stepping outside, the powerful trainer looked around and saw a massive crowd huddled around one battlefield in particular, prompting Alain to head in that direction. After pushing his way through several people, Alain saw a girl and her Scizor waving to the crowd while another girl was checking on her Chansey before withdrawing it.

The thing that caught Alain's attention was a Mega Bracelet around the victorious trainer's wrist, and a necklace on the Scizor's neck. Without hesitation, Alain stepped onto the battlefield, drawing waves of whispers, and he walked over to the blonde and her Scizor, the former of whom spun around and smiled. Before she could say anything, the teenage boy that had acted as the referee ran forwards and stepped in-between Alain and the girl.

"Who are you?" the unnamed boy, who looked to be eighteen interrogated.

"My name's Alain. I couldn't help but notice you have a keystone," the Kalosian said, pushing the younger boy out of the way while looking the blonde haired girl in the eyes, drawing a nod from her.

"That's right. And you do to," she said, prompting Alain to shake his left arm, which made the bracelet move. "What kind of Pokemon can you Mega Evolve?" the girl asked, drawing a smirk from Alain.

"I'll only let you know if we have a Mega Battle," the teen retorted slickly, making the blonde smirk while her Scizor crossed its arms and looked over Alain before whispering something to his trainer, who nodded in agreement, causing Alain's eyes to narrow.

"We accept your challenge, Alain. My name's Tara, and this is my partner, Scizor," the girl greeted while bowing.

"It's nice to meet you, and thank you for accepting my challenge."

Tara and Scizor nodded before turning to the boy who had acted as the referee for their previous battle.

"Chase, would you mind officiating?"

Rolling his eyes, Chase sighed and nodded as he walked back to the trainer box, where Audino was waiting with a quizzical look while Musharna floated quietly. Staring at her trainer, the normal type waited for him to speak, but he didn't.

"Who's the guy?" she inquired, drawing Chase's attention, which angered him. "Haha, I'm just kidding. Now why don't you officiate their battle, pretty boy?" Audino joked, using the nickname Durus had bestowed upon the intelligent boy when they traveled with Gray through Kanto.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Alain and Tara, where each trainer will use Mega Evolution! The battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue! Choose your Pokemon!"

"Charizard, let's go!" Alain roared, hurling his Pokeball like a pitcher.

Once the spherical device opened, it exploded with light and Charizard materialized from it, slamming his feet on the ground while roaring powerfully.

"Scizor, come on out!" Tara shouted, pointing at the battlefield, which made her trusty Pokemon fly forwards before landing with a solemn expression on his face. Scanning his opponent and the trainer standing behind him, Scizor once again turned to Tara and whispered the same thing he had earlier, drawing the same reaction from the blonde.

After Chase looked at both sides, he nodded and threw his arms in the air along with Audino. They stopped, however, when Alain tapped his fingers against his Mega Bracelet.

"Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!" Alain screamed, pumping his left arm into the air while his Mega Bracelet began emitting golden beams of light.

Charizard roared in response and the Charizardite X planted in the piece of metal on his neck began emitting the same exact golden beams of light, connecting with the ones shooting out of Alain's Mega Bracelet. Once they connected, the teen and his Pokemon smirked at the same time before Charizard began transforming into his Mega Evolved state.

Impressed with Charizard's new physique, Tara paused for a moment and looked at her Mega Bracelet before hearing Scizor flap his wings slightly as a means of grabbing his trainer's attention.

"Scizor, let our hearts synchronize. Now, Mega Evolve!"

The bug type's necklace, which had Scizorite attached to it, began emitting golden beams of light just like Alain's Mega Bracelet and Charizard's Charizardite X, and so did Tara's Mega Bracelet. Once the beams of light connected, Scizor began transforming, and his limbs started to look more robotic and had no joints. His claws also looked like two hacksaw blades. His bright red body turned a much duller color and there were two, aqua blue circles at the start of the opening in Scizor's claws.

Alain and Charizard looked at one another in awe, unaware of the drastic changes between Scizor and its Mega Evolved variant. Chase, and the other hundred something medical students looking at the two Mega Evolved Pokemon, took a deep breath before he raised his arms in the air.

"This battle will be between Mega Charizard and Mega Scizor! Begin!"

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

The winged lizard flapped his wings as hard as he could and shot into the air like a rocket, surprising everyone except Tara, Chase, and their Pokemon, who were well-versed with the capabilities of Mega Pokemon. Then, rearing his head back, Charizard unleashed a wave of wicked blue flames at Scizor, who snapped his claws repeatedly before hearing Tara's voice cut through the air.

"Dodge it and boost your attack stat with Swords Dance, Scizor!" she countered.

As he threw his arms at the ground, Scizor sprung into the air and evaded the devastating super effective attack, which melted the part of the ground Scizor had been standing on. Then, the bug and steel type threw both of his arms out to his sides and swords appeared, clanking around him before disappearing. A ring of red energy then spun around the Mega Evolved Pokemon before disappearing.

"Now use Dragon Claw!" Alain screamed, making a slashing motion with his right arm.

Charizard roared once again and zipped towards Scizor while massive claws of neon green energy appeared around his hands. As he closed in on Scizor, who was flying around in an attempt to shake his opponent, Charizard hear Tara shout, and Scizor acted immediately.

"Don't back down! Counter with Bullet Punch!"

The steel type turned around immediately while both of his jagged hands began to surge with silver energy. Charizard then swung at Scizor, and vice versa, resulting in both attacks colliding and canceling each other out. Acting as quickly as he could, Alain hurriedly issued another command to his strongest, and only Pokemon.

"Hurry and strike with Brick Break!" the nineteen year old shouted at the top of his lungs.

Winding his left arm back, Charizard grunted loudly as he slammed his glowing white fist over Scizor's head, spiking the powerful Pokemon into the ground so hard the entire battlefield cracked underneath the force of the impact. While Charizard continued flying around, releasing Flamethrower attacks left and right in order to show off his strength, Scizor rose to his feet and grimaced in pain, which Tara noticed.

"Retaliate with Venoshock!" the blonde ordered, trying to keep her Pokemon away from Charizard.

Scizor opened both of his hands and fired multiple bursts of purple energy at Charizard, striking the black lizard and knocking him out of the air. Alain cursed under his breath for his lack of attention, but quickly regained his composure and threw his right arm forwards, shouting to his Pokemon, who was still falling.

"Get in close and use Steel Wing, Charizard!"

The winged lizard's eyes shot open and his flight straightened out just before he could hit the ground. After performing an inside loop, Charizard locked onto Scizor and his wings extended exponentially while glowing silver. After crushing Scizor with the steel type attack and knocking him onto his back, Alain watched Charizard fly straight into the air.

"Again!" the nineteen year old shouted, prompting Charizard to descend as his wings grew exponentially for a second time while glowing silver.

"Scizor, take Charizard out of the sky with Night Slash!"

Doing just as he was told, Scizor pointed both of his hands at Charizard, firing blasts of black energy at the powerful Kanto starter. Despite the speed of both the attack and Charizard, Alain was able to issue a counterattack quickly enough to give his Pokemon a chance to defend himself, shocking not only Tara and Scizor, but everyone watching the battle.

"Cut through it with Dragon Claw!"

Spinning like a top, Charizard roared before slashing through the dark type attack with his neon green claws. Then, he continued his flight towards Scizor and tucked both of his arms into his sides in an attempt to pick up even more speed.

"Spin and use X-Scissor!" Tara demanded, refusing to back down from Alain and Charizard.

Sharing the same mentality as his trainer, Scizor shot into the air and put both of his arms above his head and began spinning like a drill while his arms began to glow light blue. The two attacks collided and an explosion occurred, launching both Pokemon back to their trainers, though Charizard was quick to get to his feet while Scizor was struggling to push himself off the ground.

"Charizard, end this with Blast Burn!" Alain shrieked, uppercutting the air with his right fist.

Roaring, Charizard wound his right fist back before punching the ground as hard as he could, causing the already cracked ground to crack even more. All of a sudden, a wave of fire shot out of the ground and engulfed Scizor, making him scream in pain until the fire stopped. When it did, the bug type's eyes were shut, and Chase ran onto the destroyed battlefield with his arms in the air.

"Scizor is unable to battle! That means Alain and Charizard are the winners!"

Charizard, reverting back to his normal form, let out a victorious cry while Alain walked over to his Pokemon's side and put his arm around the lizard's neck with a smile.

"Great job, Charizard. If we keep it up, we'll defeat every Mega Evolution in no time!" the black haired teen exclaimed.

"Yeah! And when we do, we'll go down in history as the first to do it!" the winged lizard shouted, not knowing whether his announcement was a fact. "Well, we should probably get going if we want to find other Mega Trainers," Charizard opined, drawing a nod from Alain.

With that, the two turned to leave the battlefield.

"Excuse me!" a voice called.

Both turned to see a teenage boy right around Alain's age running towards them with the girl they had just battled, and the pair stopped a few feet away from Charizard and his trainer. Alain looked at both of them, waiting for one to speak until Tara finally did.

"That was a really impressive battle. Your Charizard reminded us a lot of our friend's Flygon," Tara complimented, making Charizard smile as he bowed happily. "Could you imagine that, Chase? I don't know who'd win that battle," the girl continued, causing Alain and Charizard to narrow their eyes.

"That'd be awesome, though I think Fortis would be able to hold his own," Chase opined.

"I'm sorry, but who is this friend you're speaking of?" Alain inquired, ticked off with the way the two random teenagers were underestimating his abilities.

"Her name's Gray Plain. She competed in the Indigo League and Silver Conference," Chase answered, prompting Alain to take out his Pokedex and look her up. Once he found highlights of the girl's league battles, Alain held his Pokedex out so that he and Charizard could watch.

Chase and Tara stood in silence, watching the facial expressions of both Charizard and Alain, the former of whom was opening his eyes wide while the nineteen year old kept the same expression.

"Wow, you weren't lying!" the winged lizard exclaimed as he glanced up at Gray's former companions. "That Flygon beat a Mega Evolved Pokemon! What do you think, Alain? This Gray girl sure is tough."

The black haired teen stayed silent and continued watching the highlights of all of Gray's league battles, realizing she was the trainer Aliana had warned him about. Suddenly, his eyes went wide when he saw a clip of Ferus transforming, and he rewound it. Watching the same clip in slow-motion, Alain stared as he saw Gray's hand over her wrist and a stone on Ferus' neck illuminating.

"Aliana wasn't kidding. She actually can use Mega Evolution."

"What's up?" Charizard asked his trainer in confusion, having stopped watching the highlights.

"Do you know where she is right now?" the powerful trainer questioned while looking at Chase and Tara, ignoring Charizard's question. "I want to battle her."

Chase and Tara shrugged after looking at each other, causing Alain to sigh slightly. His spirits were lifted, however, when Tara's Pokedex began ringing, prompting her to take it out and answer the video chat request.

"Hey, Tara, I was just checking in to let you know we're on our way," the brunette announced. "We just got out of Pinwheel Forest and are supposed to get to Castelia by tonight, so I'll call you tomorrow. See ya!"

With that, Gray ended the call and Tara smiled at Alain, who bowed.

"Will you be meeting her here?" Alain quizzed, drawing nods from Chase and Tara. "Good. If you don't mind, could you text me when she comes by? I don't want to miss the chance of battling another Mega Trainer."

Gray's former traveling partners looked at one another before nodding at Alain, who bowed along with Charizard.

"Thank you very much."

Walking away from Tara and Chase, Alain stared at his Mega Bracelet and then at Charizard, who glanced back at him with a curious look on his face.

"Something wrong?" the winged lizard quizzed as his trainer went back to staring at his Mega Bracelet.

"I don't know. I have this feeling that this girl is different."

Charizard's ears perked up and continued eyeing Alain, who shook his head and stared straight forwards.

"She's not like any of the trainers we've battled before."

* * *

 **Well, Alain and Charizard kicked some major arse again with their victory over... Tara! Yeah, she's back, and so is Chase. I doubt they'll have roles, though. Anyhow, things ended with Alain believing Gray was unlike any trainer he and Charizard had faced, and it was also revealed she was just leaving Pinwheel Forest, which means this chapter... was in the future! Yeah, it's really out of place, but what can you do? Next chapter will focus on Bellator and how he's handling his first loss, so get ready for some character development! Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Gray vs Alain hype? (It's coming, just wait)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Crashing Confidence"**_

 ** _Having suffered his first defeat at the hands of none other than his rival, Bellator, down in the dumps and unable to sleep, goes outside to deal with his emotions. He soon finds that he's not alone, however, and has a bonding moment. Who is he growing closer to?_**

* * *

 **Nacrene City Arc**

 **Chapter 20: The Trickster and the Scout**


	19. Crashing Confidence

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
** **A brand new region we will rome (The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)  
** **New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray, then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)  
** **Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides)  
** **All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
** **Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving)  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Before I say anything, I want you all to know that I accidentally deleted this chapter. You have no idea how pissed I am about that, considering it took a whole fricking day to write it, and now this is just... crap! GAH! Last chapter, Alain met and battled Tara while in Castelia City, which led to her and Chase telling him about Gray, who called to let them know she was going to be arriving in Castelia within a day (so it took place after chapter 21). This chapter will focus on how Bellator's handling his first loss, and that's about it. Let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Well, that's pretty close to what it is. I've alluded to it a few times in some other responses in other chapters, but yeah, you're pretty damn close with that idea. Gray vs Alain hype! And thanks, I'll try!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _They'll be appearing a little bit in the Castelia Arc, but I don't think I'll be bringing them back aside from that. Maybe the Unova League, though that's about eighty chapters away at this point. Gray vs Alain hype!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Still don't have a clue what you're talking about, so I'll PM you to clear any confusion. I realize I have the ability to completely forget about things I say within one chapter, so that's probably it. And how are you not hyped? This is like, the most hypest hype thing ever! Just kidding, your opinion is valid here :P Red vs Alain will absolutely be amazing... maybe. It depends on whether or not I think Red should bet him down. I'm also not sure about a Bellator pairing, because I've tried doing that before and it just fails miserably because I never want to focus on the actual relationship after (see FerusxDelcatty). Of course, if people actually want to see that, then I'll do it_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Of course, of course. No one stands a chance against Alain, not even Malva! (I swear, she threw that match), and there may be another Houndoom-wielding challenger that can teach him a thing or two. Good guess with Bellator, though you'll just have to find out this chapter_

 **Defender31415:** _No problemo. You'll find out very soon when it's going to be happening, and thanks! I really love writing chapters centering around him, since they're so much more serious (at least to me) and more action-packed than Gray's. Also, he has not battled a Houndoom yet ;) (He did in the anime, though)_

 **Pokefan02:** _She'll only be appearing one or two more times with Chase. At least, that's what my outline says. It could change, but I doubt it_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _It's only a matter of time before they start getting a lot more, that much I can tell you. Alain will kind of be a rival of sorts, but at the same time he won't be. They'll be around for some of the Castelia Arc (not every chapter, but a few) and I'm not sure about whether they'll make any other appearances outside a potential return during the Unova League. And it won't be Potens, though they will have some bonding moment(s) eventually. Gray vs Alain hype! (It's coming very soon)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _That's so stupid they'd have a middle evolution be able to_ _Mega Evolve. I don't know Pokemon anymore, I'm coming to accept that XD Both Chase and Tara are returning, yeah, and if your theory is either him traveling with Gray, or GrayxChase, I'll end any speculation (b/c I don't want to give you that idea) of that_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks, and I'm glad to bring them back for (parts of) the upcoming arc. I think it's going to add an interesting element, and Gray vs Alain will absolutely be the BEST battle, for several reasons (the battle, the hype, and it being the first of a few), and I can't wait to write and post it!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 15, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 17, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 16, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Bellator rose to his feet and glanced over the crowded room. After making his way to the door, he stopped and looked at everyone, noticing that Unicus was laying at the foot of Gray's bed, Furcifer was sprawled out on the floor, Potens was creepily sleeping with her eyes open on one of the dressers, and Ferus was curled up in-between the beds both girls were laying in.

Turning around and walking out the door, the water type scowled as a familiar voice rang in his head.

 _"Frogadier, use Cut!"_

Hearing Hugh's voice over and over and over again, Bellator's face scrunched up with rage. He had heard the teen's voice so many times, Bellator could've sworn he'd be able to speak exactly like Hugh while giving the command that ended the battle. As he stepped outside, Bellator looked around the practice battlefields and noticed that he was all alone. Bellator then began punching himself in the head, his pain receptors going off like fireworks.

"WHY!?" he screamed while walking over to a tree, winding back before smashing his head against the hard object.

As the tree shook, silence fell over Bellator as he fell down, content with the damage he had done.

 _"Everyone was counting on me, and I let them down. Unicus battled so hard, and to have her, Furcifer, and Ferus watch me lose..."_ the Oshawott thought to himself, taking a deep breath. _"Gray knows I'm weak now. She won't be the last trainer to find that out either. She's not even the first."_

The water type's thoughts trailed off and he stared at the moon. Even as the blood trickled down his head and into his eyes, Bellator remained silent, disgusted with his performance from earlier in the day. Suddenly, the scene of Frogadier charging at him played over in Bellator's head, and a swirling storm of rage stewed before escaping his mouth.

"AAAAAGGHHHH!" he screamed for a second time, hitting his stubby fist against the ground so hard he heard a slight crack.

Silence fell over the water starter and he continued staring at the moon until he heard the door of the Pokemon Center open, and a familiar voice began speaking, grabbing his attention even though he didn't show it.

"You know, you might want to be a little more quiet if you ever go on a tirade this late at night," the familiar voice joked before laughing slightly.

As the owner of the voice walked over to Bellator, the water type closed his eyes, not wanting to see the reaction of the person he thought so highly of, not wanting to disappoint them. He had done it with the others, but this felt different.

"Wow, you really did a number on yourself," Gray whispered, noticing the copious amounts of blood all over her Pokemon's face, making it look as if he had just killed a wild animal and eaten it. "Here," the trainer said, wiping the red liquid off Bellator's face, shocking him. He had never seen Gray act in the way she was. She was always preoccupied with managing tempers amongst the others, or acting as a mentor for White, Snivy, and Tympole.

 _"She really does care,"_ Bellator thought, awestruck by the actions he had never expected to come from a trainer.

Slowly opening his eyes, the water type watched as his trainer relentlessly tried cleaning the mess he had made, not caring if she became dirty in the process. Once she was satisfied with her work Gray patted Bellator on the head and smiled at him, prompting the water starter to get back on his feet and turn his back to Gray.

"So, what's wrong?" the brunette inquired while Bellator still refused to turn around. "Bellator, you don't have to always act strong around me. C'mon, tell me what's going on."

Surprised by her persistence, Bellator looked up at the sky and cringed when he pictured Frogadier jumping in the air, his arms turning into blades of energy. Before Frogadier could swing his arms, Bellator's eyes shot open and he took a deep breath before speaking.

"I lost," he muttered, grabbing Gray's attention. "Everyone was leaning on me, and I let them down. I let you down," Bellator continued, hanging his head while shaking slightly. "I let myself down."

"Bellator," Gray started as she slowly moved towards the water type, not wanting to startle him with sudden movements. "You didn't let any of us down," the eighteen year old informed Bellator while delicately placing a hand on his shoulder.

The Oshawott shook his head and spun around, pushing Gray's hand off of his shoulder, which made her gasp slightly. Staring at the trembling Pokemon, Gray noticed tears in his eyes and brought a hand up to her mouth in shock, having never seen Bellator in such an emotional state.

"I'm sorry!" he whaled, diving towards Gray while embracing her, catching the girl off guard. "Please, forgive me," he reiterated, burying his head against his trainer, who slowly hugged him and smiled.

"There's no reason to be sorry, Bellator. Believe me," Gray said, causing the water type to sniffle as he looked up at her.

"Really?" he questioned, sniffling.

Gray laughed and smiled at her Pokemon, nodding to reassure him that everything was okay.

"Of course. You shouldn't be sad about losing, because I'm the reason we couldn't win. If I had made a few different moves, things would've been different, plus, Froakie evolved _just_ to keep battling against you! Do you know how much of a compliment that is? That's how highly he thinks of you; he knew he had to evolve, and you pushed him to do it!" Gray exclaimed while throwing her arms around for emphasis.

Thinking about the things Gray said, Bellator began smiling a bit, knowing that she was right, at least about Froakie. The girl continued ranting about how it was her fault that they couldn't win, which took the water starter by surprise. In all his years, he had never come across a trainer that seemed, or was, willing to except the blame even if it clearly didn't belong to them.

"Thank you, Gray. You don't know how much this means to me," Bellator said to his trainer as she rose to her feet and smiled.

"Hey, don't mention it," she said with a wink, making her Oshawott smile once again. "Come on, let's go get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

With Gray walking back to the Pokemon Center, Bellator looked up at the moon and scowled, narrowing his eyes as a multitude of voices echoed in his head, all delivering the same message.

 _"I won't let Gray down. I'll prove them all wrong."_

* * *

 **I'm still salty, considering the first version was a lot better than this, but I digress. Bellator had quite the break down, and Gray was able to cheer him up. Next chapter will be the Gym Battle against Lenora, and Flare will be making an appearance at the very end. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Can you taste the salt?  
2) Are you surprised Bellator acted the way he did?  
3) Would you have preferred Bellator bonding with someone else? If so, who?  
4) Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Trickster vs the Scout"**_

 _ **Ready to take on the Nacrene City Gym, Gray finds herself in the middle of her most challenging battle so far. With Lenora using an attack that becomes incredibly stronger every time Gray takes out one of her Pokemon, how will she be able to overcome the Gym Leader and win her second badge?**_

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 21: Party in Pinwheel Forest**  
 **Chapter 22: Mega Evolution Escapades**  
 **Chapter 23: Mega Battle 3: Charizard vs Ferus!**  
 **Chapter 24: Sandstorm Showdown: Unicus vs Boldore!**  
 **Chapter 25: Earning Respect**  
 **Chapter 26: It Takes Two to Tango  
Chapter 27: Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	20. The Trickster vs the Scout

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
** **A brand new region we will rome (The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)  
** **New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray, then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)  
** **Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides)  
** **All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
** **Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving)  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey, everyone! Last chapter, which was covered in fatal amounts of salt, focused on how Bellator was managing after losing to Hugh and Frogadier. Safe to say, he wasn't holding up well. Gray then talked to him and straightened things out, and let me drop some truth on you. I came up with that chapter specifically because I needed a way to establish a connection between Gray and Bellator, because he doesn't talk all that much. Anyhow, this chapter will be the Gym Battle with Lenora, and the Castelia Arc will start up next time around. Now let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Glad you liked it, and congrats! Gimme dat bacon, btw :3 I think the battle's a bit early, too, but with the way things are set up, it's only the first of many more to come. As for Alain vs Red, I'm not sure when it'll happen, to be perfectly honest. I'm thinking it'll be within the next two or three arcs, but it also could happen a lot later. It's a crapshoot, really XD_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, but I wish you could've read the first one T-T First question was regarding my salt (in the A/N's). I think Ferus and Gray, like you said, were the only ones he could've bonded with. Maybe Snivy, but that'd be, in my opinion, a bit of a stretch_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Bellator salt, Torro salt, so much salt. Those are also really interesting predictions (I kind of wish some of them were what I was planning :/) I will tell you two of yours (Alain vs Gray being one) are spot-on, but you'll just have to find out what the other is ;)_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Yeah, that'd be my order too, and I see your point about Furcifer being more suited for last chapter instead of Bellator, but, in my opinion, they've had enough interaction while Bellator's kind of just there, and there's a very specific reason Bellator was picked for that. And I view Bellator and Potens as reincarnations of Krookodile and Heatmor when Owen was in Unova, with how big of powerhouses they'll be. A championship isn't out of the question either, especially with how strong the overall team will be_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _I'm still pissed. Ugh. Bellator's past is very checkered, that much I will tell you, and he'll be harboring those memories for a while until they're forced to be revealed. Love the predictions, btw! Scary how some of them are 100% correct_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I appreciate the idea but I don't know if I want to do that, and if I did, it wouldn't be anything like Owen and Brooklyn. That would be incredibly weird_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks. They'll have a few more bonding moments, and Mega Battle hype!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 15, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Poison Sting, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 17, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 16, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Walking up to the Nacrene City Gym, Gray took a deep breath and watched as White, Snivy, and Ferus yawned. They were at least twenty feet behind her and Unicus, the latter of whom was jumping up and down with excitement, eager to win her second Gym Battle. Gray, on the other hand, was silent and looked around, taking in the sites of the city before heading into the enormous building, which also served as the museum of Unova.

"Don't you think it's kind of weird how the Striaton Gym was a restaurant, and this Gym is a museum?" Unicus inquired as she and her trainer waited patiently for the others to catch up, which they did after she finished speaking.

"Most of the Gyms in Unova serve as more than one thing," White announced, shocking Gray and Unicus while Ferus found the news interesting. "This is only the beginning," the younger girl continued as she, Gray, and their Pokemon walked into the museum.

Near the top of the stairs all the way at the other end of the first floor was a nerdy man with gigantic glasses, and he patiently waited as the two girls walked up to him, White with an eager look and Gray with one of the utmost confidence.

"Hi, I'm here for a Gym Battle," Gray told the man, who nodded in response and motioned for the girls to follow him.

As they did, they were escorted into another room, one full of bookshelves and several antique items were on a level above the one they were currently standing on.

While looking around, Gray noticed a large woman with dark skin and green hair standing on the other end of the room, and she was inside the opposing trainer box. While Gray and Unicus stepped into their trainer box, White, Snivy, and Ferus were escorted to the sidelines, where they sat down and looked on eagerly.

"Welcome to the Nacrene City Gym, young lady. My name is Lenora, and I'm the Gym Leader," the woman announced, bowing to Gray.

"Thank you, ma'am. My name's Gray Plain, and I'm here for my second badge!" the eighteen year old responded, drawing a laugh from the far more experienced trainer.

"We'll just see if you can win that. Could you explain the rules?" Lenora asked the same nerdy man who had guided Gray and White into the room.

"No problem. This will be a three versus three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leader of Nacrene City, Lenora! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue! Lenora, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Right. Vigoroth, let's get going!" the Gym Leader screamed, hurling her first Pokeball.

The spherical device exploded and released a large, bipedal sloth that swung its arms around with reckless abandon.

"Ferus, did Gray tell you who she was going to choose for this battle?" White inquired, holding a Pokeball the older girl had given to her.

The Houndoom shook his head and continued eyeing his trainer and Unicus, unsure of what her plan was going into this battle.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to find out," Snivy muttered as White released the Pokemon from the Pokeball Gray had given her. Potens immediately appeared and looked around in confusion, not liking how her surroundings were unfamiliar.

"I guess that answers that," Ferus said, chuckling at the dragon type as she sat down and glared at Gray.

"If you're going to start off aggressively, so will I! Bellator, let's rock and roll!" Gray screamed, chucking her first Pokeball like a baseball.

Materializing from the light was her trusty Oshawott, and the water type eyed his opponent closely, looking to see if there were any openings in his idle stance.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Vigoroth! Begin!"

"Vigoroth, use Slash!" Lenora demanded, punching her fist straight forwards.

The normal type Pokemon bolted across the battlefield while the claws on the end of his paws extended and began glowing white, surging with an incredible amount of energy.

"Bellator, dodge it and use Tackle!"

Ducking underneath the the initial attack from Vigoroth, Bellator then hopped back and landed so that his knees were bent and his head was lowered. The water starter then launched himself into Vigoroth's chest and sent the normal type bouncing along the battlefield. Much to Gray's surprise, Vigoroth hopped back up and began swinging his arms around once again while Bellator kept his composure and waited for another command from his trainer.

"Let's get this show on the road. Uproar!" Lenora boomed.

The larger Pokemon began slapping his hands together before letting out a deafening scream, sending yellow rings of energy towards Bellator, who looked ready to evade.

"Cancel those out with Water Gun!"

Without hesitation, Bellator reared his head back and unleashed a high-pressured blast of dark blue water that crashed through the rings of sound and clobbered Vigoroth, sending him flying back to Lenora's side. The Gym Leader stared at Bellator wide-eyed, surprised by the strength of the small Pokemon.

"Charge and use Slash again!"

Doing as he was told, Vigoroth bolted across the battlefield and leaped, spinning as he did so. Then, once his claws extended and were shining with white energy, he slashed Bellator across the chest, sending the water type skidding to Gray's side on his back.

"Hang in there, Bellator! Use Tail Whip!" Gray shouted as she continued watching her Pokemon skid along the ground.

As Bellator's eyes shot wide open, the tiny otter slammed his hands against the ground and pushed with all his might, launching himself in the air. Then, he began wagging his tail, which caused a ring of green energy to spin around Vigoroth before disappearing. After noticing the confident expressions on the faces of Gray and Bellator, Lenora stomped on the ground and threw her hand forwards, issuing another command to her first combatant.

"Finish this with Reversal!" the woman shouted.

Vigoroth nodded and charged at Bellator, rearing both of his arms back while a coat of light blue energy spun around his body. Letting out an aggressive cry, Vigoroth sneered as he prepared to strike his opponent.

"Jump and use Razor Shell!" Gray commanded powerfully.

Bellator wasted no time springing into the air, and he grabbed his scalchop with his right hand. Spinning as he always did, Bellator let out a powerful cry before slashing Vigoroth across the chest, spiking the normal type into the ground at a wicked velocity. Once Bellator landed on the ground, he placed his scalchop back on his chest and folded his arms confidently, turning and nodding at Gray with a smile as soon as he saw his opponent had fainted.

"Vigoroth is unable to continue! Lenora, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Wow. I know I saw him battle before, but Bellator's strong. And he really knows how to battle!" Ferus remarked as he turned to White and Snivy, who nodded at the fire type. "Has he always been like this?"

"Well, back at Professor Juniper's lab he beat all of the other starter Pokemon, and yesterday was the first time I've seen him lose," Snivy replied, causing Ferus to shake his head at the ridiculous information.

Potens, meanwhile, listened and acted as if she hadn't paid any attention, keeping her eyes locked on Bellator as he and Gray waited for their next opponent to be revealed.

"Bellator, how about you come back for a quick break?" Gray suggested, eyeing her powerhouse, who reluctantly nodded and returned to his trainer's side. "Unicus, you're up!" the brunette yelled, prompting her starter to roll onto the battlefield with an eager grin.

"Oh, Sandshrew's an interesting opponent," Lenora said aloud, her hand clamped around a Pokeball. "Herdier, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, the normal type exploded from his Pokeball and landed on his paws softly, letting out a fearsome growl while locking eyes with Unicus.

Tympole, who was trembling by White's side, hopped off the bleachers and hid underneath them as soon as he heard Herdier, making White and Snivy sweat drop while Ferus laughed.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Herdier! Begin!"

"Unicus, use Rollout to charge!" Gray barked, throwing her right hand forwards.

The ground type wasted no time in curling into a ball and speeding across the battlefield at a blistering pace while Herdier lowered himself to the ground and waited for Lenora to counter.

"Dodge it and then use Retaliate, Herdier!" the cunning Gym Leader commanded.

Herdier barked in response before darting towards Unicus, and he was enveloped in a blinding coat of golden light. Colliding with Unicus in the middle of the battlefield, Herdier quickly overpowered the ground type and hit her so hard she slammed into the wall behind Gray and left a gigantic crater in it.

"Unicus, are you okay?" Gray inquired, drawing a nod from her starter as the Sandshrew walked back onto the battlefield with a noticeable limp.

White, meanwhile, watched worriedly as Unicus slouched, breathing heavily while gripping her arm, which had been injured as soon as Herdier hit her.

"Why'd that do so much damage, Ferus?" the rookie trainer asked, unaware of the powerful move's abilities.

"Retaliate is a move that does significantly more damage to the target if the user's ally fainted. Gray needs to be really careful with this battle, otherwise it could be over in a second," the experienced Pokemon stated, worrying White and Snivy even more while Potens snickered at the idea of Gray getting crushed.

"Use Magnitude!" the aforementioned trainer screamed, punching the air.

Nodding, Unicus slammed her hands against the ground, causing a wave of energy to fly towards Herdier. The normal type was clobbered as a result and flew back to Lenora's side, worrying the woman until her Pokemon rose to its feet, barking at his opponent while Lenora chuckled at Herdier's ferocity.

"Herdier, answer right back with Bite!"

Barking as a means of alerting his trainer that he was listening, Herdier took off in a dead sprint while Unicus turned around and eyed her trainer nervously.

"Heh," Gray chuckled as Herdier bounded across the battlefield, setting his sites on Unicus, who continued staring at Gray. "Give 'em a max power Crush Claw!"

Turning around as quickly as she could, Unicus' claw began to glow cobalt and she wound back before slashing her opponent across the face, making Herdier yelp in pain while rolling along the battlefield.

"Herdier, please hang in there a bit longer. Use Take Down!" Lenora shouted, snapping her Pokemon out of its funk.

"Meet him head-on with Rollout!" Gray retorted immediately, throwing her right arm out to her side.

The two Pokemon charged at one another and collided in the middle of the battlefield, battling back and forth before they were thrown back to their trainers, who grinned at each other out of respect.

"Now let's finish this! Reversal!" Lenora shrieked.

"We're not backing down, Unicus! Use Crush Claw!" Gray hollered.

Once again, both Pokemon obeyed their commands and sprinted towards one another, each set on ending the battle. While Unicus loaded her arm back, her claws began to glow cobalt. As Herdier drew closer, light blue energy began spinning around and his body, and he lunged at Unicus, who threw her arm forwards. The attacks collided and exploded instantly, launching both Pokemon across the battlefield and back to their trainers.

After the referee saw the state both creatures were in, he raised his arms in the air and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Both sides are unable to continue! Choose your second, and final Pokemon!"

"Unicus, you were amazing," Gray commended as she walked over to her Pokemon's side and cradled her in her arms.

"Thanks, Gray, but I should've done better," the shrew muttered dejectedly, making Gray shake her head. "Make sure you win this thing. I don't plan on coming back here," the ground type continued, making her trainer laugh.

Bellator, meanwhile, overheard Unicus' comments and simply nodded at her, instilling a sense of confidence in her. Potens, on the other hand, was disgusted with Bellator and shot him a nasty look, which was ignored.

While Gray thought over her choices, White and Snivy noticed Tympole staring at Bellator for whatever reason.

"I wonder what Lenora's last Pokemon will be," Snivy muttered before White spoke up right away.

"It's her Watchog. She uses it in almost every battle," the rookie trainer stated, drawing a nod from her starter Pokemon.

"I must admit, Gray, I'm impressed with how well you've battled so far," Lenora said to the younger girl, who bowed thankfully. "However, I'm not just going to roll over and let you win. Watchog, it's all up to you!" the Gym Leader shouted, hurling her final Pokeball.

Gray watched as a bipedal rodent appeared in front of Lenora and glared at her, unnerving the eighteen year old while Bellator grinned and stepped forward, eager to battle the powerful normal type.

Back on the battlefield, Gray shifted her attention to Bellator and crouched so that she could be at eye-level.

"Bellator, do you think you're up for battling Watchog?"

"What kind of question is that?" the Oshawott shot back with a serious look on his face, not wanting to show the others any emotions. "Let's do this thing," he stated, stepping onto the battlefield with the utmost confidence in his abilities.

He then locked eyes with Watchog and the two powerful Pokemon smirked at each other, sensing incredible strength. The ref, meanwhile, raised both of his arms and spoke up.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Watchog! Begin!"

"Watchog, use Super Fang!" Lenora roared, punching her right fist straight forwards.

The crazy-eyed Pokemon ran towards Bellator at the speed of light and his buck teeth were coated in energy before extending dramatically. Then, he reared his head back and prepared to stab Bellator, who was quick to react along with Gray.

"Dodge it and counter with Water Gun!" the Kantonian shouted in response.

Bellator barely managed to get out of the way of the attack and he shot a high-pressured blast of dark blue water out of his mouth.

"Now jump out of the way and use Retaliate!"

Springing into the air, Watchog managed to dodge the powerful attack and glanced back at Lenora, who caught note of it before smirking. Watchog nodded to himself before being enveloped in golden energy, and when he landed on the ground he exploded forwards with an unmatched burst of speed, making Gray gasp while Bellator tripped and fell on his back. Before the water type could get up, Watchog rammed into him and dealt a wicked blow, making Bellator scream in pain while his opponent jumped back to Lenora's half of the battlefield.

Potens smirked at the events that had unfolded, but stopped once she saw Ferus was glaring at her, along with Unicus, and she turned away from them to continue smiling.

"Bellator!" Gray screamed as she watched the aforementioned Pokemon struggle to his feet, slouching over in exhaustion. "I know you can do it, Bellator! Use Razor Shell!"

Nodding, the water type took off and grabbed his scalchop with his right hand, shooting into the air before spinning wildly.

"Evade it and knock Bellator's scalchop away!"

With one of the most impressive displays of athleticism anyone had seen, Watchog kicked Bellator in the arm, causing him to lose his grip on his scalchop, which hit the ground. Seeing his prized possession flounder around, Bellator attempted to dive after the weapon, but he was stopped when Watchog stepped on his tail and pinned him down.

"No!" Gray screamed as Bellator tried thrashing his way out of Watchog's grip.

"Now use Focus Blast!"

As Watchog put his hands together and generated a massive ball of yellow energy, Potens began smiling and started bouncing up and down, waiting for the normal type to deliver the final blow. Unicus caught a glimpse of the sick reaction from her teammate, and she nearly attacked, only to stop when she saw Watchog fire the devastating attack, which exploded on contact.

Gray stared in silence as the referee walked over to her Pokemon and raised his arms, signaling the end of the battle.

"Bellator is unable to continue! Gray, choose your final Pokemon!"

Running over to her fainted Pokemon, Gray picked Bellator up and smiled at him as he slowly opened his eyes with a disheartened look plastered on his face. However, he eased up on himself when he saw Gray smiling, and she placed him on the sidelines with White.

"Don't worry, Bellator, we're gonna win this. I promise," Gray vowed, extending her closed fist to the water type, who nodded in response before tapping his fist against Gray's.

Potens glared at her trainer as she made her way back to her trainer box, and she turned her attention to Bellator, who was covered in cuts and bruises.

"So, who's your last Pokemon, Gray?" Lenora asked tauntingly, wagging her finger at her challenger.

The eighteen year old slowly placed her hand on her third and final Pokeball, and ripped it off her belt with a determined look flashing in her eyes.

"You're all that's left, Furcifer!" she screamed, flinging the spherical device.

As soon as it opened, the Sneasel jumped out and landed on her feet in a crouching position. Slowly, as she looked up, Furcifer saw that she was facing off with none other than Watchog, the species she despised most above all others.

"Furcifer," Bellator muttered as he looked at the ice type standing in front of Gray. "Give 'em hell," he said, drawing a grin from the Johto Pokemon.

"Don't worry, I will," she replied with a mischievous smirk. "Gray, let's do this thing!" Furcifer roared, making Gray smirk and nod.

"Wow, this is quite the unpredictable group of Pokemon. Maybe the most unique lineup I've faced, but Watchog and I are going to win!"

"Chog!" the fully evolved Pokemon shrieked, glaring daggers at Furcifer, who snickered in response.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Watchog! Begin!"

"Watchog, let's end this with one blow! Use Focus Blast!" Lenora shouted, filled with confidence.

Sharing the same mentality as his trainer, Watchog placed his hands together and formed an enormous sphere of yellow energy, smirking the entire time. What he didn't realize was the look on Furcifer's face, who was still snickering.

"You know what to do, Furcifer! Feint Attack!" Gray shouted.

The ice and dark type continued snickering before disappearing into thin air, making Lenora curse under her breath as Watchog's Focus Blast attack struck the wall behind Gray. Then, reappearing, Furcifer slammed into Watchog while shrouded in black energy, and she knocked the normal type onto his back.

"Well, that was a lot stronger than I thought it'd be. Watchog, Super Fang!" Lenora commanded.

Watchog dashed forwards while a streak of light shot out his buckteeth and made a loud ringing noise. Sensing the strength of the attack, Gray knew she had to do something to keep her opponent from using his strongest tool.

"Furcifer, hurry and use Icy Wind on Watchog's tooth!" the eighteen year old shrieked.

Nodding, Furcifer rushed to release a frigid blast of wind that made Watchog's teeth so cold, he began shrieking in pain, holding the enormous chompers shooting out of his mouth.

"What!? Focus, Watchog!" Lenora screamed as her Pokemon continued crying in pain, holding his teeth.

"Now, while you have the chance, use Quick Attack and grab Watchog's tail!"

Furcifer bolted forwards as a streak of white light appeared behind her, and she grabbed Watchog's tail before traveling in a tight circular motion.

"What is she up to?" Lenora asked herself before seeing Furcifer was using Watchog's tail as a rope.

Before she could say anything, Lenora watched as Furcifer hogtied Watchog and stood over him victoriously while Unicus, Snivy, and White exploded with cheers for Gray's quick thinking and Furcifer's trolling.

"Freeze 'em with another Icy Wind, Furcifer!"

The Sneasel opened her mouth and released a freezing blast of wind that immediately froze Watchog into a block of ice, making Lenora and Potens gasp in shock while Bellator and Ferus smirked at one another.

"Finish this off with Quick Attack!"

Wasting no time, Furcifer pumped her legs as quickly as she could, bolting across the battlefield while a trail of white light appeared behind her body. Slamming into the frozen Pokemon, Furcifer sent Watchog flying past Lenora and into the wall behind her, cracking the ice instantly, and it revealed Watchog, whose eyes were closed.

"Watchog is unable to battle! That means Gray, Bellator, Unicus, and Furcifer are the winners!"

"We did it, Furcifer! Way to go!" Gray exclaimed as she ran over to her Pokemon and hugged her, resulting in cheers from everyone on the sidelines while Lenora clapped, impressed with her challenger's tactics.

"Impressive, young lady. Very impressive, indeed. As a sign of your victory here at the Nacrene Gym, here is the Basic Badge," the Gym Leader stated, handing Gray a small piece of metal in the shape of a rectangle.

The girl sweat dropped at the fitting name before bowing to Lenora along with Furcifer, and she then placed her second badge in her badge case. Nothing was going to stop her. At least, that's what she thought.

000

"I don't get why the boss has us looking in this stupid forest," a purple haired woman muttered as she shook her head. "He had Aliana check out that cave over by the Day Care Center, so is there more than one?"

"Who cares?" a blue haired woman inquired, making the other woman shrug. "As long as we do what he asks, and he doesn't get pissed, I don't care," she continued. "Honestly, Celosia, you just need to chill out a little."

The purple haired woman, Celosia, snickered at her blue haired counterpart's words before using her goggles to measure the power of all the Pokemon living in Pinwheel Forest. After seeing very low levels of strength, Celosia began licking her lips when she saw an enormous body of energy appear in the left corner of her goggles, prompting her to turn in that direction.

"Mable, something's coming this way," Celosia said to the blue haired woman. "Whatever it is, it's strong."

"I see it too. Boy, are you right. The boss is going to be so happy when we bring it to him!" Mable shouted, eagerly grabbing the lone Pokeball on her belt while Celosia did the same.

* * *

 **Gray just earned her second badge, and that's the conclusion of the Nacrene Arc! Hazah! Team Flare also appeared Next chapter will be the start of the Castelia Arc, and get ready for your socks to be rocked. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Who was the MVP of the battle?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Party in Pinwheel Forest"**_

 _ **With her second badge now in hand, Gray has her sites set on Castelia City. However, she and White are stopped by none other than Team Flare. Forced to take on both Mable and Celosia, Gray has her hands full. Will she be able to defeat them?**_

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 22: Mega Evolution Escapades**  
 **Chapter 23: Mega Battle 3: Charizard vs Ferus!**  
 **Chapter 24: Sandstorm Showdown: Unicus vs Boldore!**  
 **Chapter 25: Earning Respect**  
 **Chapter 26: It Takes Two to Tango  
Chapter 27: ****Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	21. Party in Pinwheel Forest

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Gray sweat dropping as Furcifer and Potens try to prank Unicus and another Pokemon while Bellator trains by himself)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray and White)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides)  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, people? Time for the start of the Castelia Arc (my personal favorite out of all of them) which will be setting up huge things to come right off the bat, which I'll get to in a second. Last chapter, Gray defeated Lenora with the help of Furcifer, and it ended with Celosia (purple hair) and Mable (blue hair) appearing in Pinwheel Forest, where they saw really high power levels. This chapter will be about Gray having a double battle against them, so there's some Flare action! Now let's get going!**

 **Guest:** _But wait, there's more! Lol. Seriously, though, she's going to start redeeming herself eventually, but it's going to be a while. Also I like the idea, and the plan was for something like that to happen, except it'd be her getting her ass kicked_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I read your last review too literally XD Bellator with that back-to-back MVP tho. And Flare is looking for the Swords of Justice for that reason, but whether they'll find them is the real question_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Wooh! Bellator might go down as the single greatest member of any of the teams (between Owen and Gray), especially if things keep going his way like they are right now. Flare is searching for them, though it's not Virizion that they found_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! I thought Furcifer was the MVP too, but others made a pretty solid case for Bellator. As for Potens, yes and no. I'm going to try elaborating on it in future chapters (within this arc, of course) to give you a better understanding of her reactions. I will hint by saying she won't act that way when everyone battles_

 **GuessWhoThisIs (guest):** _I'll give it a look, though I wouldn't want to rip-off the plot, no matter how good it is. And if I actually do end up writing another one, it'll be something I had planned to have Owen do after Unova (until Kalos became a thing)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _I love that we can all use that reasoning even though only two badges have been claimed. "Bellator did/earned this because he's Bellator" will rule throughout this entire story XD Potens is a stinky scrub, but she's going to show off her potential really soon_

 **FinLay Real:** _Recap hype! Haha. Don't feel bad about not having time (unless you don't. Don't pay any attention to what I say). I like writing Furcifer's battles the most, though having to come up with something new each time is going to be the death of me. Thanks, btw!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Seriously? My god. I never actually used one of them, so I'm going to stop talking to keep the very slim amount of self-esteem that I still have T-T Basic Badge, lol. As for Flare, they are searching for the Swords of Justice_

 **davidtheman23:** _I already said levels weren't going to be indicative of when they'd evolve, so just because Bellator's at 17 doesn't mean he's close to evolving. He will soon, yeah, but please try to read what I say in A/N's and responses. I also never said anything about the Driftveil Bridge, so I have no idea where you're getting that from. It's in an interesting idea, but that's not happening_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 18, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
Bellator, (m), level 20, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport* - (Oshawott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Gray, why do we have to keep traveling through here?" White whined, stomping on the ground repeatedly like a child.

The older girl rolled her eyes at her companion's reaction and remained silent, smiling at Unicus and Ferus as they walked by her sides. Despite getting up in the late afternoon and heading out even later, White, obviously, was frustrated with the lack of sleep. Gray, on the other hand, was able to get over it, given the fact that she had been traveling for nearly three years and had far too much experience with sleep deprivation.

"Would you please just answer me? I promise I won't ask another question! I swear on Snivy's life!"

"Wow wow wow, slow down there. I'm too young to die," the grass snake announced, making White fume while Gray and her two Pokemon laughed.

As they continued walking down the paved road - which was odd, considering they were in the middle of a forest - Gray and White looked around, eyeing all of the wild creatures passing by. A group of strange caterpillars wearing leaf headdresses swung from tree to tree while using String Shot, and Unicus began rolling after them, amazed with the unfamiliar Pokemon.

"Hey, maybe you should catch one of those things!" the ground type exclaimed, rolling back to Gray's side with an eager grin. Her trainer didn't share the enthusiasm, however. "Come on! I don't like Furcifer, Potens is a jerk, and Bellator doesn't talk! You NEED to catch another Pokemon!" Unicus exclaimed, stomping as she did so, which made Gray laugh along with Ferus and Snivy.

White, however, continued looking around uneasily, grinding her teeth. Looking at all of the Sewaddle swinging around the trees with String Shot attacks, she screamed at the top of her lungs when one of them landed on the ground in front of her, making Gray jump in shock while Ferus sprung forward and looked ready to kill the Pokemon, until he realized the petrified expression on the wild bug type's face.

"White, relax. This thing's harmless," Ferus stated, turning his translator off to tell the bug type that it could leave.

The sixteen year old, who was panting wildly, shook her head and glared at Ferus until she noticed everyone else, including all of the wild Pokemon, was staring at her. Sweat dropping, White hung her head and sighed.

"Sorry. It's just… I hate bugs," she muttered, making Gray crack a smile along with Unicus and Snivy. "Don't you dare laugh, Gray!" she shouted angrily, wiping the smile off her mentor's face.

"So how much longer do you think we're going to be in Pinwheel?" Snivy quizzed as she looked at both of the girls, who shrugged before Gray took out her Pokedex and opened the GPS app. "To be honest, I don't want to spend a lot of time in here, either," she announced, prompting White to rub her head as a means of comforting the grass type.

"According to the Pokedex, about another four hours," Gray replied, cursing under her breath afterwards while Ferus and Unicus began talking to one another without their translators, laughing together. They suddenly stopped and began looking around, drawing the attention of not only their trainer, but White and Snivy, too.

"What's wrong, guys?" Gray inquired.

As if on cue, all of the Sewaddle and Veinpede began traveling back towards Nacrene City at the speed of light, confusing the two brunettes as they looked at their Pokemon. Ferus immediately stepped forwards and started to growl lowly while Bellator, Furcifer, and Potens' Pokeballs cracked open. Each of the three looked around and Furcifer seemed intimidated while Potens and Bellator looked ready to fight.

"Snivy, why are all of the Pokemon running away?" White whispered to her starter, who began growling slightly.

"Something's coming this way," Ferus announced, snarling as he did so.

White froze up immediately and began backing away while Gray smirked and stepped forwards, standing right next to Ferus while Unicus, Bellator, and Potens prepared to fight. Furcifer, on the other hand, joined White and Snivy.

Once they settled down, the girl watched as two women appeared further down the road in obnoxious red suits with goggles on, making Ferus snarl much more aggressively than he had earlier, remembering Aliana had worn a very similar suit. The two women had very different expressions, the one with blue hair keeping a straight face while the one with purple hair began psychotically licking her lips.

"They look a lot like Aliana," White said to Gray, who nodded and sensed something was off, making her Pokemon step forwards defensively, including Potens while Bellator tactically moved so that he was standing behind Ferus, readying himself to deliver a sneak-attack.

"That's the one the power monitor was reading," the blue haired woman said to her counterpart, pointing at Ferus, who continued snarling. "You're the girl Aliana told us about - the one with the Mega Houndoom."

Gray didn't reply to the blue haired woman's announcement, instead eyeing the purple haired woman who continued licking her lips.

"We're going to make sure you don't interfere with any of our plans again. Manectric, go!" the purple haired woman screamed, hurling a Pokeball.

"And don't think you're the only one with a Houndoom. Come on out!" the blue haired woman boomed.

In two bursts of light, a Manectric and Houndoom appeared in front of the two women and eyed Gray's Pokemon intently. Ferus stepped forwards right away, knowing full well there was no chance the others had a chance at competing with the women's Pokemon. Surprisingly, Potens flew forwards and looked ready to combat the stronger creatures, catching Gray off guard before she grinned and nodded at the dragon type.

"I may not know who you are, or what you want, but you're not going to beat me," the Kantonian stated cooly. "Ferus, use Flamethrower! Potens, help him out with Gust!"

The two Pokemon obeyed their commands, and Ferus reared his head back before unleashing a wicked wave of flames that closed in on the purple haired woman's Manectric within nanoseconds. Potens, meanwhile, shot into the air and began whipping her wings as fast as she could, speeding up Ferus' Flamethrower while also cutting the blue woman's Houndoom, who grunted in pain. Because of the increased velocity of the Flamethrower attack, Manectric was unable to get out of the way in time, and he was blasted through the air before landing on his feet, smirking at his foes.

"Well, she certainly didn't understate that one," the purple haired woman said, smirking at Ferus, who continued snarling.

"Celosia, would you please just focus and stick to the plan?" the blue haired woman asked rhetorically.

"Sorry, Mable. Or should I say Mom?" Celosia shot back, glaring at Mable while Gray turned to White and sweat dropped at the interaction between the two women. "Now, Manectric, use Shock Wave!"

"And use Flamethrower, Houndoom!"

Manectric let out a powerful roar before unleashing a neon blue jolt of electricity that was headed right at Ferus, who lowered himself to the ground and prepared to jump out of the way. Meanwhile, Mable's Houndoom shot a wave of red fire at Potens, who narrowed her eyes and stuck her wings out to her sides.

"Potens, dodge it and use Agility! Ferus, get out of the way and use Iron Tail on Manectric!"

The usually disobedient Noibat flapped her wings as hard as she could and shot into the air, just barely dodging the Flamethrower attack while Ferus bounded to his right and evaded the Shock Wave attack. However, the blue bolt of lightning followed him even as he jumped in the air and began spinning like a wheel. Seeing that Ferus was unaware of the incoming attack, Potens zipped towards him and acted as a shield taking the brunt of the attack as she cried out in pain, making Gray and the others gasp in shock. Celosia and Mable smirked maniacally as Potens fell to the ground lifelessly, but they stopped when Ferus smashed his tail over Manectric's head.

All of a sudden, Bellator dashed forwards and caught Potens before she could fall, displaying incredible speed before he ran back to Gray's side and handed the downed Noibat over to her.

"Thank you, Bellator. Potens, you were amazing. Thank you so much," the brunette whispered to the unconscious Pokemon, zapping her back into her Pokeball.

"Ferus, let's do this thing," Bellator said to his fire type friend, who nodded in response before looking back at Potens' Pokeball and smiling.

"Right. Let's do it for Potens!"

000

"Do you really think she already left for Castelia City?" Arcanine asked Noah as they reached the entrance to Pinwheel Forest. "Why don't you just call her? That'd make this whole Gray hunt so much easier."

Noah laughed at his Pokemon's comments and rubbed the fire type's head before turning to look around the beautiful forest. The trees overhead blocked most of the sunlight, though there were some beams that managed to pierce through and shine down on the paved road the teen and his Pokemon were walking along.

"Unova sure is nice and peaceful for such an urban place," Noah said aloud, drawing a nod from Arcanine as the two smiled at the beauty of the forest.

They stopped, however, when waves of Sewaddle flew through the trees and hid right near the entrance of the forest while even more Venipede slithered towards Noah and Arcanine.

"What's going on? Why are all of these Pokemon so scared?" Noah inquired, only to be answered by an explosion appearing in the distance, creating a colossal cloud of smoke. "Arcanine, let's go check it out."

000

"Now use another Thunderbolt on that Oshawott, Manectric!"

"Not a chance! Ferus, get in front of it and use Flamethrower! Bellator, hop onto his back and then use Water Gun on Houndoom!"

The incredible teamwork of Ferus and Bellator, which confused Gray to no end, easily trumped the sheer strength of Mable and Celosia's Pokemon. As soon as Manectric unleashed a zigzagging bolt of electricity, Ferus sprinted and stood in front of Bellator, shooting a wave of fire out of his mouth. The attacks collided and exploded instantly, and Bellator hopped onto Ferus' back, using it as a launching pad, and he shot a blast of water at Houndoom, striking the fire type and pushing him back.

Both Mable and Celosia looked at one another before flipping a switch on their goggles to examine the power levels of their opponents, and they gasped in shock immediately, which stunned Gray, Ferus, and Bellator.

"This is unreal," Mable whispered in awe as she saw an enormous body of blue aura surrounding Bellator, who eyed his foes intently. The same exact aura surrounding Gray, too, while a much smaller - though still significant - wave of red surrounded Ferus.

"Yeah, I want that one for myself," Celosia replied, licking her lips once again. "Houndoom, use Dark Pulse on Oshawott!"

"Help out by using Quick Attack on that Houndoom, Manectric!"

Both Pokemon obeyed their evil trainers, as Houndoom fired a spiraling ray of black and purple energy while Manectric bolted forwards and slammed into Ferus, sending him rolling along the ground. Bellator turned around to check on Ferus, ignoring the Dark Pulse attack that was about to crush him. Gray, however, acted without thinking and ran forwards.

"Bellator, look out!" she screamed, diving to protect her Pokemon.

Everyone watched as Gray grabbed Bellator and turned so that she took the full force of Houndoom's Dark Pulse, which exploded on contact and launched her several yards back while she still held on to Bellator.

"Gray! Gray!" White hollered, sprinting over to the injured girl's side.

"Gray, are you okay!?" Unicus shrieked, shaking her trainer by grabbing her shoulders.

Slowly opening her eyes, Gray smiled at Unicus and nodded before turning her attention to Bellator, who was staring at her in concern along with Snivy, White, and Furcifer.

"Bellator, did you get hurt?" Gray quizzed, taking the Oshawott back before he shook his head and turned to face Celosia and Mable, who were battling Ferus, who was overwhelmed by having to deal with two opponents.

A sudden wave of rage swept over the water type's body and he growled lowly, catching the attention of his teammates and Snivy while White tended to Gray, who was clearly injured.

"You'll both pay," Bellator proclaimed, pointing his scalchop at the two women right after Ferus was knocked back by another Quick Attack from Manectric. "You're not getting away with this!"

Shocked by the rage in his voice, everyone, including Gray, stared as Bellator threw his head towards the sky and began screaming as he was engulfed in a blinding coat of white light. Slowly, the otter began to transform, and once the light faded, a different Pokemon stood in his place.

All of his fur was sky blue and there was a strange, dark blue set of fur beneath his stomach, and there were two scalchops on his thighs. Two white whiskers on both sides of his face stuck out, and there was also a tip of blew hair at the very top of his head.

White immediately took out her Pokedex and scanned the transformed Pokemon, who continued standing still, glaring daggers at both of the Flare admins.

"Dewott, the Discipline Pokemon, and the evolved form of Oshawott. As a result of strict training, each Dewott learns different forms for using the scalchops."

"Bellator… evolved?" Gray whispered to herself, shocked by the transformation. "Heh," she chuckled, rising to her feet with the help of white. "Bellator," Gray called, making the starter Pokemon turn around. "Let's do this together," the girl said with a smile as she extended her fist.

Staring his trainer in the eye for a few seconds, Bellator slowly cracked a grin and nodded, extending his hand and fist bumping Gray.

"Oh, well isn't that sweet. Too bad we have to kill you," Celosia said to Gray, licking her lips. "Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

"Manectric, Thunderbolt!"

"Ferus, cancel those out with Flamethrower! Bellator, use a full power Water Gun!"

While Houndoom and Manectric fired their attacks, which combined and closed in on Ferus and Bellator, the latter two nodded at one another before charging their attacks. Ferus threw his head forwards and shot a blast of red and orange flames at the combined attacks while Bellator formed a massive ball of water in-between his hands with a confident smirk, confusing Gray and White.

"That's Water Pulse! Bellator can use Water Pulse now!" Snivy shouted in excitement, making Gray smile softly as she stared at the newly evolved creature.

Hurling the ball of water, Bellator watched as Ferus' Flamethrower wrapped around his attack and crashed through the Flamethrower and Thunderbolt combination.

The wicked move then struck Mable's Houndoom and knocked it out cold, leaving Celosia and her Manectric.

"Return, Houndoom," Mable muttered, disappointed by the fact that she had lost. "Be careful, Celosia. We don't want to overdo things."

The purple haired woman nodded and nodded at her Manectric, who stepped back and seemed to be signaling to Gray and her Pokemon that he wasn't going to continue battling. Despite waving the white flag, Bellator charged and grabbed both of his scalchops and sprung into the air as everything went into slow-motion.

 _"You're not going to get away with hurting her. I won't let that happen, no matter who you are, or how strong you may be. I will kill you!"_ Bellator thought to himself in a blind fit of rage, spinning wildly as he prepared to slash Manectric _._

"Thunderbolt!"

Before he could do anything, Bellator was zapped into oblivion and launched through the air, making Gray gasp while Ferus began sprinting after his friend to catch him. Much to his dismay, Ferus realized there was no chance of catching the Dewott, but that didn't matter.

A large, orange blur soared through the air and caught Bellator before bolting back to Gray. After taking her injured Pokemon off the creature's back, Gray flinched, worrying White, Snivy, Unicus, and Furcifer.

"What's wrong? Should I freeze this guy?" Furcifer inquired as she stood in front of her trainer defensively.

"No, why don't you just contaminate their food?" Unicus hissed, making Furcifer hang her head, knowing there was no point in arguing her innocence.

"Don't worry, we're friends," Gray said, petting the Pokemon standing before her while Ferus continued to keep an eye on the two women in red.

Unicus, Snivy, Furcifer, and White gave each other looks of confusion before watching Gray turn around as the unfamiliar Pokemon ran past her.

The large dog stopped when he saw a boy who was running with a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Long time no see," Gray said with a grin as soon as the boy stood by his Pokemon's side, drawing a nod from the duo.

"We'd love to stick around for this little reunion, but I'd rather eat some vomit," Celosia joked, withdrawing her Manectric before throwing a smoke bomb along with Mable, disappearing immediately.

"Damn! How the hell did they get away!?" Ferus screamed, turning to look at Gray until he noticed none other than Noah and Arcanine standing by her side. "When did you two get here?" he questioned, eyeing the four legged creature he had lost to back in Lumiose City.

"You watched me save Dewott," Arcanine shot back with a slick grin. "Man, you're already going blind."

The two fire types laughed and began conversing until White and Gray's Pokemon cleared their throats, waiting to be introduced to the duo they had never met.

Sweat dropping in embarrassment, Gray turned so that she was facing everyone and looked at all of them before pointing.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Noah and Arcanine. We were actually in the same grade school class," Gray announced. "Plus, he competed in the Kalos League last year. And guys, that's Unicus, Bellator and, Furcifer. I have another Pokemon, but she fainted battling those two women."

"Oh, nice to meet you all!" Noah greeted, drawing excited responses from Unicus and Furcifer while Bellator nodded at him, shifting his attention to Arcanine, who he bowed to thankfully.

"And that's White and Snivy, who's her first Pokemon. I met them when I got here and we've been traveling together."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Noah," White said, shaking the boy's hand. "So what brings you here to Unova?" she inquired, making the boy freeze up for a second before laughing.

"Uh, I figured I'd take a break from training and see the world. Right, Arcanine?" Noah asked, drawing a nod from his starter. "Where are you guys headed to?"

Gray and White looked at one another before nodding to confirm that they were, in fact, thinking of the same response.

"Castelia City. You can tag along if you want," Gray proposed, making Noah blush slightly as he nodded. "Great! While you two talk, I'm going to make a call really quickly. Sound good?" the Kantonian quizzed while looking at both Noah and White, who nodded and began talking to one another.

Walking away from her friends and Pokemon, Gray dialed a number she was incredible familiar with, though one scarcely used, and she brought her Pokedex up to her face. After a few seconds of waiting, the person on the other end picked up, and her face appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Tara, I was just checking in to let you know we're on our way," the brunette announced. "We just got out of Pinwheel Forest and are supposed to get to Castelia by tonight, so I'll call you tomorrow. See ya!"

With that, she ended the call as quickly as she had started it, not wanting her friend to be able to ask about how she managed to get to Unova and why she was coming. However, while putting her Pokedex in her backpack, a strange feeling settled in Gray's stomach, and she looked over at Ferus.

 _"I feel like something big's about to happen. But what is it?"_

000

"What do you mean? How did you lose to her when there were two of you?" a harsh voice interrogated on the other end of the call. "Jesus, you two and Aliana can't do anything, can you?"

Celosia and Mable glanced at one another and sighed in depression.

"No. No we can't," they muttered in unison, almost as if they had rehearsed the response.

The person on the other hand laughed and began clapping at the answer, making the two women smile before they turned the call into a video chat. The person they were talking to was a woman who had a very similar outfit, and her hair was green. A pair of green goggles were on her face and she also had green lipstick on.

"Alright, that was good. What do you need me to do?" the green haired woman asked, making Celosia and Mable look at each other before turning back to the screen.

"Well, we need to give you some insight before we tell you about what you have to do," Mable said, drawing a nod from the woman. "First, she has a Houndoom that can Mega Evolve. Even when it doesn't, it's still really strong. Strong enough to hold its own against Houndoom and Manectric at the same time."

The woman on the other end recoiled in response to the information.

"That's not all, Bryony. She has a Pokemon that, we know for a fact, is going to be stronger than that Houndoom, so we need you to get rid of her," Celosia said, licking her lips with a wicked smile after finished her sentence.

"It's a Dewott. We've never seen power levels like it, and the girl had the same aura surrounding her. That thing is special," Mable informed her ally.

Bryony chuckled at the statement and turned to her Bisharp, who began cracking its knuckles confidently.

"No matter. We'll get rid of her and that Dewott before they can become anything."

* * *

 **Dayum! Lots of stuff happened, so here we go. Potens actually listened to Gray when she battled against Mable and Celosia, but that won't be carrying over. It will be explained later in this arc, or sometime in the next. Then, Bellator evolved when Gray shielded him from a Dark Pulse attack, and he's going to be even more of a beast. After that, Noah and Arcanine appeared and they'll be sticking around! Lastly, it was revealed that BELLATOR was the one with the insane power levels, and not Ferus (or Gigalith)! However, Bryony's going to try and kill Gray before she can unlock Bellator's potential, which is going to be epic. Next chapter will be the return of Chase and Tara, and that's really it.** **Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Evolution Escapades"**_

 _ **Now in Castelia City, the gang runs into a pair of familiar faces in Chase and Tara! After catching up, a double battle consisting of Mega Evolution, and Arcanine, ensues! How will Gray's new traveling partners mesh with the originals? Will Gray and Noah be able to defeat Chase and Tara despite lacking Mega Evolution?**_

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 23: Mega Battle 3: Charizard vs Ferus!**  
 **Chapter 24: Sandstorm Showdown: Unicus vs Boldore!**  
 **Chapter 25: Earning Respect**  
 **Chapter 26: It Takes Two to Tango  
Chapter 27: ****Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	22. Mega Evolution Escapades

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer battling a Malamar and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle a Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Salutations, readers! A lot of stuff went down last chapter, so here's what happened. Mable and Celosia had a double battle against Gray, who used Potens (she fainted), Ferus, and Bellator. Bellator then evolved when Gray protected him from a Dark Pulse attack, and Noah and Arcanine finally found Gray after the Flare admins surrendered before fleeing. This chapter will be a throwback to PKA:ANG with the return of Chase and Tara, so let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _I actually put you name as Warrior of Hype XD Oh god, hahaha. Noah and Arcanine are back and better than ever, and they'll actually be battling some Flare people (grunts or admins. I'm not sure, atm), and others_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _New word hype! Flare's definitely not messing around, and they'll be resurfacing pretty soon. And of course they won't kill Gray... they'll just kill someone else (maybe). It'll be a little while before he does, but there's going to be a massive teaser about him coming up. Noah's going to travel with Gray and White throughout the story, so yay! No need to worry, btw. Mega Houndoom will make as many appearances as he can without being overkill_

 **Defender31415:** _Oh, it'll be way over 9000, though not during the next time Gray runs into them. She's definitely in their crosshairs, and will continue to be their top target going forward (if you could call her that right now). And I can't wait for Chase and Tara to return, too! It's a nice throwback to PKA:ANG_

 **Red-Robin Yummmm (guest):** _At no point was an egg mentioned, nor do I see how either of the two choices are redundant. And I never said there would be a new story. If there is, Gray won't be catching any Pokemon, that much is certain_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I know what he meant, but I don't like doing that. It still feels like copying, at least to me. GrayxNoah still isn't decided, there are way too many variables to determine whether or not I'll make it, though I should have a clearer vision later. And yeah, it's next chapter!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks! And Chase and Tara aren't traveling with her. That'd be way too many people with how little has gone in (relative to the entire story), though don't count out a few people not named Chase and Tara to tag along for extended periods_

 **FinLay Real:** _Wooh! Two year anniversary! That was probably the most action-packed chapter I'll be writing for a while, and Flare's plans are very thought out. There are a few issues I have to iron out, but everything's good aside from that. Also, GrayxNoah won't be decided upon for a very long time_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Wooh! Intensity! I think there'll be another chapter or two that are pretty intense this arc, so that's just the beginning. Potens is very confusing, but some of her issues will be sorted out soon. As for her personality, well, I don't want to get into that yet ;) Bellator's evolution will be massive in the near future_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Flare hype! You'll be seeing a LOT more of them this arc, and Gray's going to have her hands full with the scientists. Bellator's potential will start shining through really soon, too, but I'm going to keep him out of the spotlight because that's one of the things I wish I could've changed about PKA:ANG with it being the Fortis show. And I really need to work on how I word things in the previews XD Mega Audino (though originally supposed to appear) won't be happening_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 18, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 23, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Gray! Please, slow down!" Noah begged as he and White chased after her while also trying to avoid running over people that were flying up and down the streets of Castelia City.

Gray, however, didn't hear the pleas and continued sprinting along with Unicus, the latter of whom had no idea why her trainer was so excited. Despite her lack of information, Unicus was strangely excited, as she sensed something exciting was looming. Her trainer, meanwhile, had a gigantic smile plastered on her face, and she took a sharp turn down another street.

"How the hell does she run so fast?" Arcanine asked through breaths, struggling to keep up with the brunette. "I don't think that's humanely possible!" he shouted, drawing laughs from White and Snivy, who had never seen Gray in such a mood.

Noah groaned and he, along with the rookie trainer and their starters, turned down the same street Gray and Unicus had, and they spotted the eighteen year old standing in front of a large sign, tapping her foot impatiently while her arms were folded over her chest. Unicus, looking up at Gray, did the same thing, which made her trainer laugh and ease up.

"So, Gray, why are you so excited?" the Sandshrew inquired, looking up at her trainer with a smile.

Picking the creature up and holding her in her arms, Gray smiled back and patted Unicus on the head while Ferus erupted from his Pokeball, looking around at the bustling population of suits barreling down the streets with no regard for anything.

"Well, I'm going to be meeting up with some friends that I haven't seen in over a year," Gray said, making Unicus jump out of her trainer's arms and cheer next to Ferus, who sweat dropped at the ground type's excitement while Gray giggled and watched.

Gray stopped watching Unicus, however, when she felt a strange presence walk by. Looking at the person emitting the odd aura, Gray noticed a young man glance to his right subtly, locking eyes with her. Everything seemed to stop for a second, and it almost seemed as if they were battling each other. The passerby turned his attention away from Gray, but the girl noticed he seemed to be fighting the urge to look back at her.

"I swear, sometimes I think she's doing this to screw with me," White said, snapping Gray out of her staring contest. "Oh, there she is! Gray, we've been trying to talk to you for the past minute!" the younger girl yelled, making her mentor sweat drop as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, I thought I saw someone familiar."

Hearing Gray's words, Noah and Arcanine's ears perked up, their interest piqued.

"Really? Who was it?" they asked in unison.

Gray shrugged and laughed, making everyone else laugh. Once they stopped, Gray cleared her throat and looked to her left and down a long road that led to a campus, which she stared at with wide eyes.

"Come on. Let's hurry up."

000

After making their way down the road and arriving at the recreational center, Gray, Noah, and White sat around on the benches while waiting for a pair of people the latter two had never met, which made them ask dozens of questions.

"So you traveled with them through Kanto?" White quizzed, drawing a nod from the older girl, who looked up at the clear blue sky and smiled, picturing all of the good times she had with Chase and Tara.

"That's right. When I moved to Saffron City, Chase was one of my first friends," the brunette stated, causing Noah to narrow his eyes while Arcanine chuckled at his trainer's reaction. "And Tara was a member of some group called Team Purity, but she turned things around and joined us."

White gasped at the second statement and recoiled violently, launching Snivy off her shoulder. After hitting the ground face first, the grass snake got back on her feet and stared daggers at her trainer before demanding an explanation.

"What was that for, White!?" Snivy interrogated as White pointed at Gray, who raised her eyebrows and looked at the younger trainer in confusion.

"You're the one who stopped them, right?"

Gray shrugged, though Ferus nodded, making White shoot up to her feet and bring her hands to her face.

"That's amazing! I'm traveling with a national hero! How'd you do it? What was it like? When did you know you had to stop them? I have so many questions!" the younger brunette screamed as she moved her face to within an inch of Gray's, making the girl sweat drop while Ferus wagged his tail, happy to answer the questions.

Before he could, a crowd of footsteps echoed in the air, making the trio of trainers and their Pokemon turn.

Walking their way were a boy and girl that looked to be the same age as Gray and Noah. An Audino and Musharna were by the boy's side while a Scizor walked in stride with the girl. The two teens had enormous smiles stretching across their faces as they made their way over to Gray, who immediately ran towards them with her arms extended out to her sides.

"Chase! Tara!" the Kantonian shouted, embracing the two while White and Noah stayed back with their Pokemon, Unicus, and Ferus. "It's been such a long time! How have you guys been?" Gray inquired with a huge smile before gasping. "Wait, that's a Scizor! Scyther-"

"Evolved, yeah," Tara replied, turning to smile at her Pokemon, who nodded with a straight face. "He's been training really hard ever since we arrived in Unova," the blonde continued. "But how about you? We watched the Silver Conference and your Pokemon were so great!" she exclaimed before taking out her Pokedex, tapping it wildly.

Chase nodded in agreement, drawing Gray's attention.

"It's true. We actually got noise complaints from neighbors for screaming so loud during your battles," he informed his childhood friend, who laughed and blushed at the idea of both Chase and Tara screaming at a TV. "And that Houndoom, man that thing was really strong!"

Hearing the compliment, Ferus sauntered over to Gray's side and sat down, cracking a grin as he nodded at Chase, who gasped in shock before regaining his composure. The girls and their Pokemon laughed at the med student's reaction until Gray turned and motioned for her current traveling partners to join the conversation, and Tara checked her Pokedex when it rang. Smiling, she put the device away and glanced at Chase, nodding at him before doing the same to Scizor.

Both Noah and White walked over to Gray's side, Arcanine next to Noah and Snivy on White's shoulder, along with Unicus, who rolled past them and stood in front of Gray.

"Chase, Tara, these are my friends, Noah and White. Guys, these are also my friends, Chase and Tara," Gray said, turning to both parties.

"It's nice to meet you," Noah and White said, bowing to Gray's original traveling companions.

"Likewise," Tara and Chase replied, bowing back along with their Pokemon.

"What about us?" Unicus shouted, stomping in frustration.

Everyone laughed at the ground type's childish behavior until Gray reached for the capsules on her belt and enlarged them.

"Right. Come on out, guys!" Gray cried, hurling the three Pokeballs in the air.

After each reached its apex, the Pokeballs opened and Bellator, Furcifer, and Potens materialized in front of their trainer. Eyeing Tara, Chase, and their Pokemon, Gray's three Unova captures had incredibly different reactions.

Bellator bowed to the large group, Furcifer waved with a huge smile, and Potens scowled before turning her back to the group, making Gray sweat drop while Chase and Tara laughed.

"Hey, I'll let out Tympole, too!" White exclaimed, releasing her first capture from his Pokeball.

As soon as he appeared, Tympole looked around and let out a terrified scream before hopping away. While White deadpanned, Snivy and Bellator nodded at each other and followed Tympole in an attempt to calm him down.

"That's quite the interesting group you have, Gray," Audino said, chuckling as she did so. "So when did you get here? I mean, in Unova," Chase's starter inquired, eyeing the girl she had traveled across Kanto with.

Gray began counting on her fingers and looked up at the sky while Unicus did the same while White shook her head and spoke up.

"About two months ago," the Unovan stated, still shaking her head while Snivy laughed at Gray's inability to keep track of time. "Time's really flown by, if I think about it. It doesn't seem like I've been on the road that long."

"That's what it's always like," Noah said, drawing a nod from Arcanine. "I didn't travel with anyone other than my Pokemon when I was in Kalos, but it felt like our entire journey was over in the blink of an eye," he continued.

"You competed in the Kalos League?" Scizor inquired.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Arcanine quizzed as the red bug smirked.

"How about we battle?" the bug and steel type suggested, making Arcanine wag his tail excitedly.

Before he could answer, Ferus stepped forwards with a stern look on his face, grabbing everyone's attention as he spoke.

"Wait just a second, I'm going to battle too," the Houndoom proclaimed, shifting his gaze between both Arcanine and Scizor, who glanced at each other, not knowing how to deny Ferus' orders.

"Well, if you want to, then Scizor and I will take you and Arcanine on in a double battle," Audino stated as she stepped forwards and stood next to Scizor, prompting Arcanine and Ferus to move closer to each other while grinning at their opponents.

While the teams set themselves up on the battlefield, with White acting as the referee, an unfamiliar duo appeared at the other end of the courtyard full of battlefields. The two glanced at each and remained silent, watching the battle intently.

Back at the battlefield, White and Snivy, along with the rest of Gray's Pokemon and Tympole, stood off to the side. Raising her arms, White looked at the two teams and began speaking.

"This will be a double battle between the team of Arcanine and Ferus, and the team of Scizor and Audino! The battle will be over when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Gray and Noah, you have the first move!" the rookie announced.

"Tara, let's kick this up a notch," Scizor said to his trainer, who shook her head while laughing at the fiery personality of her Pokemon.

Placing her hand over her Mega Bracelet, Tara closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them.

"Scizor, let our hearts synchronize! Now, Mega Evolve!"

The bug type's necklace, which had Scizorite attached to it, began emitting golden beams of light, and so did Tara's Mega Bracelet. Once the beams of light connected, Scizor began transforming, and his limbs started to look more robotic and had no joints. His claws also looked like two hacksaw blades. His bright red body turned a much duller color and there were two, aqua blue circles at the start of the opening in Scizor's claws.

Noah cursed under his breath as soon as the transformation ceased, but he stopped when Gray began laughing under her breath, confusing him and Arcanine.

"You're not the only one with Mega Evolution, Tara!" Gray yelled to her friend, who nodded, knowing what Ferus was capable of, having watched the Silver Conference. "Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

Throwing his head straight up, Ferus let out a fearsome roar while the stone encased in the metal sleeve on his neck began illuminating. Noah and Arcanine gasped in shock as Ferus was engulfed in a pink egg of energy before it shattered and a rainbow colored double helix appeared over the fire type's head.

His new physique was far more intimidating than when he was in his normal form, though Scizor seemed more excited than scared, despite the fact that he was at a type disadvantage. Audino and Arcanine, meanwhile, were staring at their Mega Evolved opponents in shock, not knowing how they were going to be able to compete.

"Let's do this, Arcanine," Ferus said to his teammate, who nodded in response before turning to Noah and nodding at him, prompting the teen to issue the first command of the battle.

"Arcanine, start off by using Flamethrower on Scizor!"

Obeying his command, Arcanine reared his head back before unleashing a wicked wave of orange flames from his mouth, which zipped across the battlefield and closed in on Scizor in a matter of nanoseconds.

"Ferus, use Iron Tail on Audino!"

The Mega Evolved fire type let out a mighty howl and bounded across the battlefield while his tail began to glow silver. Springing into the air, he began spinning like a wheel at an insane speed, adding even more power to his already devastating attack. However, Tara's quick thinking allowed her to prevent Audino from being struck.

"Evade Flamethrower and intercept Iron Tail with Bullet Punch!" she screamed, throwing her right arm out to her side.

Scizor managed to speed away from the super effective attack Arcanine had sent his way, and then his jagged right claw began glowing silver as he sped towards Ferus. Before the dark type could clobber Audino, Scizor hurled his claw forwards and blocked the steel type attack, causing an explosion and creating a cloud of smoke that blinded all four combatants and their trainers.

"Audino, use Double Edge on Ferus while you have the chance!" Chase shouted once the smoke dissipated.

The normal type grunted and took off while she was encapsulated in a coat of white light, and Ferus' eyes went wide as he was caught off guard by Chase's aggressive command. Luckily for him, Ferus heard Noah's voice cut through the air, and Arcanine reacted instantly.

"Collide with Audino by using Extremespeed!" the eighteen year old barked.

In the blink of an eye, Arcanine rammed into Audino and easily overpowered her, slamming the pink Pokemon into the ground at a blinding speed. Audino cried out in pain immediately, and both Chase and Tara eyed Arcanine cautiously, having been unaware of the fire type's strength prior to the battle. Seizing the opportunity created by Noah and Arcanine, Gray hurled her open hand towards her friends with a grin.

"Separate them by using Fire Fang on Scizor, Ferus!" she commanded.

Ferus obeyed his command and reached mach speed while his mouth began surging with flames. Lunging at his Mega Evolved target, Ferus chomped down on Scizor's head and a mini explosion ensued due to the sudden rush of flames colliding with the bug type's body. Bouncing along the battlefield, Scizor somehow managed to spin and skid on his feet, presenting Tara with the perfect chance to change the tide of the battle.

"Hang in there and retaliate with Venoshock!" the blonde roared.

Scizor opened both of his claws and launched two globs of poison at Ferus, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack, resulting in him being struck and launched through the air. As soon as the fire type hit the ground, Chase stomped on the ground and punched his arm straight into the air excitedly.

"Follow that up with Mega Punch!"

Audino grinned as her fist began to glow light blue, and she charged towards Ferus, who was shaking his head as he rose to his feet effortlessly. He was caught off guard by Chase's Pokemon once again, but, for a second time, Noah and Arcanine came to the rescue, impressing the unknown duo standing across the courtyard.

"Hurry and use Bulldoze to slow Audino down!"

Slamming his front paws against the ground, Arcanine sent a wave of energy along the battlefield and it slammed into Audino, launching her back while a ring of blue energy spun around her body. Once it disappeared, the bipedal Pokemon moved at a sluggish pace, drawing several swears from Chase.

"Now hit her with Feint Attack!"

Chase and Tara, who had been checking on Audino, snapped their attention back to the ongoing battle only to see Ferus jump and descend like a rocket as he was shrouded in black aura. Smashing into his target, Ferus bolted back to his half of the battlefield and nodded at Arcanine, Noah, and Gray, all of whom nodded back before refocusing on their opponents.

"Scizor, use Night Slash on Arcanine!"

"Audino, stay strong and use Disarming Voice on Ferus!"

While Scizor's claws began to turn black, Audino started to hum loudly while being shrouded in pink aura. Then, the Mega Evolved Pokemon opened his claws and fired blasts of black energy at Arcanine while his teammate fired a beam of pink light at Ferus. With the attacks criss-crossing, Ferus and Arcanine were too confused to avoid either attack, resulting in them being crushed. However, due to them being at such higher levels than Audino and Scizor, who were panting in exhaustion while the fire types just seemed to be getting started.

"Gray, let's wrap this up!" Noah shouted to his teammate, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"Flamethrower!" the teens screamed in unison, pointing at their opponents.

Ferus and Arcanine unleashed absurd blasts of fire, but it was obvious that Ferus' attack was much stronger. The blue and orange flames began to twist as they closed in on Chase and Tara's Pokemon, and the two were charred to a crisp.

The spectators, who maintained their distance, eyed Ferus intently, impressed by the dark type's strength as he stood imposingly in front of Gray.

Once the flames of the combined Flamethrower attack ceased, everyone saw that Scizor and Audino were down for the count, prompting White to raise her arms in the air while running on to the battlefield.

"Audino and Scizor are unable to battle! The winners are Gray, Noah, Ferus, and Arcanine!" the sixteen year old announced, resulting in cheers from Unicus and Snivy while Bellator kept to himself, staring at Ferus in amazement despite keeping a neutral expression on his face. Furcifer clapped on her own and Potens, though interested, tried acting as if she hadn't paid any attention. Tympole, meanwhile, stared at Ferus and Arcanine with wide eyes and turned to Snivy, who was smiling at him. Scared by the reaction, Tympole trembled and hopped away, making Snivy deadpan.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Gray crouched next to Ferus while rubbing his head. She smiled at the fire type until noticing Chase and Tara walk her way with Audino and Scizor by their sides. Both Pokemon, though barely conscious, had impressed expressions on their faces while looking at Ferus and Arcanine. All four Pokemon exchanged nods of respect before turning their attention to their trainers, who began to speak to each other.

"I can't get over how strong Ferus is. We didn't stand a chance," Tara stated, drawing a nod from Gray while Ferus bowed thankfully.

"Yeah, and you and Arcanine are really great teammates, Noah," Chase commended, making the duo smile.

As silence fell over the group, the sound of boots hitting the ground grabbed their attention while Unicus scampered over to her trainer's side and hopped up onto Gray's shoulder.

The person walking towards them, who had watched the entire battle with his Pokemon, wore a black jack that was unbuttoned, revealing a white undershirt, and he had a pair of baggy cargo pants on. He also wore black boots and a pair of fingerless black gloves, and a sky blue scarf was wrapped around his neck. His scruffy black hair and ocean blue eyes pierced through Gray's soul and locked onto Gray and Ferus.

A Charizard walked by his side and stared down Ferus, who began growling lowly, prompting Bellator to spring forwards and take a battling stance while Gray also appeared ready to fight. She stopped, however, when she realized that the nineteen year old standing before her, staring her down, was the one she had seen when standing outside the entrance to the medical school. Still, she had a defensive stance, though she eased up when Chase and Tara began speaking.

"Relax, Gray. We know this guy," Chase informed his childhood friend, who kept her eyes on the black haired teen.

"Yeah, Scizor and I actually battled him and his Charizard yesterday," Tara stated while Scizor nodded to confirm her statement.

Gray continued staring at the black haired teen before shifting her gaze to the Charizard standing beside him. Smiling and waving, the fire type displayed a much friendlier personality than his trainer, who seemed cold; distant, maybe.

"He and his Charizard reminded us a lot of you and Fortis. Right?" Chase asked Tara, who nodded in response.

"Is that so?" Gray quizzed, turning to face her friends while Ferus and the unfamiliar Charizard resumed their staredown before finally nodding, respecting the power the other was emitting. "Interesting. My name's Gray Plain, nice to meet you," Gray said to the unfamiliar teen, extending her right hand, which was the one her Mega Bracelet was on.

The teen nodded and shook Gray's hand, remaining silent as he shifted his gaze to Ferus, remembering exactly what Aliana had said.

 _"It looks a lot stronger than the highlights led me to believe. This is going to be interesting,"_ the trainer thought.

"What's your name?" Gray inquired, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"My name is Alain."

* * *

 **THE HYPE TRAIN HAS FINALLY ARRIVED AT ITS DESTINATION! To recap, Gray, White, and Noah met up with Chase and Tara, and that resulted in Gray having a double battle with her old friends while Alain watched from afar. Then, when the battle ended, Alain decided to make his presence known, and that's going to segue into the start of next chapter, which will be the battle we've all been waiting for (except Mystic): Gray vs Alain. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Who wins? Alain and Charizard or Gray and Ferus?  
2) Who do you think would win between Alain (Mega 'Zard X) and Kalos Owen (Mega 'Zard X or Y)? My vote goes to Owen (NOT THE CHAMPION ONE)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 3: Charizard vs Ferus!"**_

 _ **Gray and Alain finally collide in an absolute slugfest, and neither one of them holds anything back! One pair is pushed to their absolute limits, having never faced such powerful opponents. Will Alain and Charizard mark off another name on their list of remaining Mega Evolution targets, or will Gray and Ferus deny them of their goal?**_

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 24: Sandstorm Showdown: Unicus vs Boldore!**  
 **Chapter 25: Earning Respect**  
 **Chapter 26: It Takes Two to Tango  
Chapter 27: ****Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	23. Mega Battle 3: Charizard vs Ferus!

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer battling a Malamar and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle a Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Ferus and Charizard Mega Evolving** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **This is the moment we've all been (hopefully) waiting for! Gray vs Alain! Sorry, I've been hyped since July about this whole thing, and I'm too wired up. Last chapter, Gray and Noah bested Tara and Chase in a double battle, which featured some Mega Evolution, and Alain watched all of it. Things ended with Gray and Alain introducing themselves, and oh boy, is this going to be intense. Who will win this heavyweight fight? Let's find out! Before we do, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE ON MY POLL!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _You actually crashed my phone when I tried reading the review XD But yeah, this level of hype (for me) is unprecedented_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Still have no idea what you're talking about, unless it's the Mega Evolution Tournament (if I spoiled that in this answer...) And if you don't care about this battle because you know the answer, why would you care about Red vs Alain? It's not like I'd have him beat the World Champion (inb4 I do). In regards to your second answer, I'm thinking of Owen before all the training he did to battle Red. I'd still definitely take him over Alain, but thinking about it has me pissed that I wrote everything so quickly :/ We could've had Mega Charizard X vs Y with those two (and then fusion vs Red)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _I totally get where you're coming from, and I wish I could've held this off for a later chapter, but the tough part is there really isn't a time in the upcoming arcs that would've been ideal for the two meeting, and it would've seemed forced. And, like you theorized, the tracking system will come into play and allow not only Alain, but Flare to run into Gray (the device isn't only for people he beats, it's for any Mega Trainer he battles)_

 **Defender31415:** _I'm not a big fan of using abilities in battles, so that's why I didn't have Noah use a (great) tactic like that. The tracking device will absolutely come into play, I'll confirm that, and Charizard is on Alain's list, though I'll give more background in a later chapter. As for tracking Owen and Red, I do like that idea, but I'm not sure if I want them to appear_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks, and they definitely got tougher, though Gray and Noah did compete in regional leagues. Ferus vs Charizard... hyyyyype!_

 **FinLay Real:** _True! Indecisiveness isn't a bad thing, especially with how this battle could go either way. And that's a really good point (about a trainer and their starter) that I hadn't thought of_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 18, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 23, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Alain," Gray said aloud after she stopped shaking the Mega Trainer's hand. "That sounds really familiar," she continued, rubbing her chin with her other hand while trying to remember where she thought she had heard the name.

"Sounds like Aliana," Unicus whispered, remembering the name of the random redhead.

"Your name is almost a girl's!" Potens shouted, having overheard Unicus' comment. She then started cackling at the stupid connection while Alain shot her a cold look, silencing the bat.

He stopped, however, when he realized Gray, White, and Noah were staring at him.

"How'd you do that? She never shuts up whenever I look at her like that," Unicus asked, making Alain crack a smile as the ground type hopped off Gray's shoulder and scampered over to him. "Hey, you have the same bracelet as Alain, Gray!" the Sandshrew exclaimed, pointing out an obvious fact that had gone overlooked by the Kantonian.

Hearing that, Ferus' interest was piqued, along with that of Bellator's. Everyone else, meanwhile, didn't think anything of the announcement.

"That's cool. Where'd you get your Mega Bracelet from, Alain?" White inquired, causing the older, quieter trainer to tense up uneasily.

No one noticed Alain shift his weight back and forth uncomfortably except for Charizard, who peered at his trainer, waiting for him to concoct one of his usual, atrocious excuses.

"My father, a professor in Kalos, gave it to me as a gift," the black haired trainer replied.

"What about you, Gray?" Charizard asked, making up for his trainer's lack of social skills.

"A friend of ours gave it to me," the brunette replied, piquing Alain's interest. "He's actually the Champion of the Kalos region," Gray said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly while Ferus nodded once.

 _"The Kalos Champion, the one who unlocked all of the secrets to the Charizard species' Mega Evolution capabilities. Lysandre told me about him. I'll defeat him too, no matter what it takes!"_

"Alain?" Charizard quizzed, tapping his trainer on the shoulder. "Gray wanted to know why you asked."

The black haired trainer turned from his Pokemon to Gray as a confident smile started stretching across his mature face.

"Charizard and I are going to defeat every Mega Evolution and stand at the summit," he answered confidently. As soon as Alain finished speaking, he noticed a flash of fire in Gray's eyes, something he hadn't seen in anyone before, prompting him to continue speaking. "Let's have a battle; your Mega Pokemon versus mine!" he proposed loudly, making Gray smirk while Ferus stepped forwards and nodded.

"Let's do it," the dog replied, refusing to back away from a challenge.

Alain nodded in response and glanced at Charizard eagerly, something the winged lizard had never seen before. As both trainers and their Pokemon walked towards their trainer boxes, everyone else could feel the power radiating from both sides, not knowing who was going to win. Except Tara. She glanced at both Gray and Alain, recounting her battles with both before grinning, drawing the attention of Noah, Chase, and White.

"What's so funny, Tara?" Audino questioned.

"Nothing," the girl replied, shaking her head as she winked at Scizor, who understood his trainer's cue.

Chase shook his head at the blonde's mysterious response and threw his arms up, acting as the referee.

"This will be a one versus one Mega Battle between Gray and Alain! The battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue! Now choose your Pokemon!" Chase demanded, pointing at both trainers and their Pokemon.

"Ferus, it's your time to shine!" Gray shouted as she pointed forwards, prompting the Houndoom to jump past his trainer, landing a few feet in front of her.

"Charizard, let's go!" Alain yelled, throwing his right hand straight ahead, resulting in Charizard letting out a mighty roar as he flew a few feet and slammed his feet against the ground.

Both Pokemon locked eyes and began growling at each other, Charizard's friendly nature disappearing in an instant.

"This should be really interesting," Arcanine opined as he sat next to White, who released Tympole from his Pokeball while Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, and Unicus walked over to the stands to watch Ferus.

"Why is that?" Snivy inquired.

"They're both fire types, and out of all shared type battles, those involving fire types are the most intense. Neither Pokemon will back down from the other, but they'll start things out pretty slow to get a feel for the other's strength," Arcanine explained.

"Gray, you may have the first move," Noah stated, looking at the brunette with a smile.

"Okay. Ferus, use Flamethrower!"

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Alain countered, mimicking his opponent.

Both fire types reared their heads back before whipping them forwards, unleashing waves of flames as they did so. As soon as the fire type attacks collided an explosion occurred and smoke immediately appeared. Once it settled, Alain held back a grin while Charizard nodded at Ferus, acknowledging his strength. Ferus did the same, and he turned his attention to Alain when he spoke.

"Why don't we get to the real battle?" he asked Gray rhetorically, drawing a nod from the younger trainer.

Slowly, Alain placed his right hand over his left wrist as he stared out at Charizard.

"Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!" the Kalosian roared, hoisting his left arm in the air as if he had just won first place in a tournament.

Once again roaring, Charizard stared up into the sky before being engulfed in a blinding light, causing everyone to shield their eyes. Then, the fire type was suddenly encapsulated in a pink sphere of energy, which everyone stared at in awe.

White's jaw hit the ground when she watched Charizard break out of the pink egg, and Snivy had the same exact reaction. They had never seen a Charizard before, nor had they seen a Pokemon as strong as Alain's. Gray, meanwhile, kept her mouth closed and examined the winged lizard, taking note of how closely its physique resembled Owen's Charizard, which was nothing short of impressive. Along with that, Gray noticed the blue flames streaming out of its mouth looked almost exactly like the blue scarf Alain was wearing.

"Ferus, let's show 'em our bond's just as strong!" Gray shouted, punching her fist forwards with a confident grin.

"Right!" the Houndoom answered back, looking his opponent right in the eyes.

"Now, Mega Evolve!"

Throwing his head straight up, Ferus let out a fearsome roar while the stone encased in the metal sleeve on his neck began illuminating. Noah and Arcanine gasped in shock as Ferus was engulfed in a pink egg of energy before it shattered and a rainbow colored double helix appeared over the fire type's head.

Meanwhile, off to the side of the battlefield, everyone looked on in awe. The pure strength both sides were emitting was second to none, and they could sense that the battle was going to be unlike any other they had seen. People passing by the battlefields immediately rushed towards the scene and looked on with intrigue. What none of them realized was N standing on the roof of a building nearby, watching the battle closely with Zoroark by his side.

"That trainer and his Charizard are different, just like Gray," Zoroark said, turning to the green haired male to her right. "But I don't think there's a Pokemon Gray shares a bond with like that."

"We'll see," N muttered.

"The battle will resume with Gray's turn!" Noah shouted, pointing at Gray and Ferus, who grinned and nodded while the growing crowd began screaming in angst.

"Ferus, charge and use Feint Attack!" the eighteen year old shouted.

Roaring in response, Ferus lowered himself to the ground and bolted at the speed of light, grunting with each step he took. As he closed in on Charizard, Ferus was enveloped in black aura, thought that didn't intimidate Charizard or Alain in the slightest.

"Dragon Claw! Let's go!" the black haired trainer retorted, swinging his right arm downwards.

Charizard let out a roar just like Ferus had, and a pair of massive green claws formed around the dragon type's hands. Without hesitation, Charizard opened his wings and zipped towards Ferus, spinning before hurling his arms forwards. The attacks collided and began battling back and forth, but that changed when Alain snapped his fingers. Gray watched as Charizard brought back his other arm and prepared to swing his other set of claws, but the Kantonian's quick thinking prevented the attack from landing.

"Roll out of the way and use an uppercut Iron Tail, Ferus!"

The dark type allowed himself to back down and he let his stomach hit the ground, tripping Charizard due to the sudden shift in weight. Then, Ferus rolled to his right to avoid Charizard's attack before shooting back up and swinging his tail upwards as it began glowing silver. Smashing it against Charizard's chin, the fire and dragon type was launched into the air while grunting in pain.

"Charizard, use Brick Break!"

Regaining control of his body, Charizard nosedived and his hands began glowing white. Ferus, jumped backwards without hearing a word from Gray and evaded the initial attack, leading to Charizard slamming his right hand against the ground. Much to Gray's dismay, she watched as the winged lizard shot forwards and punched Ferus square in the face with his left fist, dealing a hefty amount of damage as Ferus bounced along the ground.

"Stay strong, Ferus! Take Charizard's strength and turn it against him with Foul Play!"

Ferus slammed both of his feet on the ground before bounding across the battlefield. Streaks of black energy flew off his head and he narrowed his eyes as soon as the winged lizard took to the air in an attempt to evade. Springing after him, Ferus let out a ferocious roar, but Alain was quick to counter while punching his left fist into the air.

"Spin and use Steel Wing!"

The black lizard roared once again and began spinning like a drill while his wings grew exponentially and started to glow silver. By doing so, a gigantic ring of silver light appeared around Charizard, and he collided with Ferus. Both Pokemon battled back and forth, attempting to impose their will on the other.

While the fire types continued fighting each other in the air, Bellator looked on and narrowed his eyes, shifting his attention to Alain. The Kalosian turned at the same time and he locked eyes with Bellator, sending chills down the otter's spine as he turned his attention back to Ferus, who was suddenly overpowered and rammed into the ground. The entire battlefield crumbled underneath the insane force of impact, and Charizard flew out of the dust cloud covering the entire battlefield.

White, Noah, Chase, Tara, their Pokemon, and Gray's Pokemon stared at Charizard and Alain as if they were gods, and everyone that was watching began screaming at the top of their lungs in support of the powerful duo.

Gray, however, hung her head and smirked, chuckling to herself.

All of a sudden, the cloud of dust began to glow red, and a tower of fire shot into the air, silencing everyone as powerful winds whipped. Alain and Charizard maintained straight faces as Ferus cleared the dust and revealed himself. Only a few scratches and bruises were present, as was a slick grin.

"Ferus, time to kick things up a notch! Use Flamethrower!"

Holding nothing back, Ferus reared his head back and unleashed a massive blue wave of fire. Due to the absurd speed of the attack, it struck Charizard, but the black lizard managed to get his hands out in front of himself, lessening the blow. Then, roaring at a deafening pitch, Charizard slammed his hands together, destroying Ferus' attack. The dark type grinned at his opponent and nodded out of respect, prompting Charizard to do the same before Alain spoke up.

"Charizard, use Dragon Claw!"

The dragon and fire type took off and tucked his wings into his sides while both of his hands were engulfed in neon green energy. Spinning, Charizard grunted and attempted to slash Ferus, but the dog and his trainer were quick to react.

"Dodge it, Ferus, and use Bite on his wings!"

Ducking underneath the initial swing of Charizard's arm, Ferus sprung forward and bit the lizard's left wing, making him roar in pain before he fought through it and landed his second attempted strike. As a result of the attack, Ferus was knocked onto his back and grunted in pain, slowly rising to his feet. While doing so, Gray noticed Ferus was favoring his hind left leg, and she bit her lower lip in concern.

"Grab Ferus by the tail and take off!"

With a sudden burst of speed, one that Charizard had intentionally held back in order to surprise Gray and Ferus, he threw his arms forwards and grabbed Ferus' tail before shooting straight into the air. Gray, along with all of her friends and Pokemon, watched in horror as Ferus swung around like a rag doll, thrashing in an attempt to break free of Charizard's grip.

Bellator was the one focusing most intently, and a strange knot formed in his stomach as he stared at Charizard. Suddenly, Bellator gasped when he saw a ghostly figure speeding alongside Charizard, and he rubbed his eyes. Once he stared at the fire type, Bellator realized he was only seeing things, but there was something about the figure that didn't sit well with him.

"Ferus, use Flamethrower to hit Charizard!" Gray screamed at the top of her lungs while cupping her hands around her mouth.

Despite being over a hundred feet off the ground, Ferus managed to hear Gray and he aimed at Charizard, unleashing a blast of blue flames that hit the dragon type in the face. Upon impact, Charizard roared in agony and hurled Ferus even higher into the air as he began falling. While he was, Alain rubbed his chin before coming up with the perfect move.

"Charizard, use Dig!" he roared.

With his eyes suddenly shooting open, Charizard smirked before landing softly on the ground and burrowing a hole in the already destroyed battlefield. Once the winged creature disappeared, everyone watching the battle, including N and Zoroark, shifted their gaze to Gray, who was still staring at Ferus as he finally began to descend.

"Perfect!" the girl exclaimed, knowing just how to get Charizard out of the ground. "Ferus, spin as fast as you can and use Iron Tail!" she shrieked.

Ferus didn't hesitate and obeyed the command instantly. Spinning like a wheel, the fire type channeled all of his energy into his tail, which turned silver and began growing. The faster Ferus spun, the more power was added to the attack. Along with that, the light from his tail formed a circle around the dog's body, taking Unicus, Furcifer, Snivy, and Tympole's breath away.

Alain, meanwhile, waited patiently for Ferus to reach the ground. Once the fire type was a couple dozen feet away, the Kalosian spoke up.

"Brick Break, let's go!"

Shooting out of the ground, Charizard hurled his right hand forwards and punched Ferus in the side so hard everyone flinched and turned away from the battlefield. Yelping in agony, Ferus skidded along the ground on his side and began writhing once he came to a stop. However, he stopped as soon as he made eye contact with Charizard, and he pushed himself off the ground, refusing to give in.

"Now end this with Blast Burn!" Alain bellowed.

Flexing, Charizard closed his hand into a fist and smashed his knuckles against the ground, sending a crack through the air.

Suddenly, the battlefield began to shake, as did the entire courtyard, and everyone began swaying back and forth uneasily. The entirety Gray's half of the battlefield began to glow red, and before Ferus could do anything, he was engulfed in the harshest flames anyone had ever seen.

"That's a shame. Maybe we were wrong about Gray," N said, shaking his head as the flames died and Ferus dropped to the ground on the same side Charizard had punched earlier, making him whimper.

"Ferus!" Gray shrieked, sprinting towards her Pokemon as he lie limply on the ground, prompting Noah to speak.

"Ferus is unable to battle! That means Alain and Charizard are the winners!" Noah shouted, pointing at the older pair as the entire crowd erupted with cheers.

"Well done, Charizard," Alain said to his Pokemon with a smile, patting the winged lizard on the head as he reverted back to his normal form with a cheery grin.

"Ferus, you were amazing as always," Gray whispered as she helped him off the ground, only to see a disheartened expression on the dark type's face. "Hey, don't get down. They're the strongest team we've ever battled."

"I'm not," the fire hound replied uncharacteristically. "It's just... I think he did something to my ribs," Ferus muttered.

Gray's eyes opened wide immediately as she bit her lower lip, remembering how Typhlosion had broken Ferus's ribs during the Silver Conference.

"Okay, I'll take you to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible," the Kantonian assured her Pokemon, who nodded in response before laying.

"I can't believe how strong Alain is. He made Gray and Ferus look like they had never battled before!" White shouted, turning to Snivy and Tympole, who nodded in response.

"They're unlike anything I've ever seen before," Arcanine stated, walking over to the rookie, her Pokemon, and Gray's. "I haven't seen any normal trainer that strong," he continued, staring at the Kalosian and his starter as they walked towards Gray, prompting Unicus, Furcifer, Bellator, and even Potens to do the same.

"Your Houndoom is really well trained," Alain told Gray as Charizard nodded in agreement, the cuts and bruises covering his body serving as evidence of Ferus' power.

Gray smiled while Ferus struggled to lift his head. When he did, he smiled weakly before grimacing and laying down. Alain glanced at the fire type laying before him and looked into his eyes, the fire from before having been extinguished. Before he could shake his head or sigh, the nineteen year old watched as Gray's four younger Pokemon ran over, with Furcifer and Unicus checking on the fire type while Potens and Bellator eyed Charizard.

The two then turned to face Alain and locked eyes with him.

He was taken back suddenly when he saw a strange, gray light flash in Bellator's eyes. Turning to Potens, he didn't see the same thing, but there was something different about her, though he didn't know what.

"I'd like to have another battle some time, whenever that may be," Alain announced, turning his attention Gray while White, Noah, Chase, and Tara walked over as the nineteen year old rubbed his Charizard's head.

"If we get the chance, we'd be more than willing to," Gray replied with a confident smile as Ferus grunted in support of his trainer's response. "How about we exchange numbers? Then we could see if we're in the same area," the girl proposed, drawing a nod from Alain as he handed her his Pokedex and vice versa.

After the trainers exchanged numbers and handed back the others' Pokedex, Charizard walked towards Ferus and tapped him on the shoulder while nodding. Gray, meanwhile, put her Pokedex away, not noticing the microscopic tracking device placed on it.

"Good luck defeating every Mega Evolution, Alain," Arcanine said with a smile.

"Yeah, and let us know how it goes," Noah added as he handed Alain his Pokedex, which the teen took and put his number in.

"If anyone can do it, it's you!" White exclaimed, causing Alain and Charizard to sweat drop as the former of the two handed White her Pokedex after giving her his number.

"They're right. If we meet again, things will be a lot different."

Gray extended a hand.

"I'll bet my life on it," she vowed.

Alain nodded and noticed Gray and Bellator had the same flash of light in their eyes, which had been absent in Ferus' gaze. Not showing any emotion, Alain shook Gray's hand before turning to motion for Charizard to follow.

Obeying, Charizard began walking past the group, but froze when he passed Bellator. Strangely, everything around them seemed to disappear, and he could sense unmatched power radiating from the Dewott, who maintained eye contact, showing unprecedented levels of confidence.

"Charizard!" Alain called after noticing the fire type wasn't following him. "Come on! We need to get going!"

Again, Charizard nodded. He couldn't help but glance back at Bellator, who continued staring him down, and Charizard could've sworn on his life he saw a ghostly figure standing behind Bellator. However, he was unable to think about what he saw due to the urgency behind Alain's voice, prompting the lizard to flap his wings and fly in order to catch up to his trainer.

Though neither of them knew it, Charizard and Bellator were traveling down two separate paths that destined to intersect.

They were going to battle, and the outcome would determine the fate of the world.

000

Within the bowels of the Castelia City sewers, families of Patrat scampered about while Grimer multiplied in the water, tainting it. They stopped, however, when a pair of footsteps echoed through the tunnels, scaring all of the wild Pokemon into hiding. They watched as a man in a ninja suit bolted down the tunnel at the speed of a rocket, and he made a sharp turn before jumping over the disgusting water. He then passed over a bridge and entered a tiny room where water dripped methodically.

Two other men in the exact same outfit spun around and nodded at the third as he walked forwards and dropped to his knees, staring at a rather large man sitting in a chair.

"Sir! Sir! I've spotted him!" the ninja exclaimed, making his boss raise his eyebrows. "They were watching a battle on some rooftop, but I spotted them!"

The person sitting in the chair before the trio of ninjas smiled wickedly and began rubbing his chin with his right hand, creating an annoying sound with his robes. While doing so, the three ninja glanced at one another, eager to receive their leader's orders.

"Are you absolutely certain? Would you bet your life on it?" the behemoth of a man inquired, drawing a nod from one of his three most trusted accomplices. "Very well. I want you to kill them both, and do it as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

"Yes, lord Ghetsis," the Shadow Triad responded, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

 _"No matter who helps you, N, I will make sure I have your head."_

* * *

 **WOW! Sorry, that one caught me by surprise (if you didn't get that, it's from Adam Sandler's "8 Crazy Nights"). So, it looks like Ghetsis is ready to throw down, and the Shadow Triad's going to run into Gray soon. Speaking of throwing down, Alain and Charizard had a Mega Battle with Gray and Ferus, which they won as usual. Don't worry, there will be another battle between the two sometime down the road (obviously), maybe even two, but Alain's not planned to appear for a while because I don't want to rush things. Next chapter will actually be Unicus vs Boldore, because I realized the Plasma scene wasn't long enough to be its own. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Should Ferus get a rematch with Charizard or should Gray use Fortis?  
2) Bellator** **vs Charizard hype?  
3) Thoughts on Plasma?  
4) Should Bellator evolve or stay as a Dewott?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Sandstorm Showdown: Unicus vs Boldore!"**_

 ** _Hearing about Relic Castle, the group decides to investigate and determine whether or not a powerful Pokemon is truly resting their. Before they can get in, however, they're stopped by a Boldore. Gray then decides to lean on Unicus in hopes of defeating the mighty rock type, but will they be able to win?_**

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 25: Earning Respect**  
 **Chapter 26: It Takes Two to Tango  
Chapter 27: ****Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	24. Sandstorm Showdown: Unicus vs Boldore!

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer battling a Malamar and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle a Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator with figures behind them both** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Well, time for another update! Last chapter, Gray and Alain finally battled, but Alain ended up kicking her ass. Meanwhile, N was watching, and Plasma was revealed, so there will be not one, but TWO evil teams! Also, after Gray's battle, Charizard sensed Bellator's power, and a battle between them, set to occur at least forty chapters down the road, was teased. This chapter will focus on the group hearing about Relic Castle, and they'll try finding Volcarona. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks, and lol. Fortis is more than likely going to duke it out with Charizard at some point or another, and I'd say he's definitely stronger than Ferus, given his training with Owen. The Ash-Greninja idea could be really interesting, and I'm going to strongly consider that. As for the darkness of the past few stories, I got tired of the typical upbeat story where there isn't a legit threat_

 **FinLay Real:** _That is correct. Both Alain and Lysandre (along with the admins) will be able to track Gray, and I'm not sure if it'll be just Ghetsis and the Triad. My plans had the entire organization of Plasma coming up, given their prominence. Also, I think Fortis would be the ideal pick, as much as we all love Ferus, so that's most likely going to happen. And in regards to the Dewott/Samurott question, Samurott is a quadruped, and that'd be my fear of him not being capable of having ninja-like battles with Frogadier, as badass as his swords may be_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Stahp! My phone crashed again!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yeah, I said they'd be battling... unless you're referring to the figures :P That will be explained fairly soon, though. I think Bellator might not end up evolving just because he's a lot quicker (in the writing world) by being bipedal._

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Makes sense now that you mention it XD That one, whenever I get around to it, will be a pretty intense battle. I do think, though, that if a Fortis vs Charizard fight were to go down, that'd be a lot more epic just because of how even they are in terms of strength. Fortis' lack of Mega Evolution could be a problem, though_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Wooh wooh! And thanks! Sycamore and Alain look so similar I figured why not make them related? Plus, Bellator vs Charizard's going to be insane! Fortis is all but confirmed, and his training with Owen will... well, he'll be strong ;) Also, Bellator will eventually become strong enough to vanquish anything in his path (excluding a legendary), and Dewott for life!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Damn straight! It's only going to get better, and when they do battle again, let's just say it's going to be a wayyyyy better battle. Bellator... I can't even begin to discuss how insane he's going to be by the time he does get to battle Charizard. Even though his level may be "low" compared to Ferus and Fortis (possibly) he's going to be an absolute freak_

 **Defender31415:** _Yeah! I'm not sure if Ferus will get a rematch (maybe near the end of the story, possibly before the inevitable Bellator vs Charizard showdown)m and I think you're the only person so far to vote for Samurott XD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 18, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Rapid Spin*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandshrew)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 23, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

The group stared at Ferus as Nurse Joy walked out of the emergency treatment room with a look of relief on her face. Once she reached Gray, the pink haired woman smiled and eased the eighteen year old's nerves, along with those of White, Noah, their Pokemon, and the rest of Gray's team.

"Your Houndoom suffered a few broken ribs, so he's going to need a lot of rest. At least three weeks," the nurse said, taking every one of Gray's Pokemon back while the brunette nodded and thanked Joy. "And you all can check on him whenever you want," the kind woman said to Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, and Potens, who nodded in response before turning back to stare at the fire type.

 _"How did he get hurt like that? I thought Ferus was invincible!"_ Unicus thought to herself, terrified by the thought of having to battle Alain and Charizard. _"We need to become stronger. When Ferus leaves, we'll have to take on strong opponents by ourselves."_

"Unicus, come on!" Snivy called to the ground type, snapping her out of her daze. "We're going to Relic Castle! Remember?"

The ground type nodded and ran after her friends, following them to the back of the Pokemon Center, where Chase and Tara were waiting along with Audino, Musharna, and Scizor. While Gray, White, and Noah walked over to the other teens, the Pokemon grouped together and looked around at one another, not knowing what to say until Arcanine awkwardly cleared his throat.

"So, Ferus is going to be okay, in case you were wondering," he told Chase and Tara's Pokemon, who breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"That's great news. I can't believe Charizard injured him so badly, though. I mean, when we battled, I didn't take that much damage, and it's weird because he has a huge type advantage over me!" Scizor exclaimed, making everyone rub their chins while Bellator dropped back and thought to himself, vividly remembering how he saw another figure appear next to Charizard when he was battling.

"Well, it looked like Charizard wasn't holding anything back when he was battling Ferus. Against you, it seemed like he wasn't taking things seriously," Musharna stated, making Scizor scowl. He stopped, however, when Audino nodded in agreement.

"He's right. His movements were a lot faster, and his attacks were way stronger. We wouldn't be saying this just to put you down," she said, easing her friend's scowl. "I still think Fortis would've been able to beat him, though. I won't believe he'd lose until I could see a battle between them."

Scizor and Musharna nodded emphatically while the others tilted their heads in confusion, save for Unicus, who was still thinking about Ferus while Bellator was picturing Charizard and the strange figure. Arcanine also nodded along with the Pokemon he didn't know very well, despite never actually seeing the Flygon battle.

"Who's Fortis?" Potens asked, drawing the attention of the others.

"Fortis is easily the strongest Pokemon Gray's ever had. Even stronger than Ferus," Scizor explained, remembering the epic battle between Fortis and Garchomp at the Indigo League semifinals. "Don't get me wrong, Ferus is freakishly strong, but Fortis is almost like a god. He beat a Mega Evolved Abomasnow."

The others gasped in shock, terrifying Tympole as he hopped away and over to Bellator, who was sitting by himself, trying to find out what it was that he saw. After looking up to see the tiny water type trembling before him, Bellator cracked a smile and rose to his feet before talking to Tympole in an attempt to calm the timid creature.

"So what kind of Pokemon was Fortis?" Potens quizzed.

"A Flygon," Audino answered.

 _"Maybe that guy could teach me some things,"_ the Noibat thought to herself while flying away from the group, no longer interested in talking to them.

"I can't get over how strong Alain was," Gray started, shaking her head in disbelief. "I've never battled anyone that strong, except Owen. Honestly, if I ever battle him again, I don't think I'd be able to win, no matter who I used," the brunette concluded, hanging her head.

"Don't think like that, Gray. It was one battle," White told her mentor, who turned and smiled. "Yeah, Alain's really strong, but he's older, so he's probably had more training."

Nodding, Gray began to smile as she looked at Tara and Chase, who were on their Pokedex looking something up with great intrigue.

"Something wrong?" Noah inquired, making the two sweat drop with sheepish grins.

"Sorry. We were just going over some project that I have to complete if I want to pass," Chase replied while Tara took his Pokedex and stared at the picture with wide eyes. "This is going to be almost impossible. I don't have the time to do that _and_ perform surgery at the hospital. Medical school sucks!" the intelligent teen shouted while folding his arms over his chest.

Everyone laughed at his reaction, but Gray stopped when Unicus rolled over to her with a concerned look on her face, prompting the Kantonian to pick her starter up off the ground.

"Is everything okay?"

"No. We need to train! Ferus won't be with us for ever, so we need to get strong so we can beat Alain!"

Laughing at her Pokemon's response, Gray placed Unicus on her lap and began petting the ground type's head. She stopped, however, when Unicus hopped onto the table and spun around to lock eyes with Gray.

"I'm serious, Gray! _Ferus_ got hurt by Charizard. What do you think he would've done to us? We need to train right now!" the shrew demanded, stomping on the table while Tara and Chase exchanged glances, nodding at each other as they did so.

"Well, if you really want to train, I know the perfect place," Chase announced, prompting Unicus to spin around. "Yeah, it's in the desert to the north of the city, and there's this place called Relic Castle, which is actually where I need to go for some project."

"So you want us to do your project in exchange for telling us about a training spot?" Gray interrogated. "Okay!" she exclaimed before Chase could defend himself, making him breathe a sigh of relief. "What do you say, White and Noah? Want to go?"

"Definitely! Snivy and I can work on building Tympole's confidence!" the sixteen year old replied with a determined grin.

"I'll do whatever you guys want. I'm not gonna mess up the roll you two are on," Noah stated as Arcanine walked over to his side and nodded.

"Okay! Let's go, everyone!"

"Wait! You need to know about the project before you leave!" Tara yelled, making Gray turn around with a sheepish grin. "Apparently there's an incredibly strong Pokemon, one that might be on par with legendary Pokemon, that lives all the way at the bottom. You guys have to get an egg from there if Chase is going to pass his class."

The trio, consisting of White, Noah, and Gray nodded before spinning back around and walking away, Gray withdrawing all of her Pokemon except Unicus.

000

As soon as they stepped out of the tunnel connecting to Castelia City, the trio groaned.

A wild sandstorm was running rampant, forcing each of the teens to take out their spare t-shirts and wrap them around not only their faces, but also around those of their Pokemon. The only one that didn't need anything covering their face was Unicus, who walked around as if the vicious gusts of sand were nothing.

"I wish I was a ground type," Snivy muttered, folding her arms over her chest while speaking through the t-shirt White had wrapped around her face. "Hey, you should send Tympole out. I bet there are a lot of ground types he can take care of without a problem."

White nodded at Snivy's idea and enlarged Tympole's Pokeball, releasing the timid Pokemon. As soon as she did, White watched as Tympole screamed at the sound of the wind picking up, making her deadpan while Noah tried holding in his laughter. Gray, on the other hand, grabbed a Pokeball and tossed it, revealing Bellator, who grumbled as his trainer wrapped one of her shirts around his head.

"Bellator, I want you to keep close to Tympole and help him out whenever you can. Okay?" Gray requested, drawing a nod from her quiet Pokemon. "You too, Unicus," the eighteen year old whispered before shifting her attention to White and Noah. "Alright, guys, let's get to Relic Castle, train there, and grab an egg for Chase."

"Right," the two trainers replied while nodding.

With that, the group began their trek through the desert, sluggishly marching through the sand. While they continued trucking along, a strange creature hopped out of the tunnel connecting to Castelia and looked around wildly. Once it spotted the group, it bolted after them, disappearing into the sandstorm.

"So, Gray, how has the badge hunt been going?" Noah asked, trying to make conversation with the girl his age while White took the lead with Unicus and Bellator staying right by Tympole.

"Pretty well, thanks. We haven't lost to either of the first two Gyms, and hopefully we can keep up our winning streak going," the brunette replied, drawing a nod from Noah while Arcanine shook his head, knowing the conversation was basically dead. "What about you guys? Why aren't you competing in the Unova League?" she quizzed as the wind began howling.

"Arcanine and I were too pooped from traveling across Kalos. We needed to recharge our batteries, you know?" Noah asked rhetorically as Gray nodded. "It's just tough knowing that I've been gone from my family for so long."

Gray smiled at the sensitive comment and, after spotting a tunnel that led to a different city, turned to her left while clearing her throat to speak up over the growing ferocity of the sandstorm.

"I know exactly how you feel. Even though I call them every day, it feels like we're on two different planets."

Noah nodded and turned to Arcanine, who shook his head and let out a grunt of anger when the sand he was walking through seemed to be getting higher and higher. As soon as he saw the situation his Pokemon was in, Noah took out Arcanine's Pokeball and zapped the fire type back inside.

Looking up ahead, Gray saw Bellator was also struggling to push through the sand, prompting her to call out to him. She stopped, however, when Unicus suddenly popped out of the sand like a jack in the box, making Gray scream at the top of her lungs while Noah wound back to punch the Pokemon in the face.

"Unicus! What are you doing!?" Gray shrieked.

Not answering her trainer, Unicus simply dug back under the sand and began hurling large clumps of it to the sides, creating a walkway. Unicus then turned and smiled at Gray and Noah before diving into a mountain of sand to speed ahead, making her trainer laugh while she and Noah caught up to White.

"I never knew Unicus was so handy, Gray," White commented.

"Neither did I. Are you able to walk through this, Bellator?" Gray inquired, making the Dewott scowl underneath the shirt covering his face, not wanting to be treated like a child.

"I'm fine, thank you. Let's hurry up and get to this castle already. I want to train."

Nodding, the group followed the pathway Unicus had created, and it led all the way up to a wide open area filled with sand that was at least eight feet high. Unicus was out in the middle of the gigantic pool of sand, diving through the air like a dolphin at random times, making everyone laugh, including Bellator, who took out his scalchops and began using Razor Shell in an attempt to create a path just like Unicus had.

With one slash, Unicus deadpanned when he realized he did absolutely nothing to the wall of sand in front of him. While everyone else laughed, Tympole looked on in shock.

 _"Wow, Bellator couldn't do anything to the sand! You know what? I'm gonna give it a try!"_ the water type thought to himself as he hopped forward and appeared next to Bellator, who looked over and nodded with a smile.

"What's Tympole doing?" White asked in a hush whisper before watching her Pokemon open his mouth and unleash a blast of water.

Everyone's jaws hit the ground when Tympole created a massive path, but he turned around and smiled as if he hadn't done anything.

"Awesome job, Tympole," Bellator commended, patting the smaller Pokemon on the head, which made him beam.

"Yeah, that was amazing! How'd you think of that?" White quizzed as she crouched to talk to her Pokemon, who shook his head, not knowing the answer. "Well, let's go! We need to get that egg for Chase!"

Just as the group prepared to walk down the path Tympole had created, White saw a sudden blast of silver energy fly towards the ground right in front of Tympole. Leaping forwards, the youngest of the trainers shielded Tympole, and a massive explosion occurred.

"White!" Gray, Noah, Snivy, and Bellator screamed as and all of the sand within a fifteen foot radius was cleared, creating an open field.

The older trainers looked around nervously while Snivy scampered over to her trainer and teammate in concern. As Snivy did so, Bellator grabbed both of his scalchops and blades of water appeared. Unicus stopped attempting to make a path for the others and she appeared alongside Bellator.

"What the hell was that!?" Unicus yelled over the whipping winds, drawing shrugs from Gray and Noah. "Snivy, Tympole, White, are you okay?" the ground type inquired, which was met with nods from the three.

Suddenly, a strange, familiar figure appeared from the ground and sprung into the air, scaring everyone except for Bellator, who launched himself into the air and prepared to clobber the wild Pokemon. Before he could strike, Bellator recognized his target and stopped right away, dropping to the ground much to everyone's confusion.

"Bellator, what's wrong?" Gray quizzed.

"Wait, is that who I think it is?" Snivy asked aloud, making everyone narrow their eyes as they tried to get a better look at the Pokemon.

Both Gray and White gasped when they realized that the creature looking around at them was none other than the Roggenrola they had helped back at Wellspring Cave.

"What are you doing here, Roggenrola?" Unicus asked, prompting the rock type to run over to White and jump up and down, slamming its feet on the ground. "Oh, I forgot about that," the ground type replied.

"Forgot about what?" White inquired.

"Don't you remember? You told Roggenrola, and I quote, _'_ _If you ever do want to come with us, Roggenrola, I'd be more than happy to have you on board'_ " Snivy informed her trainer, who face palmed.

"I totally forgot about that. So you came all the way from Wellspring Cave to join me?" White quizzed, drawing a nod from Roggenrola, which made the rookie trainer jump and cheer. "Well, let's do it! Go, Pokeball!"

Chucking a Pokeball in the air, White watched as Roggenrola jumped after it and tapped his head against the spherical device. As he was sucked in, the Pokeball suddenly dropped to the ground and began wiggling back and forth.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

"Awesome! Come on out, Roggenrola!" White shouted, releasing her newest Pokemon.

Once he materialized from the light the Pokeball emitted, Roggenrola turned to face White and began jumping up and down excitedly. He stopped as soon as the brunette clipped a translator on him, but he resumed once White backed away and smiled.

"Roggenrola, I want to introduce you to Tympole. He joined us when we were in Nacrene City. Tympole, this is Roggenrola. We helped him out when some group of people tried destroying his home," White said, introducing the Pokemon to each other.

"Hi!" Roggenrola screamed, making Tympole jump in fear before he hid behind his trainer, who laughed in response while placing a hand on the water type's head. "So where were you guys headed?" the rock inquired.

"We were just on our way to Relic Castle. Could you help us get there?" Noah asked.

"Oh, no way," Roggenrola answered, making everyone deadpan. "Yeah, there are a bunch of statues out in front of the entrance and it's impossible to move them. Believe me, I tried."

Kicking at the ground, Gray looked up and cursed under her breath. She stopped, however, when Unicus spoke up.

"Since we've already come this far to train, why don't we have a battle, Gray? It could be me against Roggenrola!"

Both Gray and White looked at each other, not knowing how to answer, but then they saw the excited response from Snivy, Roggenrola, and Unicus.

"Okay," the girls answered in unison while Noah and Bellator walked off to the side to serve as the referees.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Unicus and Roggenrola. Because Unicus issued the challenge, White and Roggenrola will have the first move! Begin!" Noah shouted, pointing at the younger girl and her brand new Pokemon.

"Roggenrola, let's start off with Headbutt!" White shouted while looking over her Pokedex, which displayed the rock type's moves.

Obeying his command, Roggenrola ran right at Unicus and lowered his head, preparing for a violent collision. Gray, on the other hand, wasn't about to let her starter get clobbered, so she threw her hand forwards and spoke up quickly, capturing Bellator's attention.

"Unicus, charge and use Rollout!"

Unicus curled herself into a ball and began rolling as fast as she could, charging right at Roggenrola. The two Pokemon collided and launched each other back to their trainers, putting a smirk on White's face while Gray and Unicus exchanged nods.

"Now fire a Flash Cannon attack!" the rookie commanded, pointing at Unicus as if she were taking aim.

Roggenrola jumped as high as he could and unleashed a wicked blast of silver energy from the hole on his face. Before Gray could say a word, Unicus was hit and launched into the air before slamming against the ground, which was covered with a thin layer of sand. As she rose to her feet, Unicus grunted in anger, which caught Gray off guard. However, she knew just what to do.

"Unicus, stay strong and answer back with Magnitude!" Gray ordered.

Closing her hands in order to make fists, Unicus punched the ground as hard as she could and sent a massive wave of energy flying towards Roggenrola as he plummeted from the sky. Due to the fact that he was airborne, Roggenrola wasn't able to evade the attack and landed as soon as it hit him, launching the rock flying past his new trainer. Unicus, meanwhile, dropped to one knee due to the damage Flash Cannon had done, and Roggenrola slouched over slightly, drawing concerned looks from both trainers.

"Roggenrola, are you okay?"

"Unicus, what about you?"

Both Pokemon nodded and smirked at the same time before being engulfed in white coats of light, taking everyone by surprise.

Large spikes shot out of Unicus' back while she grew massive claws on the ends of her hands. While she maintained a ver similar look on her face and lower body, the addition of quills and claws on both her hands and feet made her look like a completely different Pokemon.

Roggenrola suddenly grew a gigantic third arm, and his feet turned into two large arms on his left and right sides. While he maintained the same color on his body, many red rocks were shooting out of his body while the hole in his face turned into two smaller ones, which looked like a pair of eyes.

Left speechless, both girls raised their Pokedex to scan their newly evolved Pokemon.

"Sandslash, the Mouse Pokemon, and the evolved form of Sandshrew. In an attempt to hide itself, it will run around at top speed to kick up a blinding dust storm. New move learned: Gyro Ball."

"Boldore, the Ore Pokemon, and the evolved form of Roggenrola. Because its energy was too great to be contained, the energy leaked and formed orange crystals. New move learned: Power Gem."

"Wow, I can't believe they both evolved," Bellator said under his breath, shaking his head at the fact that he had just witnessed a double evolution.

"The battle will now resume! Gray, it's your move," Noah announced, remaining composed as he did so.

Gray smirked at the words coming from Noah before locking eyes with Unicus, who nodded in excitement before she spun around to square off with Boldore, who had just done the same thing with White.

"Unicus, try out Gyro Ball!" Gray shouted.

Stomping, Unicus curled herself into a ball and began speeding towards Boldore while she was enveloped in silver energy. Despite the insane speed of the incoming creature, White chuckled and threw her open hand forwards with the utmost confidence in her newly evolved Pokemon.

"Block it with Rock Smash and use Power Gem, Boldore!"

Boldore grunted in response while his right arm began to glow crimson. Then, throwing it forwards, he was able to shield himself from the super effective attack. However, Boldore wasn't fast enough to hit Unicus, prompting him to fire several blasts of white energy out of his eyes and towards his ground type opponent, who smirked in response.

"Cancel it out with Swift"

The Sandslash began swiping at the air wildly, creating several waves of stars that crashed into Boldore's Power Gem attack. Dozens of mini explosions occurred and smoke covered the area before Boldore was pelted by the golden starts, making him grunt in pain as his legs began to give out slightly. Noticing the state her Pokemon was in, White knew she had to end the battle quickly, so she went for broke.

"Boldore, finish this off with Rock Smash!"

"Meet him head-on with Gyro Ball!"

The two Pokemon nodded and charged at each other without hesitation. While Unicus spun like a drill, Boldore reared his arm back. Both attacks collided and Boldore grunted loudly, putting forth all of his effort in an attempt to overpower his ground type opponent, but soon found himself being crushed by the super effective attack. White watched in shock as Boldore hit the ground hard, struggling to get on his feet.

"Boldore is unable to battle! That means Gray and Unicus are the winners!" Bellator announced, grabbing his scalchops and sticking the blades of water into the air.

"Way to go!" Gray cheered while hugging her starter, who chanted wildly before rolling over to Boldore, extending her hand.

"Great battle, Boldore. You're really strong!" Unicus exclaimed, drawing a nod from the rock type. "So, are we going to Relic Castle?"

Everyone looked around, only to see the tunnels Unicus had been digging were completely filled with sand, making the group sweat drop.

"I don't think so. Chase will understand, though," Noah replied, drawing nods from Gray and White.

With that, the group walked back to Castelia City, unaware of the pairs of eyes watching them.

* * *

 **Well, Unicus evolved at the same time as Roggenrola, and she's going to be a helluva lot stronger than before. White also caught the Roggenrola from Wellspring Cave, which evolved into Boldore in an attempt to defeat Unicus. Next chapter will focus on Potens, and that's all I'll say. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Thoughts on Unicus and Roggenrola evolving?  
2) Do you like the addition of Boldore?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Earning Respect**_ _ **"**_

 _ **While helping Gray train for her upcoming Gym Battle, the group receives a visit from none other than Alder. Much to her dismay, Gray finds Potens picking a fight with Alder's Pokemon, leading to a battle! Will Potens finally be put in her place, or will she win and continue her reign of being a jerk?**_

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 26: It Takes Two to Tango  
Chapter 27: ****Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	25. Earning Respect

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer battling a Malamar and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle a Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White and Snivy battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator and another figure behind him** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey hey hey! It's time for another update, and this chapter will focus on Gray battling against... Alder! Of course, if you read the last chapter preview, you'd know that. Anyways, last chapter featured the return of Roggenrola, and he battled against Unicus. Then, they both evolved, and now Gray and White have themselves some pretty strong teams. Now, like I said, this chapter's going to be a battle between Gray and Alder, and more specifically, Potens and Bellator. Let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I'm not sure if she'll be getting a Gigalith, though I do have a an idea that could end up making that happen. Still, I'm not sure_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Yeah, I think this is it for her, though. There might be a fourth, but that depends entirely on how many battles she'll be participating in throughout the story. Plus, she's going to have at least two evolutions, and I don't want every one of her battles to involve one_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Unicus was starting to get screwed out of screen time, so there's the reasoning behind that and why it happened so suddenly (wasn't originally supposed to until I changed the arc preview before 19)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _You would be right about both of those, sir. Potens won't do well, obviously, and they will be returning to Relic Castle pretty soon. And Unicus was originally supposed to evolve in the Driftveil Gym and win, but with how much attention the others have gotten, and will continue to get, I couldn't sit back and let that happen. I completely agree with you, though, it was too early. Also, the eyes were not N and Zoroark :P_

 **FinLay Real:** _Si! The dunes have eyes! She will get beaten down, but I think you'll eventually start to feel bad for her with the way things shake out. Unicus' battling style will be aggressive and focus heavily on hand-to-hand combat. It's kind of like if Bellator will be more reckless_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, and Boldore will be a welcomed addition to White's team. As for Potens, she's going to get clobbered_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 22, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 23, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"What do you mean you couldn't get it!?" Chase screamed, causing Gray to sweat drop as she looked back at Noah and White, who were whistling and had turned their heads away. "Gray! My grade depends entirely on finding a Larvesta egg!"

As soon as the medical student slammed his hands on the table in a blind fit of rage, Bellator, from across the battlefield, hurled a scalchop that hit Chase right between the eyes, knocking him onto his back while Gray turned around and glared at the water type. He didn't seem to care, however, and walked over to Gray protectively, picking his scalchop up off the ground.

"You better watch yourself," the Dewott threatened Chase as a blade of water extended from the object he had picked up.

Chase, looking up after rubbing his nose, gasped as the blade of water was touching his head, and he tried not making a move. Thankfully for him, Gray pulled Bellator away and scolded him. Still, she cracked a smile and patted the bipedal creature before letting him walk away while Chase rose to his feet with the help of Audino and dusted his clothes off.

"Sorry for getting so heated. I just really need to get this assignment done."

Gray waved off the student's concerns and turned as Tara and Scizor walked over nonchalantly as if they hadn't seen or heard any of the screaming. Once they sat down at the table, they positioned themselves so that they were able to watch Noah and White train together, along with Gray's Pokemon.

"So, how're your Pokemon getting along? It seems like they're all really nice," Tara opined, drawing a scowl from Gray as she looked around, noticing that Potens was no longer with her teammates. "What's wrong?"

"Potens is missing, again," Gray muttered, shaking her head in anger before turning her attention to her three other Pokemon, all of whom were standing around, waiting to be told what to do. "Guys, can you help find-"

"AAAAGGGGHHH!"

A deafening scream filled the air and everyone covered their ears in pain until the obnoxious sound stopped. Once it did, Potens floated towards the ground, cackling the entire way until Unicus rolled over to her and had the angriest look on her face. However, Potens wasn't intimidated in hte slightest and continued glaring right back at her teammate while Snivy stepped in-between the two and pushed them back with the vines from her neck. That didn't stop Unicus from swinging at Potens after she mocked the ground type.

Boldore was quick to break up the altercation by grabbing Unicus and holding her back while Bellator held Potens back. Arcanine, Tympole, and Furcifer, meanwhile, all watched and deadpanned as both Pokemon thrashed violently in an attempt to break free and beat the crap out of each other. They were stopped, however, when Gray shot up from her seat and walked over to the two.

"What do you think you're doing!?" she screamed, glancing back and forth at both creatures.

After they looked at each other, Unicus and Potens attempted to attack, but were held back by Boldore and Bellator, respectively. Hanging her head in shame, Unicus sighed, prompting Boldore to let her go. As soon as he did, Unicus rolled over to Gray's side and pointed at Potens, who Bellator had let go of.

"I've had it with her, Gray! She's always a jerk and trying to get on my nerves! I can't take it!"

"And she poured hot sauce in your food! It wasn't me!" Furcifer screamed, drawing stern looks from her teammate and Gray, making her sweat drop while Bellator narrowed his eyes and examined Furcifer's body language as closely as he could.

"She's not lying," he announced, grabbing the attention of his trainer, teammates, and everyone else. "Potens did it. I can tell," he said, pointing his scalchop at the Noibat, who snickered in response while shaking her head.

While White exchanged glances with Noah and backed away from the situation with her Pokemon and Arcanine, Chase and Tara looked at one another and began walking towards Bellator.

"Is that true Potens?" Gray asked, making the dragon type fold her arms and turn her back to the brunette.

"So what if it was?"

Before she could utter another word, Unicus lunged at Potens. She was stopped, however, by a blindingly fast Pokemon, who kicked her claw into the ground with its heel, making everyone gasp in shock while Bellator grabbed his second scalchop and Potens took to the air, preparing to scream as loud as she could. She didn't, however, when she saw a strange person walk towards Gray with his arms wide open, confusing Potens while her teammates, Snivy, White, and Gray greeted the man.

"Alder? What are you doing here?" Gray inquired as the man laughed heartily.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be teaching in Striaton City?" White quizzed while Noah, Chase, and Tara stared with their jaws hanging.

The redheaded man continued laughing and put his hands on his stomach as he did so before spotting the large group of Pokemon, and the trio of unfamiliar teens. As soon as he did, Alder walked over to them and extended a hand warmly.

"I'm sorry for being so rude. My name's Alder, nice to meet you," the former champion greeted, shaking the hands of Noah, Tara, and Chase. "Are you all traveling with White and Gray?"

"N-no, sir," Chase replied, stuttering as he stood in the presence of arguably the most famous champion within recent memory. "I'm Chase, and this is Tara," he stated, pointing at the girl accompanying him before continuing. "We used to travel with Gray, but I came here for medical school."

Alder raised his eyebrows and rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"That's very impressive, Chase. Getting accepted into Castelia med is something very few people can say they accomplished. And what about you, Tara? Are you a student too?"

The girl sweat dropped at the question along with Scizor and they shook their heads. As they did so, Alder noticed the Mega Bracelet on Tara's wrist, drawing his attention. He didn't say anything, however, and finally turned his attention to Noah while Ferus limped out of the Pokemon Center with Nurse Joy by his side to make sure he got there safely.

"What about you, son?"

"Uhm, I'm Noah, and this is my buddy, Arcanine. We're traveling with White and Gray," the teen answered, making Alder smirk as he noticed the look in Noah's eyes when he spoke of the girls. "It's an honor to meet you."

Alder bowed appreciatively before returning to the two girls he had battled, and the strange Pokemon that had prevented Unicus from stabbing Potens walked to his side and folded its arms over its chest. Seeing the idle stance it was in, White took out her Pokedex and scanned the creature.

"Mienshao, the Martial Arts Pokemon, and the evolved form of Mienfoo. Using the long fur on its arms like whips, it launches into combo attacks that, once started, no one can stop."

"Wow, that's one impressive Pokemon," the rookie trainer muttered as Snivy hopped onto her shoulder and nodded, agreeing with the statement.

Alder didn't pay any attention to the kind words, instead looking at the Pokemon standing by White, and he smiled while crouching. Extending his hand to Tympole, the man smiled, and, surprisingly, Tympole hopped over to him with a joyous look on his face. Smiling as he was patted on the head, Tympole bounced back to White's side and continued smiling at the older man while Boldore nodded.

Then, shifting his attention to Gray and her Pokemon, Alder froze for a second, noticing the dramatic changes the girl's team had gone through since the last time they had seen each other. Both Unicus and Bellator evolved, Potens was captured, and Ferus had been brought back from Saffron City. The one thing that really caught Alder's attention was the way in which the Pokemon positioned themselves, with Bellator standing in the front confidently while Furcifer and Unicus stood by Ferus to make sure he was fine. Then there was Potens, who was off flying by herself, not wanting to associate with her teammates.

"I see your Pokemon have grown a lot stronger, ladies," Alder stated, drawing nods from both trainers as their Pokemon cheered in response, except for Bellator, who kept his eyes on Mienshao. The fighting type stared right back and nodded at Bellator, drawing a nod from the water starter before he placed his scalchops back on his thighs as a sign of peace, which made Alder chuckle.

"White's been training really hard ever since our battle, actually," Gray informed the older man, who smiled and turned to White, who shrugged bashfully. "She's really been helping us train for our Gym Battles. Isn't that right, guys?"

"Yeah! Now we're trying to help Tympole become more confident," Unicus told Alder, who smiled at the kind Pokemon.

"That's wonderful to hear. Now, whose Pokemon is that?" the former champion asked as he pointed at Potens, who heard the question and angrily swooped down, landing a few inches in front of him.

"I'm no one's Pokemon, got it?" she shouted, making Alder laugh. "You won't be laughing when I'm done with you! Let's go!" Potens continued, spreading her wings while Mienshao shook his head at the dragon type.

Bellator quickly stepped in front of Potens and put his arm out in front of her, shaking his head, which made her scowl.

"You don't want to do that, Potens. Alder isn't a normal trainer. He's a lot stronger than those people we battled in Pinwheel Forest," Bellator informed his teammate, who simply pushed his arm out of the way and glared at Mienshao, who narrowed his eyes and peered at the tiny Pokemon standing before him.

"I don't care. I'll tear this freaky mongoose apart, limb by limb," Potens retorted with a wicked look on her face.

"Oh really? How about we settle this!" Mienshao shouted, stepping towards his foe, who began snickering at the fact that she had pissed him off, even while Bellator held her back and protected her from the fighting type's fury.

"I'd be glad to, you disgusting freak."

As soon as she finished speaking, Potens was caught off guard, along with everyone else, by Alder slamming his foot on the ground, making a sound as loud as thunder crack in the air.

"Don't you dare disrespect any opponent of yours, whether it's my friend or someone else's. Got it?" the man interrogated.

Potens rolled her eyes and prepared to scream in Alder's face, but Snivy used Vine Whip to keep her on the ground.

Gray wasn't in the mood for confrontation and attempted to stop her Pokemon, but Ferus blocked her with his tail, shaking his head once he caught his trainer's gaze.

"She has to learn sooner or later," he muttered, drawing a reluctant nod from Gray. "I can referee if you'd like," Ferus offered, only to be shot down immediately and whisked to the other side near the Pokemon Center by Unicus and Furcifer.

Bellator, meanwhile, eyed Potens in concern before walking over to Gray's side and motioning for her to lean towards him, which she did.

"Gray, don't make her do this. Potens is going to get killed out there," he whispered as Arcanine and Noah stood in the referee box while White, Chase, Tara, their Pokemon, and the rest of Gray's waited. "I'll take the beating instead, just don't let her battle. You have to call this off."

The eighteen year old bit her lower lip and eyed Mienshao, who slowly walked forward, stepping in front of Alder, who had a stern look on his face. She then turned to Bellator and sighed.

"I don't want you getting hurt out there either," she confessed, pointing towards the sideline.

Bellator stared at his trainer in shock and shook his head as he walked over to Scizor and folded his arms over his chest, cursing wildly as he did so, which made the bug type, along with Tara, sweat drop. Noah, however, spoke up after clearing his throat, and he pointed at both sides.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Potens and Mienshao! Because Alder is, well, Alder, it's only fair Gray has the first move! Begin!"

"Potens, be careful, okay?" Gray requested worriedly, shaking as she did so.

Much to her dismay, Potens completely ignored Gray and shot forwards while her wings began to glow white. Letting out a powerful scream, Potens began swinging at Mienshao, but the incredibly skilled Pokemon effortlessly evaded each and every one of the attempted strikes. Growing frustrated with her inability to hit her opponent, Potens blindly flew right at Mienshao, prompting Alder to act.

"Blast Potens back with Aura Sphere!" the redhead commanded.

Mienshao slowly placed his hands together and formed a large ball of blue energy in-between them. Then, as Potens closed in on him, Mienshao hurled his arms forwards and threw the ball of energy. Flying right into it, Potens let out a cry of pain and rolled back to Gray's half of the battlefield.

"Potens!" Gray screamed while everyone else watched in silence. "Please, Potens, stop!" the girl begged as her Noibat rose to her feet and screeched to show that she was still ready to fight, making Bellator look up from his scalchops and stare. "Potens," Gray whispered, staring at the dragon type before her, blocking everything else out of her mind as she felt the determination radiating from the tiny bat. "If you're not going to give in, I won't either! Use Gust!"

Disobeying Gray for a second time, Potens sprung into the air and vanished, only to reappear a few feet to the right. After consistently vanishing and reappearing, the bat performed a nosedive and opened her mouth, preparing to use a Bite attack with her improved speed, but because of Mienshao and Alder's skill and experience, they were able to act without hesitation.

"Use Double Team to dodge it, Mienshao!" the former champion ordered.

Just before Potens could bite her opponent, Mienshao created multiple copies of himself. Once he did, Potens zipped through the clone standing in Mienshao's original spot, and she slammed her face against the ground, crying out in pain once again while Mienshao and his clones surrounded her. Slowly pushing herself off the ground, Potens looked around at her enemies and narrowed her eyes, preparing to deliver a wicked blow to the real Mienshao.

"Please, just listen to me, Potens! Spin and use Gust!" Gray begged, putting her hands together worriedly.

Despite hearing the desperate tone behind her trainer's voice, Potens continued acting on her own and flew at one of the fighting types head first. Instead of flying through the copy, it punched her in the face at the speed of light, knocking Potens onto her back and presenting Alder the perfect opportunity to continued his assault.

"Fire away with Stone Edge!"

Every single one of the Mienshao circled around Potens crossed their arms into the shape of an 'X' and two rings of sharp rocks began spinning around their bodies. Them, throwing their arms forwards, the Mienshao fired all of the rocks at Potens, whose eyes went wide while Gray's heart fell into her stomach.

"No!" the Kantonian shrieked as Potens was pelted by the dangerously sharp rocks, most of which lacerated parts of her skin.

Mienshao then got rid of his clones and walked over to Potens, picking her up by the throat before throwing her against the ground, making Gray recoil while everyone else remained as still as stone. Watching her Pokemon bounce along the ground, covered in cuts and bruises while a bit of blood trickled out of her mouth, Gray dropped to her knees and brought her hands up to her mouth, unable to speak due to the shock of seeing the condition her Pokemon was in.

Despite the immense pain coursing through her body, Potens refused to give in when she saw the solemn expressions on the faces of Mienshao and Alder. However, instead of hearing the usual support she did whenever her teammates battled, Potens heard nothing except Gray screaming for her to stop. Turning to her right, the dragon type didn't see a single person or Pokemon look at her in concern. Instead, it seemed as if they wanted her to get beaten down.

 _"They, they don't even care,"_ the dragon type thought to herself. _"Not even my teammates care if I'm okay or not. Not Unicus, not Furcifer, not Ferus, not even Bellator,"_ she continued, looking at each of them before locking eyes with Bellator, who saw an expression in his teammates eyes, one he hadn't seen in her before.

She had given up.

"High Jump Kick!" Alder roared, throwing his knee into the air.

While Mienshao sprung straight into the sky, Gray slowly looked up to track his trajectory before realizing the potentially fatal damage Potens could accrue. As soon as she did, Gray attempted to stand up, but her legs were frozen.

They had given up.

Just as Mienshao was about to crush Potens, he grunted loudly and reared his leg back, narrowing his eyes. Throwing his knee forwards, everyone gasped in unison when a blue blur appeared in front of Potens and blocked the attack. After a second, all of the trainers and their Pokemon noticed that it was Bellator that had protected Potens, and he was using all of his might with both scalchops crossing to form an 'X' while blocking the ferocious attack from Mienshao. The attacks then cancelled each other out and Mienshao did a backflip before gracefully landing on his feet while Bellator placed his scalchops back on his thighs and turned to check on Potens, who was barely conscious.

"Do either of you know what Bellator's doing?" Musharna inquired as she floated next to Audino and Chase, eyeing White, Noah, and their Pokemon.

"Not a clue. What about you, Snivy? Is there any insight you could give?" White asked her starter, who sighed and put her hands on her hips.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion before Snivy finally spoke up.

"You were going to learn this sooner or later, but Bellator's as loyal as they come," she started, making everyone turn to look at the Dewott that was protectively standing over Potens. "Even if he doesn't like someone, he'll put that aside to protect them at any costs," the grass starter concluded, looking around and nodding, adding finality to her answer.

Unicus, Furcifer, and Ferus looked at one another before shifting their gaze back to Bellator, and for a split second, Ferus smiled as he pictured Fortis standing behind Bellator, almost as if he had possessed the Dewott. There personalities were exactly the same, yet completely different at the same time. As he shook the thought from his mind, Ferus noticed the unfazed expressions on the faces of Unicus and Furcifer, who didn't seem to care that Potens had nearly been put into a forty year coma, which took him by surprise.

"Potens is disqualified due to interference! Alder and Mienshao are the winners!" Noah announced, staying in his trainer box with Arcanine while Alder and Mienshao walked across the battlefield and towards Gray, who was trying to see if Potens was okay.

"I'm sorry it had to come to that, Gray. I truly am," Alder confessed, bowing to the younger trainer along with Mienshao, who received a ferocious glare from Bellator, a flash of gray light appearing in his eyes, which took the fighting type by surprise. Alder, who saw the light, didn't say anything about it, instead continuing to focus on the young woman he saw so much potential in. "Here, I'll give you my number so you can call me for a battle whenever you'd like. I truly am sorry about the way I acted."

"As am I," Mienshao added, bowing alongside his trainer.

"It's... fine," Gray replied, scooping Potens into her arms and rising to her feet. "I'm sorry, but I need to get her checked out right away," the brunette continued, running towards the Pokemon Center and leaving everyone else outside.

000

Sitting outside the intensive care room, Gray peered through the glass and stared at Potens, whose eyes were still closed even after five hours of treatment. The brunette put her back against the wall and began to slump down to the ground, burying her face in her hands. As she did so, Nurse Joy walked out and cleared her throat loudly as a means of alerting Gray, who slowly looked up with a depressed demeanor.

"Gray, your Noibat is in fine condition, and she should be waking up soon. You can check on her if you'd like," the pink haired woman informed the younger girl, who shot off the ground and nodded while her friends watched from their chairs.

The Pokemon, on the other hand, bolted over towards Gray and looked up at her worriedly even as they walked into the room. As soon as they stepped foot inside, Nurse Joy closed the door, which was soundproof, allowing the young women and her Pokemon to talk freely, which they refrained from doing. Instead, Gray grabbed a chair folded up in the corner and sat down next to the bed Potens was lying in, prompting the others to gather around.

"Potens," Gray whispered, extending her hand and placing it on the Noibat's tiny fingers, which were on the top of her wings. "I am so, so sorry," she said, sniffling before hanging her head.

"You can't blame yourself, Gray," Ferus told his trainer, who began crying and shaking her head. "You know the outcome of that battle wasn't your fault. If I was healthy, I would've been battling instead of her. Or I would've kept her in line. I know that for a fact."

Gray continued crying and shaking her head while staring at the ground, but Unicus and Furcifer didn't share the same feelings as their trainer. As they stared at Potens, both Pokemon felt rage for different reasons, but it was the same feeling nonetheless. Bellator, who was leaning against a wall beside Gray, simply kept his eyes fixated on the ground, replaying the last moment of the battle in his head over and over again.

 _"If I would've intervened earlier, she wouldn't be in this situation. What the hell is wrong with me!?"_

Suddenly, Bellator smashed his right fist against the wall so hard it began to bleed slightly, grabbing the attention of his teammates and Gray while Nurse Joy ran into the room in a panicked hurry.

"Is everything okay? I just heard a loud bang!" the woman shouted, prompting Bellator to walk towards her and bow apologetically.

"Sorry for the scare, ma'am. I just hit my hand," Bellator informed her before glancing back at Potens, which Nurse Joy caught on to. "It won't happen again, I promise."

Nurse Joy smiled and placed a hand on Bellator's shoulder with a warm smile, confusing him.

"Don't worry, your friend is going to be back and better than ever in a day or so. There's no reason to be angry or sad," the woman assured Bellator, who kept a straight face as he hung his head, disgusted with his delay in protecting his teammate.

Nodding to make Nurse Joy go away, Bellator turned back to Gray and his teammates, who were all focused on Potens. Muttering something under his breath, Bellator slinked out of the room and disappeared.

"I don't get why she didn't back down. I don't get why _I_ didn't back down!" Gray shouted, tears pouring down her face as the guilt from the result of the battle washed over her like an ocean wave. "I'm a terrible trainer," she whispered, rising to her feet.

After wiping the tears from her eyes, Gray attempted to reach out to Potens, but she stopped and stared at her hand in disgust before running out of the room with Ferus, who chased after her despite the pain of his broken ribs, leaving Unicus and Furcifer, who glared daggers at the Noibat laying before them.

Without uttering a word, they turned their backs on Potens, unaware of her waking up. As she did so, Potens slowly turned to see her two teammates standing a few feet away, and they had stopped walking and began speaking to each other.

"I never liked her. I'm glad she finally got put in her place," Unicus muttered, making Potens open her eyes wide in shock, having not expected the Sandslash to say such things.

"Yeah. Maybe now she won't be traveling with us," Furcifer added before walking out of the room leaving Potens in disbelief.

After several hours passed and Potens knew Nurse Joy and Audino had gone to sleep, she rose from her bed and unhooked all of the machinery attached to her. Hopping out of her bed, Potens stumbled towards the door, struggling to get her legs under her. Once she did, Potens opened the door and began creeping out of the Pokemon Center.

Upon exiting the building, the dragon type turned around and stared at the window of the room Gray was resting in, and she hung her head in shame. Turning her back to the Pokemon Center, Potens attempted to leave, but was stopped when a strange object slammed into the ground in front of her.

In the blink of an eye, Bellator appeared in front of her and had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Where are you going? You should be resting," he whispered, not wanting to wake anyone up from being too loud. "Come on, let's go," he ordered, attempting to grab Potens.

She managed to evade his grasp and began flying, perching herself on the roof of the Pokemon Center, which made Bellator furrow his brow.

"I'm not wanted here, Bellator. It's not hard to see," Potens informed her teammate, who stared at her in confusion, not knowing where she was going with the information. "It'd be better for everyone if I just left. It's not like anyone would miss me," she continued, rising to her feet and preparing to take off in the dark of night.

"Hold on just a second," the Dewott demanded, turning Potens' attention to him. "Sure, we may not get along, and maybe there is some hatred between you and the others, but you can't say no one would miss you."

"Please. It's a little late for love confessions, isn't it?" the Noibat retorted, resulting in Bellator beginning to lose his cool.

"That's not what I was going to say!" he hissed, silencing Potens. "Do you have any idea what that would do to Gray? She's been beating herself up all day for not protecting you during that battle! And I have too!" Bellator shouted, catching Potens by surprise. "I know you don't like me, and to be perfectly honest, I don't exactly like being around you, but you're my teammate, God Damn it!"

The water type slammed his foot on the ground emphatically.

"Protecting a teammate, even if it comes at the expense of my own well-being, is something I believe in, and I failed to protect you, Potens. I'm sorry."

The night fell silent, save for the cars and screaming from the city, and Potens and Bellator stared out at the moon. Adjusting her balance, Potens looked down at the practice battlefield from the roof of the Pokemon Center and shook her head with a pained look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Bellator, but this is goodbye. Tell everyone they're better off without me."

"Potens, wait!" the Dewott shouted as he attempted to pursue his teammate.

Much to his dismay, Bellator watched as Potens took off at the speed of a fighter jet, leaving him in the dust as she disappeared into the night sky, leaving behind the one thing she had placed above all else: friendship.

* * *

 **Holy crap. Potens got absolutely destroyed by Alder and Mienshao, and she ran away because of the horrible things Unicus and Furcifer said about her! Of course, Gray's going to go out and try to find her with the help of Bellator, so hopefully they can encounter Potens before anything else can. That'll take place next chapter, and I'm hoping it turns out as well as I think it can (it actually, in my new outline, is one of my favorites). Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Do you feel even the slightest bit of sympathy for Potens? I mean, she wasn't _that_ terrible, was she?  
2) Are you surprised Bellator protected Potens during the battle?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "It Takes Two to Tango"**_

 _ **After finding out Potens ran away, Gray goes on a city-wide hunt for her disobedient Pokemon. Eventually, Gray and Bellator are confronted by Flare grunts and find themselves outnumbered! Will they be able to find Potens and defeat the grunts?**_

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 27:** **Protect the Pokemon Shelter**  
 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive**  
 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	26. It Takes Two to Tango

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer battling a Malamar and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle a Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White, Snivy, and Boldore battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator and another figure behind him** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, party people? Last chapter was pretty long (I think?), and a decent amount happened. Basically, Alder reappeared, Potens talked smack and got destroyed as a result, Potens was put in intensive care and Gray and Bellator felt awful, Potens heard Unicus and Furcifer talking about how they hated her, and then Potens left despite Bellator's attempted persuasions. This chapter will focus on Gray and Bellator searching for Potens, and Flare grunts will be appearing. Now let's get going!**

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Wow, thanks for the high praise! That's exactly how I see Potens, too, and I agree with you about her not deserving to get smacked around by someone that much stronger than her. As for Unicus and Furcifer, in their defense, Potens was nothing but an ass to them, and her prank on Unicus made her miss a few days of practice. And Bellator being Bellator XD_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Really? Huh, I guess I was blind to her earlier actions just because I felt bad writing that chapter XD In regards to your question, that will be answered wayyyyyyy later on (maybe? It could come up sooner)_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Lol, that's a great way to put it XD The month and a half will happen, don't worry. I'm probably going to take a week or two off at some point or another_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Potens release hype! And Unicus and Furcifer caused what? Her leaving? If that's what you're getting at, then yeah, I can agree with that. And if anyone were to try and make a case for Potens being the cause of her departure, that's fine too_

 **Defender31415:** _Hahaha, that's a hilarious comparison, and hopefully she can rebound from the comments_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 22, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 23, Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 16, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Bounding down the halls, heart racing, adrenaline pumping, Bellator attempted to turn a corner, but slid and crashed due to his legs giving out. Popping back up, he broke into a dead sprint in order to reach Gray's room as quickly as possible, and when he did, he slammed on the door as hard as he could. He waited for the door to open. Turning both ways to keep his sanity, tapping his foot at the speed of light, panting wildly as a means of gathering enough oxygen to speak, Bellator brought his hands up to his face. It was his fault. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't stop her.

The door eked open and Gray slowly revealed her face only to see Bellator staring up at her in a state of panic, confusing her.

"Bellator? What's wrong?" the girl asked while yawning, clearly unaware of the situation.

The Dewott attempted to speak, but a lump formed in his throat and he was overwhelmed. Making violent gestures with his arms, Bellator took a huge breath when he saw the perplexed look on Gray's face, and he spoke as fast as he could.

"I talked to Potens and tried to convince her to stay but she wouldn't and said that no one liked her and she decided to leave and we need to find her!" the Unova starter screamed, inhaling deeply after somehow finishing his summary.

Without saying a word, Gray disappeared into her room and ran into the hallway within thirty seconds, sprinting alongside Bellator as they exited the Pokemon Center and made their way into the packed streets of Castelia City, where finding someone was like a needle in a haystack. Actually, like finding a needles in four million haystacks.

"How are we going to find her?" Gray inquired, turning to Bellator as an expression of contemplation was plastered on his face.

Snapping his fingers once he thought of an idea, Bellator turned to Gray and began pointing at the tops of all the nearby buildings with a grin, confusing the eighteen year old.

"Potens always sat on roofs or the tops of trees, so she has to be near one of those," Bellator announced, making Gray nod as she took off, searching for a building tall enough to be suitable for her Noibat.

 _"Please, Potens, let us find you."_

000

Resting atop one of the larger buildings near the center of the city, where two colossal structures stood next to each other, identical in design. Looking around with her incredible vision, Potens eased up when she was confident Bellator hadn't followed her. As soon as she leaned back against the ventilation system, Potens stared up at the sky and looked at all of the stars, smiling to herself while thinking about her new life as a free Pokemon.

 _"Now that I'm not around to bug anyone, I can finally do what I want without having to hear anything about it!"_ she thought to herself, beaming at the idea of not having to spend time with either Unicus or Furcifer. _"Those two are such idiots. How do you not realize there's an entire bottle of hot sauce covering your food? Better yet, why would you put hot sauce on your friend's food in the first place? They're such idiots."_

Potens' thoughts drifted off and she smiled while remembering the first few days she spent with Gray and the others in Nacrene City. Even though she knew she wreaked havoc on the harmony of the group, Potens smiled at the fond memories, only to stop when she realized the expression of happiness shining through like the sun on a cloudy day.

"I can't keep thinking about them. I need to stir up some trouble," the dragon type muttered to herself as she stood up and looked around, spotting a sketchy alley a few meters away "Perfect!" Potens exclaimed as she took a running start and began gliding through the air and headed towards the alleyway. As she closed in on the it, Potens frowned when she saw four people dressed in the same color attacking a trainer. Without thinking, the winged creature performed a nosedive, hellbent on stopping the thugs.

000

Two hours had passed since Gray and Bellator had set out to search for Potens, and the two were beginning to grow tired. The lack of sleep coupled with extreme levels of stress was a recipe for disaster, and the fact that Gray could see the sun beginning to rise made her even more agitated than she would've been. However, she kept silent and continued hoping to stumble upon her runaway Pokemon.

"Have you seen anything, Bellator?" Gray yelled, walking over to a large tree in the heart of the city, which made her look like a lunatic to all of those passing by. "She wasn't anywhere on the streets!"

The Dewott's head popped out of the leaves and he frowned, making Gray sigh in frustration. She slowly stretched her arms over her head and yawned for what had been the sixth time in the past minute, prompting Bellator to hop out of the tree and land by his trainer's side, bags under his eyes just like Gray's.

"I know this is going to sound awful, but we have to get some sleep. Potens is more than capable of fending for herself for a night, and I bet she's nice and cozy right now. Let's head back to the Pokemon Center, take a three hour nap, and we'll get back at it," the girl instructed, drawing a shocking nod from Bellator, who put up no resistance as he was on the brink of exhaustion. "I bet we could cut through that alley and get to the Pokemon Center a lot faster."

Nodding, Bellator followed Gray down a dark, sketchy alleyway. Purrloin hopped out of the trash and Woobat hung upside down from the roofs of buildings, screeching whenever something loud enough to reach them passed by, which, unluckily for them, was Bellator and Gray.

"We can't keep looking by ourselves either. We need to tell everyone, and they can look while we get some sleep in," he said while yawning, drawing a nod from his trainer.

As they continued walking down the alleyway, Bellator began to grow suspicious, as he heard rattling and the sound of footsteps, along with several shushes. Grabbing both of his scalchops, the water type prepared to attack anyone that came his way, and he slipped past Gray in order to protect her.

Just like Bellator's senses had predicted, a man walked out from behind a dumpster with a smug grin and began punching one hand into the other in an attempt to intimidate Bellator. It didn't work, though, and the water starter responded by channeling aquatic energy into his scalchops, forming blades.

"Hand over the Dewott, and no one gets hurt," the man ordered.

Bellator began bending his knees, preparing to charge at the man until he and Gray heard a second pair of footsteps from behind. A man in the exact same outfit appeared, and his red goggles, coupled with his red hair and red suit, made him look like a walking bottle of ketchup.

"You're outnumbered, kid. Just give us your Dewott, and we'll be on our way," the second man said as a Houndour stood by his side, snarling at Bellator.

Both Gray and her powerhouse glanced back and forth between the first man and his Croagunk, and the second man and his Houndour before they squared up, preparing to combat the Pokemon.

"I guess we'll take that as a no. Well, don't say we didn't warn you. Croagunk, use Poison Jab!"

Bolting down the narrow alley, the enemy Croagunk reared its arm back while its fingers began to glow a strange shade of purple and white. As that happened, the second man joined in on the attack, throwing his right hand forwards.

"Houndour, burn 'em with Flamethrower!"

Rearing its head back, Houndour unleashed a massive amount of fire from his mouth, and it engulfed the entire alley, which forced Gray into thinking as quickly as she could while taking cover. As soon as she did, an idea popped into the eighteen year old's head.

"Bellator, grab Croagunk and throw it into the Flamethrower! Then follow it up with Water Pulse!" she shouted.

Doing just as he was told, Bellator spun out of the way of several Poison Jab attacks, acrobatically dodging each one of them before jumping off the wall to his right, which froze Croagunk. Then, Bellator grabbed his poison type foe by the arms and hurled him into the fire type attack before forming two balls of water in his hands and chucking them too. The first ball exploded on contact with Croagunk while the other obliterated Houndour, nearly knocking it unconscious.

"Damn, they weren't kidding when they said that thing was strong," the second man said to the first, who nodded in agreement before pointing at Bellator. Or, at least that's what Gray thought he was doing.

Suddenly, sets of footsteps rang in her ears and she turned to see two more people, this time two women, in red suits with red glasses on. Of course, there was a Houndour with one and a Croagunk with the other, and Bellator began to look around in confusion, unsure of who to attack and how he could protect Gray at the same time.

"Charge!" all four of the grunts screamed while pointing straight ahead, prompting the two Houndour to bound down the alleyway while the Croagunk hopped from the walls on the left to right and back and forth, making it impossible for Bellator to escape.

Despite the predicament he was in, the Dewott kept his composure and took a deep breath, making Gray smile before she rose to her feet excitedly.

"Use Water Pulse on the ground to sweep away the Houndour, and then use Razor Shell on the Croagunk!"

Chucking separate spheres of water against the ground, and in opposite directions, Bellator grinned when the entire alleyway was filled with water and both of the Houndour cried out in pain as they were sent rolling back to their trainers, who cursed under their breath. Much to Gray's dismay, the Croagunk arrived much faster than either she or Bellator expected, and they lunged at him.

Bellator closed his eyes and braced himself, but was shocked when he felt a wicked wind slam against his face. While he opened his eyes, Gray gasped in shock as both Croagunk were sent barreling down the alley in the same direction. All four of the people obsessed with red looked around in confusion, as did Bellator and Gray, but they all stopped and stared when a familiar figure swooped down and landed next to Bellator.

"Potens!" Gray exclaimed, kneeling to hug the Pokemon. She stopped, however, when she remembered there were four people trying to steal Bellator.

"Gray," the dragon started, hanging her head while keeping both ears out just in case the strange enemies tried attacking. "I'm sorry for running away. Do you think, maybe, you could forgive me?" Potens inquired, bringing a grin to Gray's face while Bellator continued staring down his opponents, watching carefully as one of the Croagunk hopped its way back to the other side and its trainer.

"Of course. But first, we need to beat some sense into these guys. Are you ready?" Gray asked, drawing nods from both of her Pokemon. "Okay! Bellator, use Water Gun! Potens, Gust!"

Obeying their commands and standing back-to-back, Bellator reared his head back before unleashing a wicked blast of high-pressured water from his mouth, which slammed into the Houndour standing in front. As a result, the Croagunk behind him barely dodged, though the two trainers weren't as lucky. Meanwhile, Potens began flapping her wings as violently as she could, creating gale force winds that actually launched the two trainers several dozen feet back along with their Pokemon.

Bellator quickly turned and nodded at Potens, but the dragon type caught a glimpse of the Croagunk Bellator had failed to hit flying towards him. With its arm reared back and ready to strike, Potens launched herself towards the fighting type while her wings began to glow white, and she close lined her enemy, knocking it unconscious immediately.

All four of the red enthusiasts stared in horror as their Pokemon were all unconscious while Bellator cracked his knuckles and prepared to beat the crap out of one of the men. Potens, meanwhile, opened her mouth and prepared to let out a deafening scream, though she held back when Gray stepped forwards and spoke up.

"So who are you people? And what do you want with me?" the brunette asked, drawing laughs from the older trainers.

They were soon silenced, however, by Potens screaming at the top of her lungs, making the thugs holler in pain before finally giving in to Gray's questions.

"We're Team Flare, and don't think you're so special. It's that Dewott we're after!" one of the women retorted, drawing Gray and Potens' attention to Bellator, which allowed the four Flare grunts to escape.

Once the grunts were gone and Gray, Potens, and Bellator made their way out of the alley, they all took a deep breath and smiled at each other, surprisingly. As soon as she saw the happy look on Potens' face, Gray walked over to the powerful Pokemon and squatted to talk to her at eye level.

"Potens, thank you so much for protecting us," the Kantonian commended, placing her hand on top of Potens' head. "You were so amazing! I never knew you were that strong!"

The dragon type beamed in response and attempted to speak, but she was cut off when a group of familiar voices rang in the air.

"Gray!" they all screamed, making Potens scowl, as she knew exactly who the voice belonged to.

Together, the girl and her Pokemon turned to see White, Noah, and all of their Pokemon running with worried looks on their faces, but by the time they stopped, they were just confused.

"What happened? Nurse Joy told us you and Bellator ran out in a rush at like, two in the morning!" Noah shouted, drawing attention from people walking by.

As Gray, Bellator, and Potens exchanged glances, they all shrugged, confusing everyone even more.

"Nothing much. We just decided to do some sightseeing and training," Gray replied, speaking for the two creatures that normally never did, drawing nods from White, Noah, the rest of her Pokemon, and their Pokemon. "You guys head back to the Pokemon Center, Potens and I will catch up with you in a second," the brunette announced, motioning for everyone except her and the aforementioned Pokemon to leave, which they did. However, Bellator turned and nodded at his teammate, who nodded back before watching him disappear into the crowd with the others.

Once she turned back around to face Gray, Potens locked eyes with her and the two stayed silent before Gray finally spoke up.

"You know, I saw a whole new side of you today," Gray said, making the dragon type tilt her head in confusion. "I want to ask you something really important, okay? Think of it almost as a new leaf, of sorts."

"Okay, what is it?" Potens replied, curious as to what Gray's question was, which brought a smile to the young women's face.

"I know we're capable of doing great things together, Potens. What do you say? Want to help me become Champion?" Gray asked the powerful Pokemon, who stared her right in the eyes before cracking a sly grin.

"We've got this in the bag," Potens remarked, putting a smile on Gray's face before the powerful creature flew forwards and landed on her shoulder.

"That's right. Let's become the strongest we can be, Potens!" Gray shouted, throwing her fist in the air while Potens let out a victorious cry.

With that, Gray ran after her friends and Pokemon while Potens sat on her shoulder. However, N and Zoroark stepped out of the shadows and stared at Gray until she disappeared into the sea of people.

"Let's keep a close watch on her," N stated, drawing a nod from the dark type before they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

000

Diving into an abandoned warehouse, the four Flare grunts that had been defeated by Bellator and Potens panted wildly before looking at one another in fear, knowing something was going to be done about their atrocious performance. Before any of them could say a word, two humanoid figures emerged from the shadows and eyed them intently, sending chills down the spines of the grunts.

"So, did you get it?" Bryony asked, looking at all four of the grunts, who trembled and shook their heads, making her raise her eyebrows. "Would anyone like to give me an explanation?" she quizzed, prompting one of the women to step forwards.

"The girl and Dewott were alone when we got there, but then some Noibat came in and completely changed everything!" the grunt explained, resulting in Bryony rubbing her chin with her green rubber gloves.

"I see. And is there any reason for you _four_ to lose to _one_ trainer with _two_ Pokemon?"

The admin looked around at her four allies, who remained silent, and shook her head in disgust.

"Bisharp, you know what to do."

In the blink of an eye, the dark and steel type slashed through each one of the grunts, leaving decapitated bodies, organs, and blood all over the floor. Bryony, unfazed by the gore, handed her Bisharp a handkerchief to clean his arms with, which he graciously accepted before handing it back to his trainer, who smiled and clicked a button on her Xtransceiver.

One red dot appeared on the map of Castelia City, and it was moving ever so slightly, bringing a smirk to the Flare admin's face, along with that of her Bisharp.

"It's only a matter of time, Bisharp. We'll put an end to this girl very soon."

* * *

 **It looks like Gray's team is really coming into its own now that Potens will be listening. I know I said it'd be a while before she started obeying, but I felt like this was the right time to do it, plus, she won't get along with Unicus or Furcifer because of what she heard them saying, so there's still going to be the patented hostility we've come to love (or hate) from Potens. N and Zoroark also appeared at the very end, and they're going to be popping up eventually. Next chapter will feature the introduction of a new character, and a bit more of Bellator's past could be revealed. I'm not sure if it will, to be honest. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) How do you think Potens will perform in battles now that she's listening to Gray?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "**_ _ **Protect the Pokemon Shelter**_ _ **"**_

 ** _With Potens back on board, and Gray still training for her Gym Battle, a familiar friend appears and tells them about Flare going into a rundown building, which, for whatever reason, Bellator has an emotional connection to. During their bout with the criminals, Gray, White, and Noah find themselves aided by many powerful allies. Who exactly are these allies, and why is Flare attacking this building?_**

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 28: Heart of the Hive  
Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Duel**  
 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	27. Protect the Pokemon Shelter

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer battling a Malamar and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle a Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White, Snivy, and Boldore battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator and another figure behind him** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Ferus, and two other Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, everyone. Last chapter, Gray and Bellator searched for Potens and ran into Team Flare while doing so. Potens then swooped in and helped dominate alongside Bellator, which led to the Flare grunts fleeing and eventually getting killed by Bryony, who is intent on getting to Gray. This chapter's going to have a decent amount of stuff going on in it, with more Flare grunts coming, and a few allies making their debuts. Also make sure to check out MysticBeatz21's story "The Quest to be the Best: Kanto Saga" since we'll be crossing over at some point in the future. Now, let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Gore. Gore everywhere. That's going to be Bisharp and Bryony in a nutshell. Potens listening is going to be HUGE for not only the team, but for her too. There may or may not be some type of bonding moment(s) like Gray had with Bellator back in Nacrene, and the hatred she has for Unicus and Furcifer, and vice versa, will present some issues that will be remedied with life-threatening situations (that they and Gray will be in). Gore hype!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Don't worry about it. I didn't think you hated Potens, all you did was point out the flaws (or unanswered questions) with the chapter :) And do you mean the behavior of her being vulnerable? Because I do plan on carrying that along, though she'll start to be a badass. Not as badass as Bellator, but pretty damn close_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _That's just the beginning, sir. It's only going to get more violent from here on out... I think XD Bryony, along with her Bisharp, will establish themselves as the top-dogs of the admins/scientists, so they're going to be slicing up a lot of people in the future_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! Bisharp's going to be an assassin, or as close as you can get to being one, and (it's hard to see it now, but) all of the admins will have different personalities and rankings, so Bryony's essentially the commander. Potens remaining on the team creates some stability, and Bellator won't be leaving in the way that you're thinking ;)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Well, I don't forgive you! I kid. I didn't think I'd post three in that span since I've released every chapter I have written so far (week long hiatus is looming), but I figured it'd be really crappy to just leave everyone hanging with Potens leaving and all, which will take a while to get settled (between her, Unicus, and Furcifer, that is). Flare's after Bellator because of what Celosia and Mable told Bryony. It's not all of Flare going after him, but he and Gray are on their radar. Were the deaths really that bad? I thought they were nothing, but that's just me. There'll be more, and I'm hoping to make them disgustingly detailed. Also, Bellator wasn't born in the shelter (good guess), but he does have an emotional connection to it_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks, and it most certainly will help in the long run_

 **FinLay Real:** _Haha, I get that. I tend to hold onto bitterness a bit too long (need to work on that, lol), but after a day or two I feel pretty bad. When Potens does evolve, let's just undersell it and say she'll be strong. Bryony is ruthless and will be appearing soon, so get hyped! And I thought this chapter was going to be a lot better, but it's pretty meh, if I'm going to be totally honest_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _More or less, yeah it did. However, Potens won't be seeing eye-to-eye with Unicus or Furcifer, so it looks like her only friend is Bellator. Ferus is just kind of there, so he won't play too large a roll with that. And there's legitimate reasoning behind Flare's desire to get Bellator (unlike Rocket and how they want a promotion or whatever), and that will eventually be explained. New character hype!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 22, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 29, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 19, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 22, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Are you sure you're good with this lineup?" White asked Gray, looking at the three Pokemon standing before her mentor.

Unicus, Bellator, and Potens had extremely determined looks on their faces while Furcifer frowned at the fact that she wasn't going to be battling. She understood, however, due to her being at a type disadvantage. Plus, Bellator and Unicus were stronger than both her and Potens, so there was no arguing with Gray's decision.

"Yeah, I know you're confident and all, but don't you think... you know," Snivy paused, waiting for Gray to take the hint, which she didn't. "Potens hasn't listened to you yet, so why would she now?" the grass starter inquired.

Potens turned around and locked eyes with Gray, and the two grinned in response, catching White and Snivy by surprise.

"Wait, does that mean-"

Potens nodded once again before White could finish speaking, silencing the sixteen year old. The dragon type then narrowed her eyes and shot a glare at Unicus and Furcifer, neither of whom noticed, before she looked back at White and cracked a grin while Bellator walked over to Ferus.

"How much longer did Chase say you had to sit out?" the Dewott quizzed while looking at Ferus, who frowned and continued laying on his stomach, though he raised his head.

"Another few days, at least," he replied, lowering his head back to the ground as Bellator's solace was crushed. "Don't worry about it, though. Just keep on working and make sure you beat that Gym Leader."

Bellator nodded at the order and grabbed his scalchops while Furcifer walked over and looked at him and Ferus with a smile.

"Want to train?" she asked the Dewott, who nodded right away and prepared to step foot on the battlefield, but both he and Furcifer stopped when they saw White and Noah in the trainer boxes, making Bellator deadpan.

Unicus and Furcifer laughed at the water type's reaction while Potens shook her head, not wanting to laugh because the others were. She nearly screamed when Gray placed a hand on her head, but she kept her mouth shut and looked up at her trainer, who smiled before walking over to her other Pokemon and sitting down next to Ferus.

"Tympole, let's win this thing!" White shouted while turning to the timid creature, who jumped in shock and attempted to hop away. "Snivy, do you mind?"

Shaking her head, Snivy used Vine Whip to grab Tympole and place him on the battlefield, causing him to shake in fear while looking at Noah. The friendly trainer smiled and waved at Tympole, easing the water type's nerves, but that went out the window when Arcanine trotted onto the battlefield.

"No way! I can't beat Arcanine!" Tympole screamed at White as he spun around.

Shaking her head, White squatted and smiled at her timid Pokemon while Boldore and Snivy stood by her sides.

"Look, Tympole, there's only one way we can build your confidence, and that's by winning battles, especially those against Pokemon you think are too strong," the rookie retorted strategically. "Think about it for a second. Wouldn't you feel really good if you beat Arcanine?"

"Yeah, but I can't!"

"You may not be able to, but if we work together, I know we can," White replied while sticking her hand out.

Snivy and Boldore quickly placed their hands on top of White's, and the three eyed Tympole, waiting for him to join the pact.

Sighing, Tympole nodded and placed his tail on top of Boldore's hand, and the group cheered as they threw their arms up along with Tympole's tail. After that, a smile crept onto the tadpole's face, and he turned to Arcanine, bowing apologetically.

"Tympole, we're going to give this battle our all! Use Bubble Beam!"

"Wow, that was... awful," Potens muttered under her breath after watching the attack, nearly making Gray burst out in laughter. "He really isn't meant for battling," she continued quietly.

Before she could say anything else, Potens looked up when she saw Bellator walk towards Tympole and stand by his side, nodding at Arcanine and Noah subtly, which told them to follow his lead.

"Hey, don't get too down about it. What you want to do is make sure you channel all of your energy into your throat, and then when you can't hold it in anymore, just let it rip. Here, watch me," Bellator instructed, drawing a nod from Tympole while Gray, White, and their Pokemon looked on with smiles.

He suddenly took a deep breath and reared his head back while doing so, and he paused for a few seconds. All of the energy he could muster up was rushing to his throat, and when his eyes shot open, Arcanine lowered himself to the ground and prepared for the attack. A wicked blast of high-pressured water zipped across the battlefield and closed in on the fire dog, but he was just able to get out of the way, shocked at how fast Bellator's Water Gun was.

"See? Now let's see you do it."

Tympole slowly closed his jaw and nodded at the elder water type, turning his attention to Arcanine while narrowing his eyes. Arcanine grinned at the newfound look of confidence Tympole was displaying, as did Bellator, but he shot Arcanine a look and nodded once again.

"What's Bellator nodding at?" Unicus inquired, turning to Furcifer and Gray, who both shrugged.

Potens, however, could tell exactly what he was doing just by the way Arcanine and Noah were changing their statures. Finding her teammate acting like an older brother funny, Potens chuckled to herself but stopped when she realized Gray and the others were watching with confused looks. After diverting their attention to Potens, the trio of females turned back to the battlefield when they heard Bellator clapping.

"That's it! Now fire!" he shouted.

Holding nothing back, Tympole unleashed a wicked flurry of bubbles that, while easily avoidable, packed massive power. Arcanine attempted to run out of the way but tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, grunting in pain as he was pelted by the water type attack. Ecstatic with the drastic improvement in the power behind his attack, Tympole began jumping up and down, and Snivy joined in on the celebration while Boldore began to fire Flash Cannon attacks into the air.

"Thank you, Bellator," White said to her mentor's powerhouse, who waved off the comment and bowed, drawing a smile from White.

While Gray, Ferus, Noah, and Arcanine began talking to one another, Unicus and Furcifer ran over to Tympole and celebrated with him. Surprisingly, Potens, perched herself on Gray's shoulder and looked up in the air while her trainer spoke with her friend, but she snapped out of her trance when Gray suddenly turned.

Instead of screeching to get back at the eighteen year old, Potens saw a Pokemon running towards her. Before she could spring into action, Potens watched as Bellator jumped in front of the unfamiliar creature and pointed one of his aquatic blades at its face intimidatingly, stopping the Pokemon dead in its tracks.

"Servine, I told you to get help!" a familiar voice hollered, ringing in White's ears. "Hey, wait a second! White! Gray!"

Bianca stood behind a strange Pokemon that looked fairly similar to Snivy, though its hands looked very similar to leaves. Its brown eyes locked with Snivy's, and the two grass types began growling while Bianca ran over to White and embraced her.

"It's been a while, Bianca! How is everything?" White quizzed, making the blonde beam as she ran over to Gray and hugged her, drawing a scowl from Potens, who fought the urge to scream in Bianca's ears.

Spinning around wildly, the energetic girl tripped over herself and hit the ground, but received help from Noah and Arcanine while they laughed.

"My name's Noah. Nice to meet you," he greeted. "And this is my buddy, Arcanine."

The fire type nodded at Bianca and ran over to Snivy while she continued glaring at the taller snake. They didn't attack each other, though, due to the presence of not only Arcanine, but those of Ferus, Bellator, and Boldore.

"It's been so much fun! My Pokemon have gotten a lot stronger since the last time Gray and I battled. Oh! Snivy evolved back in the Nacrene City Gym, too!"

Turning her attention to the evolved starter, Gray pulled out her Pokedex and scanned the bipedal snake.

"Servine, the Grass Snake Pokemon, and the evolved form of Snivy. They avoid attacks by sinking into the shadows of thick foliage. They retaliate with masterful whipping techniques."

"It certainly looks strong," Gray opined, making Bianca beam with joy until Ferus walked over, sweat dropping at the hyperactive blonde.

"Uh, you were saying something about sending Servine to look for help?" he asked rhetorically, making Bianca face palm while Servine stopped glaring at Snivy and ran over to his trainer.

"Yeah! We were walking by this rundown building when a bunch of people in red suits stormed inside with their Pokemon. It sounded like they were attacking something, but we didn't know what it was."

"And we would've done something about it, but we just battled the Castelia Gym Leader. So would you mind helping? Servine can lead you there, and I'll catch up," Bianca inquired, looking at the trio standing before her, drawing nods immediately.

While Ferus headed into the Pokemon Center with Tympole and Bianca, N and Zoroark, who had been eavesdropping the entire time from the roof of the Pokemon Center, exchanged glances of intrigue before making their way to the ground and pursuing.

000

Noah, White, and Gray stopped in front of the building Servine had led them to and stared at it.

Almost all of the windows were boarded up, save for a few that had cracked glass. Not only that, but the sides of the building appeared to be cracking, while the front door looked as if it had been dinner for a family of termites. Had the wind been blowing hard enough, it wouldn't have shocked any of the trainers if the colossal structure collapsed.

"This is it," Servine stated, turning to White. "I'm going to run back to Bianca and we'll be right back, so be careful in there."

Each of the teens, and their starters, nodded at the words before watching Servine bolt back in the direction of the Pokemon Center. Once they watched her disappear, the trio turned back around and Noah led the charge into the deteriorating building.

Once they entered, Gray bit her lower lip as soon as the floorboards creaked. With each added pound of weight, the brunette felt the floor sink underneath her. Unicus walked alongside her trainer and looked around the room, which was covered entirely in dust while holes were randomly placed in the walls, exposing pipes that contained water.

"Where the hell are they?" Snivy asked aloud as she turned to White, who shrugged and eyed Arcanine as he sniffed the air.

As soon as he bolted out of the room, the group followed Arcanine and he made his way up a flight of stairs. Once the others caught up, they found themselves standing in front of a large red door.

"Arcanine, burn it with Flamethrower!"

Doing just as he was told, Arcanine opened his mouth and unleashed a wave of fire that immediately blasted through the door, creating a hole large enough for everyone to walk through. After doing so, the teens found themselves in a playroom, one that looked to have been for children, or maybe baby Pokemon. Standing on one side of the room were a group of people dressed in red suits, just like Bianca had said, and on the other was a group of Pokemon, trembling in the corner.

"What the hell? How'd those kids find us!?" one of the Flare grunts shouted, pointing at White, Noah, and Gray as they stepped in front of the Pokemon protectively. "Oh well, let's just take 'em out so we can catch those damn Pokemon!"

"Right!" the two other grunts shouted, hurling Pokeballs forwards.

A Golbat, Toxicroak, and Machoke appeared from the spherical devices, prompting the teens to respond with Pokemon of their own.

"Arcanine, you've got this!"

"Snivy, go!"

"Bellator, I choose you!" Gray shouted, hurling the water type's Pokeball.

When he appeared, Bellator drew his scalchops, but stopped when he saw the paint chipping off the walls. Turning, he locked eyes with the group of trembling Pokemon and nodded at Gray, who returned the gesture with a nod of her own. With that, Bellator walked over to the group and turned his translator off while Unicus followed as a means of acting as a bodyguard just in case Bellator was attacked by either the redheaded people, or the Pokemon.

"Furcifer, I choose you!"

Materializing from her Pokeball, Furcifer smirked when she saw the three Pokemon opposing her, Snivy, and Arcanine, and she nodded at her teammates before the first Flare grunt spoke up.

"Golbat, use Wing Attack on Snivy!"

"Arcanine, intercept it with Fire Fang!"

While the battle commenced, Bellator and Unicus continued speaking with the frightened Pokemon, who began talking to one another before nodding and motioning for the bipedal creatures to follow. Glancing at each other, the two shrugged before nodding and flipping their translators on to talk to Gray.

"Gray, we're going to get the Pokemon out of here. We'll be right back," Unicus informed her trainer, who waved her off while focusing on Furcifer, who was in the middle of blocking each punch from the Toxicroak. "Alright, let's go, Bellator," the Sandslash said, drawing a nod as they followed the wild Pokemon to the exit of the building.

"So, how exactly did you guys get here? And what is this place?" Bellator asked, trying to make small talk as he switched his translator off and looked at the group of unfamiliar Pokemon.

A Timburr turned his head and glanced at Bellator before biting his lower lip, not wanting to give an answer. He did, however, when the Dewott shot him a look that gave off the impression that Bellator wasn't in the mood to play any games.

"This is an abandoned Pokemon shelter," a Tranquill announced before Timburr could get a word out. "This is where trainers came to drop off Pokemon they didn't want anymore. Whether it was because they were too weak, they didn't listen, or they just didn't want us, this was the place to go to."

Bellator recoiled at the answer, catching Unicus' attention, but he played it off cooly and walked by his teammate's side while regaining the usual blank look that constantly occupied his face.

"That's awful. Do you know if there are any more of you in here?" Unicus inquired, drawing a nod from the Timburr, who pointed at a large hole in the floor that everyone made certain to avoid.

"Yeah, our leader's somewhere downstairs I think. He wanted us to hide up here while he held them off, but those crazy people didn't go downstairs. They followed us!" the buff Pokemon screamed.

Grabbing Bellator by the shoulders, the fighting type stared him in the eyes with a look of desperation the water type had only seen a few times in his life.

"If you can get him to help you out, there's no way you'll lose. I can assure you that," Timburr stated after the massive group of Pokemon went down a flight of stairs and arrived at the entrance. "Please, be careful. There's no telling what those people are trying to do."

Bellator and Unicus nodded at the fighting type and escorted all of the Pokemon out of the building before looking around for an entrance to the level beneath them. As they did so, Bellator took note of all the broken Pokeballs scattered throughout the building, sending chills down his spine. Unicus subtly looked over at her teammate and watched him load up and kick one of the devices in rage before turning around as if he had done nothing.

"Any ideas?" the Dewott asked, making Unicus smirk devilishly.

Without warning, the ground type slammed her claws into the ground and cut a hole, diving into it. Grinning at the fact that he had no idea what was lurking downstairs, Bellator dove after Unicus, anticipating a horde of enemies. Much to his dismay, he slammed his head against a concrete floor and furiously cursed under his breath. Once he stopped, Bellator looked up to see that the walls were made of stone and the ceiling hadn't been finished, so he could see how the base was constructed.

"Come on, Bellator! We need to find that leader and get back upstairs!" Unicus shouted, grabbing the otter by his hand and yanking him onto his feet.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed throughout the large basement, which had poor lighting, and the two Pokemon stood back-to-back, waiting for whatever was lurking to reveal itself. While Unicus began having a panic attack, Bellator closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to sense the location of the stranger. Suddenly, everything in the darkness of his mind was illuminated, and Bellator hurled his scalchop at the thing approaching him and Unicus.

A loud thud echoed in the room, and the lights suddenly turned on. When they did, both Unicus and Bellator stared at the Pokemon sitting on the ground rubbing its head in pain with an agitated look on its face.

"Who the hell are you!?" Unicus shouted while aiming her claws at the unfamiliar creature.

"I'm the leader of the Pokemon here! I heard you call for me, so I tried finding the lights!" the Pokemon shouted back, making Bellator sweat drop and bow repeatedly. "Now what do you want? We don't have much space, but you can crash here for a night or two."

The two bipedal Pokemon glanced at each other while the much larger, four legged Pokemon rose to its feet, and they turned back before bowing thankfully.

"We appreciate your hospitality, but we have a different favor to ask," Unicus informed the creature, who narrowed their eyes while their ears perked up, catching Unicus off guard.

"The others..." the strange Pokemon muttered under his breath. "Where are the others? What'd you do!?" he interrogated, prompting Bellator to step forward and grab his other scalchop, a blade of water appearing.

Unicus, however, stepped in front of him and held him back.

"They're fine. We just escorted them out, and they told us you'd be able to help our trainer and her friends get those people out of your building," Unicus stated, causing the unfamiliar Pokemon to growl lowly while swiping his front right hoof against the concrete floor.

Bellator stared at the hostile Pokemon and they locked eyes, each seeing the same flash of pain in the others'. Taken back by the look they had never seen in anyone else, the creatures turned away before locking eyes once again. Suddenly, they nodded at one another, and the four legged creature that was the leader of the residents guided Unicus and Bellator towards the stairs.

"Follow me," he ordered, climbing up the stairs while the tamed Pokemon followed. "You know, if you hadn't helped out the others and only told me about your trainer, I would've fought you right then and there."

Unicus sweat dropped at the confessions while Bellator grinned and adjusted his scalchops, picturing himself slashing the tall Pokemon before him. Continuing in silence, the trio of Pokemon stopped all of a sudden when the leader of the shelter began turning his head sharply.

"Whoever's there, I'll kill you!" he bluffed, growling after his proclamation.

Two figures appeared from the shadows of the room with their hands up to let Bellator, Unicus, and the other Pokemon know they meant no harm.

"Relax, please. I'm your friend, and we're here to help you," the soothing voice reassured the leader, who nodded immediately. "I believe I've met you two before," the owner of the voice said, looking at Bellator and Unicus, who stared at the person in shock before noticing the familiar Pokemon by his side.

"N? Zoroark?" Unicus asked, confusing the wild Pokemon beside her. "What are you two doing here?"

"We saw some guys come in and figured we'd check it out," Zoroark fibbed before N could open his mouth, making the vagabond frown. "Have you seen any of them around?"

"Only a few," Bellator started, "but Gray and the others are dealing with them right now. We were just on our way back up there, but we need to hurry."

N and Zoroark nodded at the urgency behind Bellator's voice, and the group headed for the stairs that led to Gray, but they were stopped when a terrifying tree with one red eye threw its hand towards Unicus in an attempt to grab her.

"Ra!" the Pokemon Unicus and Bellator had encountered in the basement grunted as fired a beam of multicolored energy from the white antennae on his head.

Shocked by the attack, the grass type grunted lowly in pain but got back up and shook its head before roaring once again. Unicus bolted away from her attacker, as did Bellator, only because he wanted to keep her safe, and the two stood behind their newest ally alongside N. Zoroark, meanwhile, stepped forwards and looked ready to attack, but she was stopped when the four legged Pokemon next to her shook his head.

"Trev!" the attacker grunted, firing a wave of sharp leaves at the yellow Pokemon.

Instead of moving and having Bellator and Unicus suffer through the pain of the attack, which would have been super effective on them, the yellow and brown Pokemon spun around and pointed its tail at the incoming flurry. Zoroark and N watched as the creature's tail opened its mouth and snapped down on all of the leaves headed its way. However, it barely did anything to the overall power of the attack, and the tall Pokemon cried out in pain as cuts appeared all over his body, making him slouch.

Unicus attempted to check on him, but the Pokemon spun around and roared before slamming his hooves on the ground. A large bullet of black energy zipped through the air and slammed into the ghost type Pokemon that had suddenly appeared, knocking it out cold and into another room. Unicus immediately cheered for her hero while Bellator cracked a slight grin and nodded, but they stopped when the four legged animal standing before them fell to the ground in exhaustion.

"He's malnourished, which is why that Razor Leaf attack did so much damage," N informed Gray's Pokemon, who eyed their new ally worriedly.

Somehow, the quadruped defied all odds and forced himself to his feet, letting out a proud roar that ignited his allies.

"Come on, everyone! Let's hurry!" Bellator shouted, bounding up the stairs with the others following close behind.

000

Meanwhile, in the playroom, the Flare grunts were somehow managing to overwhelm Gray, Noah, and White.

"Now use Poison Jab on Snivy!"

Toxicroak did a front flip in the air while his hands were glowing, and he reared back before punching Snivy in the face, launching her into White and across the room. Both Gray and Noah turned along with Furcifer and Arcanine, but their attention was drawn back to the battle when one of the grunts spoke up.

"Machoke, charge at Sneasel and use Vital Throw!"

"Use your speed to your advantage, Furcifer! Quick Attack!" Gray commanded, throwing her right hand forwards while White and Snivy sprinted back to the battle.

"Arcanine, kick it into high gear and use Extreme Speed on Toxicroak!"

Both Pokemon sped across the room while white rays of light trailed their bodies, and they lunged at their targets. Arcanine slammed into Toxicroak headfirst while the poison type tried preventing Furcifer from reaching top speed. Then, after that, Furcifer snickered and Gray snapped her fingers while Machoke lunged forward and attempted to grab his opponent.

"Jump back and freeze his feet to the ground with Icy Wind!"

Furcifer ducked underneath Machoke's attempted grab, and she performed a backflip before unleashing a wicked gust of wind, which caused ice to form around Machoke's feet. As soon as he was immobilized, Machoke turned to his trainer and grinned sheepishly, though the redheaded man behind him didn't take the situation lightly.

"Snivy, finish Machoke off with Vine Whip!"

Shocked by White's return to the battle, none of the Flare grunts were prepared to deal with her or Snivy, allowing the grass type starter to smack Machoke as violently as she could with the two green vines shooting out of her neck. After one final blow across the face, the ice around Machoke's feet shattered and his eyes were closed, making the man wearing a red suit withdraw his Pokemon in disgust.

"Golbat, hit Snivy with another Wing Attack!"

"And use Brick Break on Sneasel repeatedly!"

Golbat let out a deafening, and irritating shriek before zipping towards Snivy, who attempted to back away but tripped as a result, leaving her defenseless. Toxicroak, meanwhile, ran at Furcifer while both of his hands were glowing white, and he swung at the ice type, who began to dodge each strike acrobatically.

"Get in front of Snivy and use Fire Fang on Golbat, Arcanine!" Noah commanded, throwing his left hand straight out to the side.

The fire type strode to his left and acted like a wall for Snivy. However, he was going to hit Golbat back with ten times as much force, and Noah grinned at that. He then turned to White and Snivy, and they nodded at each other before watching Arcanine open his mouth and snap his jaws down on Golbat's head before it could attack. An explosion occurred as a result of the sudden burst of fire from Arcanine's mouth, and Golbat bounced along the creaky would floorboards before rising to its feet, albeit barely.

"Furcifer, keep dodging and counter with Fury Swipes!" Gray countered as everyone turned their attention to her.

Grunting to acknowledge her trainer, Furcifer continued evading each and every one of Toxicroak's Brick Break attacks before taking a chance and throwing her right arm at his right, slashing it as long white claws extended from Furcifer's hands. Toxicroak grunted in pain and stumbled back slightly before Furcifer began violently slashing him across the chest, finishing her onslaught with a punch to the face, which sent Toxicroak crashing into Golbat. As soon as she saw that, White knew she had the perfect opportunity to end the battle, so she threw her hand forwards and spoke with conviction.

"Grab and smash them into each other with Vine Whip, Snivy!"

Snivy smirked at the command as two vines appeared from her neck, and they quickly wrapped around her opponents. Then, she slammed them into each other as hard as she could, knocking bot poison types out cold immediately.

The three Flare members were left without a single Pokemon, yet, for whatever reason, they all continued smirking smugly, throwing Gray, White, and Noah off while their Pokemon nodded at each other.

"Why are you three thugs still smiling? You just got beaten by a group of kids!" White interrogated, making the trio laugh until an idea popped into Gray's head, prompting her to take out a Pokeball.

"Ooh, what's she going to do? Please, we all know you won't kill us!" another grunt announced, bringing Gray's mind back to a conversation she had with Aliana when they met.

 _"We all know you're not going to actually attack me. You don't have what it takes to do that."_

Releasing Potens from her Pokeball, Gray nodded at the dragon type while the three Flare members raised their eyebrows. They weren't intimidated by the tiny bat in the slightest, but something was telling them they should be.

"I know I'd never kill you, but I can get answers out of you," the eighteen year old shot back with a twisted look on her face, scaring the three adults. "Now what are you doing here?" Gray interrogated.

The Flare grunts remained silent, prompting Gray to turn and nod at Potens, who nodded in response.

"Potens, scream right in their ears!"

As Potens flew over to the Flare grunts, she mustered up every bit of energy she could before unleashing a deafening screech that seemed like it wasn't going to end, making the three men scream while, luckily for the teens, Arcanine used Protect and shielded them from the sound.

"Okay! Okay! We give!"

Potens stopped and flew back over to Gray, drawing an impressed look from Furcifer, and the three men covered their ears in pain, too distracted to speak. However, one look from Potens got their memory working, and the one in the middle stepped forwards.

"We don't know why we're here," the man said as Bellator, Unicus, N, Zoroark, and the unidentified Pokemon appeared in the room, stepping through the burnt door. "You have to believe us! We're at the very bottom of Team Flare, so we're disposable. They don't tell us anything!"

The lights in the room suddenly shut off and everyone began panicking until Arcanine began releasing a tiny stream of fire from his mouth, acting almost like a candle. However, the lights turned on and the three Flare grunts were gone, shocking the massive group as they looked around. Luckily for her, Gray caught a glimpse of a red suit out of the corner of her eye hopping out one of one of the windows in the staircase, prompting her and everyone else to pursue.

"Get back here!" the young women screamed as she leaped through the large, square hole, only to find herself free falling. "AGH!" she screamed at the top of her lungs until her momentum was stopped instantly. "What the?" Gray asked herself as she turned her neck around as far as she could before gasping in shock.

Holding onto the back of her shirt was Zoroark, who was being held by N, who was leaning out of the window. The two smiled at Gray and nodded before being pulled back into the rundown shelter by Noah and White. After they all laid on the ground, Gray slowly looked up and locked eyes with N and his dark type comrade, finding herself smiling at them.

"You two saved my life," she said in a hush whisper. "I can't thank you enough. I didn't think those guys were..." the Kantonian paused and looked back out the window, only to see the three Flare grunts' lifeless bodies splattered on the pavement.

"There's no need to thank us," Zoroark replied bashfully while rubbing her hair sheepishly.

"You can say that again, Zoroark," N said, laughing afterwards. "If you're going to thank anyone, it should be this Pokemon right here. He protected us from a Trevenant that tried blocking our way up here," the green haired vagabond announced, patting the large, and unfamiliar Pokemon on the head while White took out her Pokedex.

"Girafarig, the Long Neck Pokemon. Its tail, which also contains a small brain, may bite on its own if it notices an alluring smell."

"Are you two okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Gray asked worriedly as she checked on both of her Pokemon, who rolled their eyes like a child would to their mother.

"No, we're fine," Unicus said, groaning as Gray made sure to double check that she didn't miss any cuts or bruises.

"Yeah, Girafarig's the reason we're safe. If he wasn't with us, there's no telling what would've become of us and you," Bellator added, drawing a nod from Unicus while the powerful psychic type looked at Gray and bowed.

"Thank you for keeping these two safe, Girafarig. Here, you're going to need this," Gray stated, pulling a Full Restore out of her bag.

Girafarig's eyes went wide in fear as soon as Gray made the sudden movement towards him, and he tripped over his own feet while trying to back away, worrying the Kanto native, her friends, and N.

"Are you okay? Here, let me put this translator on you so I can understand what you're saying."

Girafarig attempted to fight back, but he stopped when he made eye contact with each of Gray's Pokemon, who all gave him reassuring looks, easing his nerves. Once the device was strapped around his neck and turned on, Girafarig looked around in confusion before catching on.

"Hi," he greeted, flinching violently at the sound of the voice escaping the translator. "I don't need the medicine, thank you very much," he continued, turning his head away from Gray, who wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Come on," Snivy started, drawing the psychic type's attention as she sat on White's shoulder, "just trust Gray. She'd never try to hurt you."

Girafarig uneasily shifted his gaze to the girl before him, and he sighed and nodded. Gray quickly sprayed over the wounds on Girafarig's body and they disappeared immediately, reenergizing the quadruped.

"See? Don't you feel better now?" Furcifer asked, drawing a nod from the significantly taller Pokemon.

"Great! Now all we have to do is find the other Pokemon that were living here, and everything's back to normal!" Unicus exclaimed, drawing a nod from Gray, which caught the attention of Girafarig. He didn't say anything, though, and the large group began their way down the stairs and towards the front entrance in hopes of gathering all of the sheltered Pokemon.

000

After hours of searching, the group finally managed to get each of the Pokemon back to the shelter, and Gray smiled along with White, Noah, and N as they looked at the large group of Pokemon standing right outside the entrance.

"It was great getting to meet you all. I hope everything around here goes back to normal, and I doubt you'll be hearing from Team Flare again," Gray said, drawing dozens of nods before all of the Pokemon funneled into the rundown building.

Slowly, Girafarig made his way towards the doors and turned to lock eyes with Gray's Pokemon, specifically Bellator, who nodded solemnly. Doing the same, Girafarig turned back around and headed inside, prompting the four humans to leave.

"Wait! I forgot to give this back to you!"

Spinning around, Gray watched as Girafarig galloped after her and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, making everyone passing by curse in frustration while the trainers and Pokemon paid no attention.

"Oh, thanks, Girafarig! Not only are you smart, you're also really nice," Gray complimented, making the psychic type smile before he bowed thankfully. "Here, let me get that for you."

Just as Gray reached out to unstrap the translator, Girafarig moved his neck back, causing Gray to look up at him.

"Actually, I was thinking," the psychic type started before looking away. He took a deep breath after counting to three and turned back to Gray. "I was thinking maybe I could come along with you, that is, if you don't mind."

Girafarig stared at Gray as she smiled, and then he glanced at each of her Pokemon. All four nodded right away, as did Noah, Arcanine, Snivy, and White. N and Zoroark looked at each other and the pale human's facial expression turned to one of the utmosts seriousness, drawing a nod from his friend.

"I don't mind at all!" Gray exclaimed, making Girafarig prance in place with a bright smile.

"Wait, who's going to take care of the shelter if you're with us?" Noah questioned.

Stepping forward, Bellator raised his hand and looked at Gray and Girafarig, confusing them both.

"I'll do it. They need a leader if you're going to go with Gray, and I'll fill in if you want me to," he stated, making everyone except Girafarig gasp.

"Don't worry about that, there are a bunch of Pokemon in there that are more than capable," the psychic type responded before turning his attention back to Gray, who eagerly grabbed one of the two empty Pokeballs on her belt and enlarged it by tapping the white button in the middle. Bellator, meanwhile, nodded and backed away, though he continued staring at the building and began to clench his fists.

"Go, Pokeball!"

Gray tossed the spherical device lightly and she, along with her friends and Pokemon, watched as it shook from left to right

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

Without wasting a moment, Gray grabbed and flung the Pokeball straight up, releasing Girafarig before she began digging through her backpack. After finding her latin dictionary, Gray looked up at Girafarig and tapped her index finger against her cheek several times as she continued examining her newest Pokemon.

"What's she doing?" Noah and N asked in unison as they stared at White, who sweat dropped at the inquiry along with Snivy before responding.

"It's something she does with all of her Pokemon. She likes naming them based on their personalities."

"Or, in Bellator's case, what he wanted to be called," Unicus added while looking at the two males, who laughed as Bellator face palmed at the embarrassing memory of when he demanded what his nickname be.

"I think I have the perfect nickname for you, Girafarig," Gray announced.

"Yeah? What is it?" the psychic type asked, prompting his trainer to show him the dictionary and point at the word she found suitable. "I love it!"

"Great! Welcome to the team, Celsus!"

000

"She did it again," Bisharp said aloud, shaking his head while standing next to his trainer and before Lysandre. "I know we've been flirting with this idea for a while now, but I really think it's time you let us intervene, sir," the dark type told Lysandre as he dropped to one knee and stared at the ground.

Tapping on his wine glass, Lysandre began stroking his bear with his other hand before laughing to himself, which caught Bryony's attention. She didn't say anything, however, in fear of the consequences that were a direct result of speaking out of turn.

"Very well, you may go after this girl," the entrepreneur informed Bisharp and Bryony, who bowed in unison "but only under one condition."

The two looked up and into Lysandre's eyes while Pyroar made his way over to his trainer's side and sat down, staring daggers at Bisharp.

"I do not want you to kill her _if_ she proves to be a challenge."

"But-"

"If she does end up battling as well as I'm picturing right now, she'll draw too much attention. Then, if you were to kill her, Team Flare would receive too much attention. Remember, people think we were ousted by that Tyler kid back in Kalos a few years ago. We're lucky Team Grim was around at the same time."

Bryony and Bisharp nodded at their boss' orders and began walking out of the conference room, but stopped just before walking out, grabbing Lysandre's attention.

"Don't worry, she won't draw a crowd," Bryony vowed, closing the door behind her.

* * *

 **Oh yeah! New capture! Celsus will be a very powerful addition to the team, which is looking like the strongest Gray has ever had. However, that'll be put to the test next chapter with** **Gray's Gym Battle against Burgh. It might take me a while to write that because I want each Gym Battle to have its own unique thing (like the first Gym), so please bear with me.** **Till then, peace out.** **Also, I know this title was misleading, and I'm really sorry about that, so I'm going to change it. Again, sorry!**

 **1) Thoughts on Celsus?  
2) Who should battle against Burgh? (3 vs 3)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Heart of the Hive"**_

 ** _Ready to win her third badge, Gray and her Pokemon are in for a tough challenge when they are forced to combat in an environment geared to aide Burgh and his bug types. Will Gray be able to achieve victory despite the familiarity Burgh's Pokemon have with the battlefield?_**

* * *

 **Castelia City Arc**

 **Chapter 29: A Dual Wield Dual  
Chapter 30: Testing the Subject**


	28. Heart of the Hive

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, and Celsus battling in the background, and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White, Snivy, and Boldore battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator and another figure behind him** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Ferus, and another Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome back, dearest readers! Last chapter, Gray, White, and Noah were approached by Bianca about some people breaking into a (rundown) building, which ended up being Team Flare and an abandoned Pokemon shelter. N and Zoroark swung by to help and arrived in the nick of time to save Gray from accidentally killing herself (hard to explain). Also, Gray caught one of the shelter residents, a Girafarig, who was the leader of the group. As for this chapter, it will** **be Gray's Gym Battle against Burgh and his bug types. And, as usual, FF logged me out when I tried saving the introduction (which was around 2,000 words) so please forgive me if the opening is rushed. Now let's get going!**

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Yeah, Girafarig is freakishly underused and I'm glad he won the poll. Bellator's not going to be released, and the teasing I'm doing is towards something else, though I do understand the confusion. And because of how prominent he's been so far, releasing him would be such a slap in the face to not only you guys, but me too_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Celsus is going to be awesome, and his personality's going to be pretty unique, I hope. He won't really get to show his true colors until the Nimbasa Arc, though, and Bellator's past will be revealed pretty soon, so you'll know why he acted the way he did_

 **Defender31415:** _New capture! And faking you guys out wasn't done intentionally. I wouldn't make him being released that obvious, and something was supposed to happen that made Bellator change, so he'd be saying goodbye to that part of himself. The idea was scrapped, though, so it's not important :D_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Haha, Purity wasn't handled well at all, and Flare's going to be popping up a lot. Like, every arc (except maybe Nimbasa) And the team you picked is right! Those three are going to be participating, and Celsus will be pretty strong throughout the entire story, and thanks!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Yup. Her last Pokemon won't be that strong, it'll serve more as a tank, since her team is sorely lacking one_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Haha, there won't be any Samurott appearing in this story (Bellator being a Dewott won the poll), and no one will be dying next chapter. Maybe later, but not right now_

 **FinaLay Real:** _Yeah, it did say Celsus. I have all the names posted on my profile, since none of them are indicative of the actual Pokemon, just their personality. You're right with him being similar to Bellator, except more outspoken, and he'll try to take on the role of being the leader. And he'll be debuting against Burgh, so get pumped!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Misleading title is misleading. Celsus will definitely be an interesting addition_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 22, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Fury Cutter* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 29, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 22, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 22, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus (m), level 23, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Sitting on the bleachers alongside the battlefield, White, her Pokemon, Noah, Arcanine, Bellator, Furcifer, and Ferus stared at Gray and Unicus while they waited for the Gym Leader to reveal themselves.

The battlefield was free of any terrain, except for a few trees on the sides that made it feel like a forest, and there were also tree branches hanging overhead, making it similar to Bugsy's Gym.

"Unicus, let's win this thing," Gray whispered to her starter, who nodded and slammed her claws into the ground excitedly.

As soon as Unicus did so, the Gym Leader revealed himself as he stumbled out of some of the trees directly across from Gray, making her sweat drop along with everyone on the sidelines. Even the referee shook her head and stared at the man as if he were an idiot, making him laugh heartily once he stepped foot in the trainer box.

"Sorry about running late. I was just working on some art and lost track of time. Anyhow, my name's Burgh, and welcome to the Castelia City Gym!"

"Thanks. My name's Gray," the eighteen year old responded while bowing alongside her starter, making Burgh grin before he turned to the referee and nodded.

"This will be a three versus three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Castelia City Gym Leader, Burgh! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Burgh, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Take center stage, Forretress!" the brown haired man shouted, hurling his first Pokeball.

As soon as the device opened, a bulky Pokemon appeared and floated a foot above the ground, staring at Gray and Unicus, both of whom were thrown off by the creepy look. The referee then turned to Gray and pointed at her, prompting the brunette to grab a Pokeball off her belt.

"Potens, I choose you!"

Once the Pokeball reached its apex, Potens materialized and flew around for a few seconds before landing on the ground and locking eyes with her opponent. While the staring contest continued, Noah, White, and the other Pokemon began speaking.

"Well, this should be a pretty even battle," Noah opined, drawing nods from Arcanine and Ferus while Furcifer glared at Potens. Bellator, meanwhile, analyzed the battlefield, specifically the webs hanging from the ceiling that managed to creep through the branches.

"Why? Potens is a flying type, and Forretress is a bug type," White asked in confusion.

"Forretress is also part steel, so Potens' flying type attacks are reduced to be neutral. Plus, steel type attacks are neutral against both dragon and flying types, so there's no advantage in that department," Arcanine told the rookie, who began jotting down the key points of the explanation.

"But where Potens does have the advantage is speed. She blows Forretress out of the water when it comes to that. She does have way lower defenses, though. Really, this specific matchup is going to come down to a combination of which trainer is better, and which Pokemon's stronger," Ferus said, drawing nods from Noah and Arcanine while White took notes with Snivy, Tympole, and Boldore.

"A dragon type, eh? That's quite the testament to your abilities as a trainer, Gray. Owning a dragon so early in your travels is a feat very few can say they've accomplished," Burgh commended as he smiled at his challenger and her Pokemon. "Whether you have her respect or not is the real indicator of your talents, though."

"Thanks, and don't worry! Potens and I are going to go at you with everything we've got!" Gray proclaimed while sticking her fist out and towards Burgh, who laughed at the confident response.

"Yeah! We're not holding anything back!" Potens declared, reaffirming her trainer's statement.

"Well, you have me intrigued. Let's not wait any longer. I need to see your power."

Picking up on her boss' verbal cue, the referee raised her arms in the air and began to speak.

"This battle will be between Potens and Forretress! Begin!"

"Forretress, start by using Spikes!"

Without hesitation, Forretress began spinning like a top and shot several large spikes made of metal towards Potens, who took to the air and avoided them. Gray, however, began rubbing her chin and thought of how she should go about combatting Burgh and his steel type, who threw a wrench in her plans, to say the least.

"Let's be smart here. Use Agility, Potens! Then follow it up with Wing Attack!" Gray commanded.

Potens nodded and began appearing in random spots on the battlefield, confusing Forretress while Burgh cursed under his breath. After Potens stopped, a ring of blue light spun around her, raising her speed as a result. She then swooped down while her wings extended and began glowing white, but Burgh wasn't going to stand by and let his Pokemon get hit.

"Don't let her get close to you! Fire a Flash Cannon attack!"

Forretress unleashed a wicked blast of silver energy from his mouth, but Potens somehow flew around it, catching everyone by surprise. Using her boosted speed to her advantage, Potens slammed her wings against Forretress, dealing a fair amount of damage to the bulky bug, who flew back to Burgh's side and grunted in pain while shaking his head.

"Keep it up, Potens! Use Gust to send the spikes back onto Forretress' side of the battlefield!"

Flying back to her trainer's side, Potens began whipping her wings as powerfully as she could, creating an extremely powerful burst of wind that launched all of the spikes back onto Burgh's half of the battlefield. However, the Gym Leader's quick thinking gave him the opportunity to crush Potens.

"While they're busy use Gyro Ball!"

Spinning as quickly as he could, Forretress was engulfed in a silver light and spun like a drill as he closed in on his dragon type opponent. As soon as Potens cleared her side of the battlefield, she gasped when Forretress slammed into her, sending her bouncing into Gray.

"Are you okay, Potens?" the girl asked in concern while her Pokemon slowly rose to her feet.

"Yeah, that was nothing," the Noibat replied slyly, despite grimacing in pain.

"That's what I like to hear! Use Wing Attack and spin!"

Doing as she was told, Potens began spinning like a drill while her wings began glowing white. Once she reached her top speed, Potens began roaring while a ring of white light appeared around her almost like a donut, which occurred due to the velocity with which she was spinning. Burgh grinned at the power of the incoming Pokemon, and he threw his hand forwards.

"Don't back down! Use Double-Edge!" he cried.

Forretress launched himself at Potens while he was engulfed in a white coat of light, and he collided with Potens. An explosion occurred instantly, and both Pokemon were thrown into the air. While Forretress slammed into one of the tree branches overhead, Potens was immobilized by the webs hanging from the trees, making her flail violently.

"Use Agility!" Gray screamed desperately, not knowing how to help her Pokemon.

Potens attempted to boost her speed, but Burgh was quick to prevent her from breaking free of the web's grasp.

"Hit her with Flash Cannon!"

Forretress quickly unleashed a blast of silver light and it exploded on contact with Potens, who let out a pained cry as she fell to the ground limply. Everyone stared as she continued plummeting, but Gray cleared her throat and punched her fist forwards.

"Potens, I know you can do it! Use a spinning Wing Attack!"

The dragon's eyes suddenly shot open and she began spinning as fast as she could, catching Burgh and his Pokemon off guard, allowing Potens to close in on them in a heartbeat.

"Gyro Ball, Forretress!" the Gym Leader ordered hurriedly.

Forretress had just enough time to perform his attack, and he collided with Potens. The two Pokemon battled back and forth for several seconds before a wave of force suddenly hurled them towards their trainers, who watched in shock.

The referee looked at both sides and threw her arms up once she saw that both Pokemon's eyes were shut tight.

"Both Pokemon are unable to continue! Trainers, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Potens, that was incredible! Thanks for all the hard work," Gray whispered with a smile as she withdrew the unconscious Noibat in her arms. "I've gotta hand it to you, Burgh, your knowledge of the battlefield completely changed the momentum."

The Gym Leader laughed and clipped Forretress' Pokeball onto his belt and grabbed a different device eagerly.

"Thanks, I try," the young man shot back playfully, drawing a laugh from Gray while the spectators had mixed reactions.

White was too focused on writing about every little thing both Gray and Burgh had done during the battle with the assistance of her Pokemon, Noah scowled jealously as he watched Gray continue to laugh with the Gym Leader, Ferus and Arcanine talked about how they could've swept Burgh's team all because of his specialization in bug types, and Bellator maintained a straight face, not finding humor during battle to be amusing. Furcifer turned and saw the cold look on her teammate's face and sweat dropped immediately before shifting her attention back to the battlefield.

"Now let's see how you handle my second Pokemon. Take center stage, Scolipede!"

Gray and her supporters stared as a massive centipede appeared in front of Burgh. To say its size was imposing would be an understatement, though Bellator, Ferus, and Gray maintained their confidence while Scolipede recoiled in pain due to Spikes, which Potens had sent right back.

"If you're going with brute strength, then I will too! Celsus, let's rock and roll!" the brunette yelled, chucking her second Pokeball.

Everyone gasped when Gray's newest Pokemon appeared in front of her, and even he seemed shocked by participating in the battle. However, when he saw the look in Gray's eyes, his confidence was restored, and he slammed his hooves on the ground while glaring at Scolipede.

"Interesting. First you choose the type advantage and a Pokemon that focuses on different statistics than mine. Now you put yourself at a disadvantage and pick a Pokemon with the same strengths as mine. I can't tell if you're hard to read, or just crazy."

"I'm a bit of both," Gray answered, drawing a grin from Burgh while Noah began to steam, staring daggers at the Gym Leader.

Once the conversation ceased, the referee raised her arms and looked at both sides closely.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Scolipede! Begin!"

"Scolipede, charge and use Megahorn!"

Wanting to get the battle off to a quick start, Scolipede took off at a breakneck pace and slithered towards his four legged opponent while the two horns on his head extended and combined to form one massive horn that was glowing dark green. Bellator, Furcifer, and the other Pokemon stared at Celsus, waiting to see how he'd react to being in his first battle with Gray, but they turned their attention to the brunette when her voice exploded into the air.

"Dodge it and use Psybeam, Celsus!" she bellowed.

Surprisingly, the Girafarig hopped out of the way of the violent attack, and as he was running, he hopped into the air, spun, and fired a multicolored beam of psychic energy from the two antennae on his head. Burgh watched as Scolipede was blasted by the super effective attack, and the strength of it sent the large bug tumbling towards Gray while Celsus stood confidently in the middle of the battlefield.

"Wow! That was strong!" Furcifer exclaimed as she looked around at everyone. "This guy's not too bad," the Sneasel continued, smirking while focusing her sites on Bellator, waiting to hear the knowledgeable Pokemon's opinion.

The water type responded with a simple nod, not wanting to engage in conversation while he watched the battle, which made Furcifer pout. Watching the interaction between the two, both Arcanine and Ferus laughed and shook their heads at Bellator's personality, one which they had never encountered before.

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Scolipede and Celsus ran back to their trainers and continued staring at one another until Celsus heard Gray speak.

"Nice shot, Celsus!" the Kantonian commended while nodding at her newest Pokemon. Celsus nodded back before turning his attention to Scolipede and Burgh, both of whom were grinning excitedly, which perplexed the Girafarig.

"Don't hold anything back, Scolipede! Rock Climb!" Burgh ordered.

Scolipede lifted part of his body off the ground before slamming against it, causing a massive body of rocks to shoot out of the ground and send Celsus into the air. While the bug scaled the rocks, Celsus looked around uneasily, unable to get solid footing. Because of how uncomfortable he was, Celsus was crushed by Scolipede, who whacked him across the face. The psychic type was sent rolling down the mountain of rocks and when he hit the ground, they disappeared and his opponent retreated with a grin.

"Hang in there, Celsus! Retaliate with Stomp!"

Shooting forwards, Celsus locked his sites on Scolipede, but Burgh's tactics prevented him from landing a devastating blow.

"Evade it with Double Team!" he called.

Just as Celsus crashed towards Scolipede, the bug type made copies of himself and Celsus passed through one of the fakes. Turning around, he found himself surrounded by six Scolipede, but somehow he managed to maintain his confidence.

"Spin and use Confusion!" Gray roared, slamming her right foot against the ground.

Celsus did the same thing as Gray and slammed his front hooves against the ground before unleashing blasts of red energy from his eyes and spinning as quickly as he could. Because he moved so quickly, Celsus was able to strike the real Scolipede, who was sent rolling back to Burgh's side while crying in pain. As Scolipede struggled to get up, Burgh bit his lower lip in concern.

Ferus, meanwhile, grinned at Celsus as he trotted back to Gray and looked ready to continue fighting. He then turned to Bellator and Furcifer while thinking of their attitudes when battling before finally looking at Gray.

 _"This team she has right now is special,"_ the dark type thought to himself. _"They're definitely a lot stronger than me and the others, that's for sure."_

"Scolipede, fire a Venoshock attack!" Burgh roared, snapping Ferus out of his thoughts.

Lifting his head off the ground, Scolipede shot a blast of purple poison at Celsus, who was struck and fell on his side as a result of the impact. However, he got back on his feet without hesitation and nodded at Gray, who grinned in response.

"Let's finish this! Assurance!" she demanded, drawing another nod from her Pokemon.

Celsus suddenly turned around and pointed his creepy tail at Scolipede, and a blast of black energy was shot towards the bug. Unable to move due to the pain rushing through his body, Scolipede took the attack head-on and let out a pained cry as he was thrown past Burgh and into the trees behind him, causing the Gym Leader to turn in shock.

"Scolipede is unable to battle! Burgh, choose your last Pokemon!" the referee ordered, knowing there was no chance Scolipede was going to get up.

"Wow, Celsus actually won. I wasn't expecting that at all," Arcanine announced as the giraffe walked over to Gray and Unicus with a proud smile.

"You guys saw all of that, right? Boldore, how'd Celsus move?" White asked while looking up from her notes.

"Never in a straight line. He was always changing direction."

"Oh, I didn't even realize that," the rookie muttered, writing down what her Pokemon had told her.

"He's pretty strong. A lot stronger than I expected," Furcifer said to Bellator in another attempt to engage in conversation. The Dewott, who had his arms folded across his chest, continued looking out at the battlefield and nodded.

"Yeah, he did really well," Bellator replied as he continued eyeing Celsus intently, noticing the slight signs of fatigue he was trying to hide from Gray, who was oblivious to her Pokemon's physical state.

"That was a gutsy call, and it paid off. You both earned that victory," Burgh commended, smiling at his opponent as she rubbed her Pokemon's head. "But this battle's just getting started. Take center stage, Leavanny!"

With his final Pokeball opening, Burgh beamed when a strange, bipedal Pokemon appeared and landed on the spikes, which did little damage.

Bellator's disinterested expression vanished as soon as he saw the creature opposing Celsus, and everyone seemed to notice, as they stared at him. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Bellator bowed apologetically before moving down the bleachers so he could get a better look at the battle.

"Thanks, Burgh. We're just getting started, too!" Gray shot back with a confident grin, which faded when Burgh grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's see what kind of Pokemon that is first."

"Leavanny, the Nurturing Pokemon, and the evolved form of Swadloon. It keeps its eggs warm with heat from fermenting leaves. It also uses leaves to make warm wrappings for Sewaddle."

Staring at the creature as it appeared to be sharpening the blades it had for arms, Gray eyed Celsus uneasily as he walked forwards and panted slightly, still tired from his battle. However, the brunette decided to stick with her guns, and the referee raised her arms.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Leavanny! Begin!"

"Celsus, use Psybeam to start!"

Not wasting a second, Celsus aimed his antennae at Leavanny and fired a multicolored beam of psychic energy at her. Despite the speed of the attack, Burgh and his Pokemon were more than capable of countering, which they did.

"Jump out of the way and use Razor Leaf!"

Leavanny sprung into the air and effortlessly dodged the psychic type attack, catching Celsus and Gray by surprise while Bellator leaned forward and watched with intrigue. When Leavanny reached the apex of her jump, she grabbed onto the tree branches hanging over the battlefield and swung herself so that she was standing. Afterwards, she sent hundreds of leaves towards Celsus, who was pelted by the attack and began grunting in pain.

"Hang in there, buddy! Stomp!" Gray called as Leavanny jumped off the branch and landed back on the battlefield with a confident look on her face.

Sprinting at his target, Celsus leaped forwards as his front hooves began glowing white, but Burgh countered at light-speed, making Gray gasp in shock along with everyone else watching.

"Hit him with Toxic!"

Leavanny spat a wad of poison at Celsus and he was hit by the status-inducing attack, which stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Celsus!" Gray shouted in concern as her Pokemon crashed into the ground and tried his hardest to get onto his feet. He wasn't able to, however, and Burgh nodded at Leavanny.

"End this with Fell Stinger!"

Without hesitation, Leavanny ran forwards and the antennae on her head began to glow light green. Then, rearing back, she grunted and stabbed Celsus in the side, making him scream bloody-murder before going unconscious. leaving the entire room in silence until the referee spoke up.

"Celsus is unable to continued! Gray, choose your final Pokemon!"

"This is really bad," Noah muttered as he began biting his fingernails, grabbing White's attention. "If Fell Stinger makes the target faint, the user's attack stat is increased by two stages!" he shouted.

Snivy, Tympole, and Boldore turned to catch a glimpse of Leavanny, and their eyes went wide when two rings of red light spun around her body.

"Thank you so much, Celsus. I know that's just the first of many wins we'll earn together," Gray whispered to the fainted creature's Pokeball before clipping it on her belt. Then, she turned to Unicus and placed a hand on her head, motioning for the ground type to battle. "We're counting on you, Unicus. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Unicus turned away from Gray and stared at Leavanny, who motioned for her to charge, and then looked back at her trainer with a solemn expression.

"Let's just do our thing, and we'll take this without a problem. I guarantee it," Unicus told Gray, who rubbed the back of her head sheepishly while watching her starter roll onto the battlefield. Suddenly, Unicus shot out of her ball form and began slashing at the air while staring at Leavanny, who began sharpening her arms.

"Come on, Unicus! You can do it!" Boldore cheered as he stopped taking notes and made his way to Bellator's side in order to get a better look at the battle.

Doing the same, all of the Pokemon ran over to the wall and began cheering for Unicus while Noah and White continued sitting. The older boy, however, cleared his throat and spoke up as he turned to White.

"You know, I think it might be better if you just watched the battle instead of writing about it," he opined before making his way to Arcanine's side.

Seeing everyone jumping up and down excitedly, White cracked a grin and placed her notes down before appearing by Noah's side.

"Let's go, Unicus!"

Hearing the support of her friends, Unicus narrowed her eyes as she glared at Leavanny, and the grass type did the same while the ref raised her arms.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Leavanny! Begin!"

"Leavanny, use Toxic!"

Opening her mouth, Leavanny inhaled dramatically before shooting a wad of purple poison at her ground type opponent. However, Gray and her starter were more than ready to counter the predictable attack.

"No way! Destroy it with Swift and then use Rollout!" the brunette shouted.

Unicus threw both of her arms forwards and sent waves of golden stars at the large glob of poison, and the attacks collided. As soon as an explosion occurred, Unicus rolled across the battlefield and towards Leavanny. When she shot out of the cloud of smoke, Burgh grinned along with Leavanny and threw his right arm out to his side.

"Perfect. Send Unicus flying with Leaf Blade!" he commanded.

With her arms glowing light green, Leavanny ran towards Unicus and prepared to assault her opponent. With a mighty swing of both her arms, Leavanny struck Unicus and sent her bouncing back to Gray's side, but the girl and her starter didn't seem to be worried or fearful in the slightest, instead grinning, which made Burgh raise his eyebrows.

"Don't back down, Unicus! Charge right at her and use Crush Claw repeatedly!" Gray barked.

Unicus grinned and took a runner's stance before shooting towards Leavanny, her claws glowing cobalt. Not one to back down from a challenge, Burgh cleared his throat and issued another command to his strongest Pokemon, who was ready to attack.

"If you want hand-to-hand combat, then that's what we'll give you! Leavanny, Leaf Blade!"

As soon as Unicus swung at her, Leavanny blocked with Leaf Blade, and the two began swinging at one another. Enamored with the intense battling styles of both sides, everyone on the sidelines began screaming at a feverish pitch, excluding Bellator, who noticed a slight opening for Unicus and Gray to capitalize on. Unicus did too, and she ducked underneath one of Leavanny's slashes instead of blocking, catching the bug type by surprise. Unicus then slashed her across the chest, sending Leavanny flying before crashing into the ground in front of Burgh.

"Now follow that up with Gyro Ball!" Gray screamed.

Unicus began spinning like a drill and she was engulfed in silver light. As soon as Leavanny rose to her feet, she gasped and was clobbered by Unicus, who struck her opponent in the same spot as she did with Crush Claw, adding an extra kick to her attack. After Leavanny rose to her feet, she turned and nodded at Burgh, prompting him to give another command.

"Spin and use Razor Leaf!"

"Spin and use Swift!"

The combatting Pokemon mimicked each other as they spun and fired their attacks. Somehow, the moves didn't hit each other, and instead crushed the Pokemon, sending them bouncing back to their trainers. Gray and Burgh looked on in concern as both Unicus and Leavanny slowly rose to their feet, panting wildly as they slouched over. They knew there was a small amount of time left in the battle, and they'd have to end it as soon as possible.

"We're not going to lose! Use Leaf Blade!"

"Unicus, give 'em a full-power Crush Claw!"

The two Pokemon took off towards one another and loaded their arms back with the intent to end the battle. Leavanny grinned as she hopped just before Unicus attempted to swing, and she threw her arm downwards in hopes of spiking Unicus' head against the ground. However, she was baffled when the hedgehog rolled away, causing Leavanny to slam her arm against the ground. Unicus then turned around and delivered a stab to Leavanny's stomach, blowing her into the wall behind Gray, which cracked due to the force of impact.

The grass and bug type then hit the ground and her eyes were shut, prompting the ref to raise her arms.

"Leavanny is unable to continue! That means Gray, Potens, Celsus, and Unicus are the winners!"

As soon as Unicus heard the official declare the battle was over she grinned and fell on her face while Gray ran over to her.

"Unicus, that was incredible! Your movement was so fluid!" Gray exclaimed while holding her starter, who grinned in response before turning to see Burgh walking over with a grin.

"Wonderful battle, you two. It's been a while since I've been pushed like that, and I'm glad you won. As a sign of your victory, I present to you the Insect Badge."

Handing the eighteen year old a piece of metal that was partially colored green and looked more like a feather than anything, Gray bowed and placed it in her badge case with a smile.

"The next Gym is in Nimbasa City, but you'll have to pass through a desert to get there. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your travels, Gray," Burgh stated, bowing to the victor, who smiled in response while her friends and all of their Pokemon stood near the exit of the battlefield.

"Thank you, Burgh."

With that, Gray ran towards her friends and cheered with them even as they exited the room, making Burgh laugh as he shook his head.

000

Watching Gray and the others walk out of the Gym with the moon overhead, Bryony smirked and turned to her Bisharp, who looked at each of the Pokemon outside their Pokeballs closely.

"Those two fire types won't be a problem," he said confidently, making his trainer chuckle under her breath. "Let's finish this right now," he said, drawing a nod from Bryony.

"I was hoping you'd say that. After tonight, this girl won't be bothering Team Flare."

* * *

 **Oh hot damn! Gray managed to win her third badge thanks to the efforts of Potens, Celsus, and Unicus, and she'll be squaring off with Bryony and her Bisharp in what should be a really intense battle. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Who was the most impressive in the battle?**

 **Note: I'm going to be taking the next (almost) week off in order to prevent burnout, so don't expect to see anything until, at the very earliest, Saturday**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "A Dual Wield Duel"**_

 _ **The time has come for Bryony to take Gray out, but she soon find herself in a heated battle when Noah and White come to Gray's aide. Things take a turn for the worse, however, and when Bellator is pushed to his limits, he must continue fighting to protect Gray and the others! Will he be able to fend off the Flare admin?**_

* * *

 **Striaton City Arc**

 **Chapter 30: Testing the Subject** **  
**


	29. A Dual Wield Duel

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, and Celsus battling in the background, and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White, Snivy, and Boldore battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator and another figure behind him** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Ferus, and another Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey there, folks! Last chapter, Gray defeated Burgh to earn her third badge, and things ended with Bryony and Bisharp deciding to pursue Gray in order to kill her. This chapter will be the battle between Gray and Bryony, and this is going to get really intense. Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _No, it shouldn't have hit because it was cancelled out by Toxic. I don't follow everything strictly, so it does have the ability to be cancelled out by such a move. You really can't go wrong with Unicus, considering she got the decisive win and all. The last Pokemon's a tank because Gray needs one. Statistics aren't always accurate with what I write (Heatmor being really fast). And I never said it'd be Mega Evolving. No one on this team will be able to_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _What, this title? It's not misleading because Bellator has two scalchops, and Bisharp has two arms (that are basically blades). Celsus really did do well, and hopefully he can keep it going_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks, and I agree about Celsus (though I would've regardless of who you picked, lol)_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yeah, I'm surprised Potens isn't getting more love having taken out a steel type and all. And thanks! I honestly have no clue what I'm doing for Thanksgiving (time with the family, I guess), but thanks for asking and I hope you have a blast!_

 **Defender31415:** _Agreed. Unicus' style, after looking over it, kind of reminds me of a boxer in a way, with her focusing on close-range fighting_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Haha, thanks! Celsus really did kick ass, and I'm really glad Bellator isn't evolving, too! Not that I hate Samurott or anything, but him being bipedal is what's going to make his rivalry with Frogadier (and the way that they battle) awesome_

 **FinLay Real:** _T-T I'm sorry! All three were great, and there's no wrong way to go with who you feel did the best. Thanks, by the way! It was great to take a break_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Thanks for understanding :D And happy belated birthday! Bellator's battle with Bisharp will be his toughest task yet, without a doubt, and everyone was amazing_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Inb4 you hacked into my account and looked at the notes XD And thanks. I love writing battles, so it's great to see that people enjoy reading them. Ferus' statement is definitely something I agree with, and it really is ironic how this team is her weakest (in terms of the games) compared to the others. Oh no! Bryony!_

 **jail251:** _Thank you, that means a lot! I'm hoping each of the Gym Battles will get better than the last, so expect to be blown away eventually_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Thanks! I like using that method at times, depending on what the character's personality is, and I think it fits well with Celsus. He definitely did an awesome job in a huge spot too_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 25, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 29, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 22, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 25, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 26, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Marveling over her third badge, Gray paid no attention to the people she was walking past. Both Noah and White sweat dropped at the eighteen year old's intense focus as Unicus steered her away from several different collisions, sighing deeply after avoiding each one. Even as they continued walking towards the Pokemon Center, an unfamiliar duo followed them, which Arcanine and Ferus sensed. However, they didn't see anything whenever they turned around.

"Guys, what's wrong?" White quizzed, making the fire types exchange glances before shaking their heads, easing nerves while Gray continued staring at her badge, and Noah stared at White. "How about we go out for dinner tonight? We could celebrate Gray's third badge!" the rookie suggested throwing her arms up along with Snivy, making Noah laugh.

The two then turned to Gray, who looked up from her badge case and grinned sheepishly before rubbing the back of her head.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

White groaned and rolled her eyes while Noah continued laughing, which caught Ferus' eye. While it did, the dark type noticed Arcanine giving him some kind of look, which made him remain silent.

"I said we should go out for dinner to celebrate you winning your third badge!" White shouted as she led the group into the Pokemon Center, leaving the stalkers outside. "What do you say? The two of us never did anything like this before, so why not now?"

Gray rubbed her chin for a few seconds, deep in thought, before shrugging and turning to make her way towards Nurse Joy. White stared at Gray in anguish and shook her head while walking to the older girl's side, handing over her three Pokeballs while Gray handed in her three. While she did so, Ferus walked over to Nurse Joy and sat down next to her, waiting to receive treatment for his ribs, which were still far from being healed thanks to Alain and Charizard. The mere thought of the two made Ferus scowl, but he snapped out of his anger when he noticed Arcanine staring at him.

"What is it?" the dark type interrogated, causing Arcanine to sweat drop.

"We're going to head to the back of the Pokemon Center, in case you wanted to come out," he replied, receiving a nod from his rival before they turned away from each other; Ferus followed Nurse Joy while Arcanine pursued Noah, who smiled when he realized his starter had caught up.

"I wonder how Cheren and Hugh are doing. I mean, we saw Bianca, saw I know about her, but maybe I should check," White muttered aloud as she took a seat at a table along with Gray and Noah, the former of whom releasing her Pokemon from their Pokeballs.

Bellator and Furcifer materialized from the light and looked around only to notice their teammates were absent. Turning to Gray, they looked at her intently until Arcanine walked over calmly and sat down next to Furcifer.

"They're all getting healed up, but that should take a little while judging by how hard they fought in that battle. Speaking of which, that was a really impressive win, Gray," Arcanine commended, drawing a nod from the girl. "Do you always battle like that? Like, using type disadvantages to your advantage?"

Shrugging, Gray took a sip of water and leaned back in her chair while Noah and White leaned in, wanting to hear the brunette's response.

"I guess so. I don't like to think when I battle, I just go with my gut," she stated nonchalantly, shrugging as she did so. "It's not that I didn't have confidence in Bellator and Furcifer, it's just that, well, first I figured Celsus and Potens needed to battle, and second, Unicus had just evolved. Types are overrated, in my opinion."

White scribbled down Gray's answer and quoted it, cracking an ear-to-ear smile as she showed her mentor what she had written, making Gray laugh. The conversation continued, but two pairs of watchful eyes remained fixated on the trio of teenagers and the three Pokemon accompanying them.

Turning to her left, Bryony nodded at Bisharp.

Suddenly, the dark type sprung onto the roof of the Pokemon Center and crept towards the brunette that had already defeated a handful of Flare grunts and admins. Narrowing his eyes, Bisharp jumped from the roof and wound his arm back, preparing to stab Gray. He was stopped, however, by a blur that threw him across the battlefield.

Bisharp managed to land on his feet and when he did, the steel type noticed that the Arcanine had defended Gray.

Lowering himself to the ground, Arcanine let out a fearsome growl, one which Noah had never heard, and he, along with Gray and White, rose to their feet while staring at Bisharp. Bellator and Furcifer, meanwhile, paid close attention to the rooftop, not wanting another attacker to appear. As soon as they turned their attention to Bisharp, the steel type readied itself to attack.

"What the hell are you doing?" Noah interrogated, stepping in front of the girls protectively as his instincts kicked in. "Tell me or we'll burn you to nothing but ashes!" the eighteen year old threatened, pointing at the unfamiliar Bisharp while Arcanine snapped his jaws and barked viciously, reaffirming his trainer's proclamation.

The hostility was dampened, however, when a woman waltzed towards the practice battlefield and smiled the entire time, her boots clacking every time they hit the ground. Her green goggles, lipstick, and hair grabbed the attention of both Gray and White, while Noah and Arcanine struggled to remember why she seemed familiar.

"She's a member of Flare," Bellator muttered, remembering the name had been revealed when he and Gray tried finding Potens.

The woman chuckled immediately after hearing Bellator speak, and he glared at her as a result along with Furcifer. As they did, Bisharp looked ready to charge at them, though Arcanine stepped in front of the younger Pokemon and continued snarling like a rabid animal.

"You're correct. Boy, that thing's not only strong, it's smart too!" she announced, still laughing to herself.

The trio of teens shifted uneasily at the authentic laughter, and the unnamed woman stopped as she cracked her knuckles and turned to the Bisharp standing to her left. Before she could speak to the bipedal Pokemon, Gray stepped forwards and her voice traveled through the stillness of the night.

"Who are you?" she interrogated as the green haired woman, who was standing next to her Bisharp, allowed a maniacal smile to stretch across her pale face, sending chills down Gray's spine.

The steel and dark type kept his eyes glued to Bellator, but the water type was prevented from moving With Arcanine in front of him and Furcifer stuck to his side.

"Well, just because you've earned the right to know, I'll tell you. I'm Bryony, though you won't need to know that when we're done here. Bisharp, use Slash on the Dewott!"

Bolting forwards, Bisharp allowed both of his arms to fly straight back as he closed in on Bellator before anyone could even blink. Then, with his glowing white arms that extended and turned into the shape of blades, Bisharp grunted loudly and prepared to stab his target square in the chest.

"Arcanine, Fire Fang!" Noah screamed.

Before Bryony or her Bisharp could react, Arcanine lunged at his enemy while flames poured out of his mouth, and he prepared to chomp down on the steel type's arm. Bisharp managed to think at the speed of light as he slammed his feet on the ground, stopped his Slash attack, and prepared to fight Arcanine, shocking everyone except Bryony, who smirked devilishly.

"Dodge it and use Dark Pulse!" she commanded.

Bisharp jumped right over Arcanine as the fire type slammed his face against the ground, grunting in pain right away while stumbling backwards. Seizing his opportunity to attack, Bisharp placed both of his hands together and a spiraling ball of black and purple energy formed. Throwing his arms forwards, the steel type fired a spiraling ray of light at Arcanine, and an explosion occurred as soon as Arcanine was hit. The force of the attack was so great it threw the four legged creature twenty feet behind Noah, who spun around and ran to his Pokemon's side.

"Are you okay, buddy?" he asked in concern, dropping to his knees while checking on Arcanine, who was shaken up by the wicked attack, which had been fired at point-blank range. "Hey, hang in there for me. I promise I'll get you to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible," Noah vowed, zapping Arcanine back into his Pokeball before turning to see Bryony and Bisharp standing with their arms folded over their chests.

"That thing packs one hell of a punch," Furcifer whispered in fear as she trembled behind Bellator, who remained still, not knowing what to do.

"Now that the distraction's done with, let's get to the main course," the Flare admin stated while pointing at Bellator, who froze up in fear. "Guillotine!" she shrieked.

Without hesitation, Bisharp sprinted forwards and his arms began to glow blood red. Bellator simply stood there, almost as if he were waiting to be stabbed by his powerful opponent, which took Gray too long to notice.

"Bellator!" the Kantonian screamed, running towards her Pokemon in a futile attempt to shield him from the fatal attack.

Closing his eyes, Bellator waited to be greeted by a bright light, which he'd walk towards without hesitation. However, a loud clank echoed through the air, causing his eyes to shoot open. What he saw was Furcifer standing in front of him, barely holding off Bisharp's Guillotine attack. Slowly, the ice type turned her head and shot her teammate a slick grin, taking Bellator back.

"Don't think I would've just sat back and let that happen to you," she said before her arms gave out, allowing Bisharp to overpower her.

Instead of using Guillotine, the steel type simply kicked Furcifer as hard as he could in the chest, sending her bouncing along the ground. However, she rose back to her feet and was shocked to see Bisharp standing right before her.

"Now use Slash!"

Bisharp grabbed Furcifer by the throat with his left hand and held her off the ground, her legs kicking violently as Bisharp's other hand began to turn into a white blade of energy. Then, as he began rearing his arm back, Bellator stopped thinking and took off towards the taller Pokemon, latching onto his arm before he could hit Furcifer. Everyone gasped as Bellator began punching Bisharp as hard as he could, and Furcifer suddenly dug her claws into the bipedal Pokemon's arms, making him scream in pain before jumping all the way back to Bryony's side.

As the Flare admin stepped into her trainer box and Bisharp onto the battlefield, Gray looked at both White and Noah. Seeing the fear in their eyes, Gray stepped forwards and into her trainer box, causing Furcifer and Bellator to stare at her even as she turned to face them. Before Gray could get a word out, Bellator took position right in front of her while Furcifer ran over to Gray's side.

"I see you're not going to back down from a challenge. That's quite admirable. It's too bad we have to kill you both," Bryony announced while throwing her arms into the air with a maniacal smirk on her face.

Not wanting to play any games, Gray refused to respond to the woman's attempt to provoke her. Instead, she threw her left arm forwards and her voice exploded.

"Bellator, use Water Pulse!" she demanded.

Forming two spheres of water in both of his hands, Bellator ran a few feet forward before hurling both attacks at his opponent. As soon as the Water Pulse orbs hit the ground, they formed a massive tidal wave and rolled along the battlefield, crashing towards Bisharp and Bryony, the latter of whom gasped in awe of Bellator's power.

"Blow through it with Iron Head!" the green haired woman ordered, regaining her composure.

Bisharp slammed both of his hands against the ground before being enveloped in a coat of white light, and he took off like a bullet. Smashing right through the colossal body of water, the steel type set his sites on Bellator, who narrowed his eyes and braced for impact until he heard Gray's next command.

"We'll take that and give it right back! Revenge!"

Flexing as he was shrouded in red light, Bellator didn't recoil in the slightest even as Bisharp continued pushing him along the battlefield. Suddenly, Bellator grabbed his opponent by the head, slammed him against the ground so that he was laying on his back, and then punched Bisharp in the stomach as hard as he could, dealing an incredible amount of damage to the powerful creature, who shot back up as soon as Bryony spoke.

"Bisharp, use Slash repeatedly!" the Flare admin yelled.

"Dodge and counter with a series of Razor Shell attacks!" Gray retorted, throwing her right hand forwards.

While Bellator grabbed his scalchops, Bisharp's arms transformed into blades of white energy, and he started swinging. Bellator, however, was too nimble to get hit, and he began countering with swings of his own, blocking each of Bisharp's Slash attacks. Much to his dismay, Bellator was unable to get a single hit in, and he was shocked when an explosion of pain sped across his chest. While he rolled back to Gray's side, Bryony and her Pokemon remained on the offensive.

"Now immobilize him with Dark Pulse!"

Bisharp, after placing his hands together, fired a spiraling ray of black and purple energy at Bellator, who was lying on his back, struggling to remain conscious. When he saw the dark type attack closing in, he tried with all of his might to get out of the way, but was unable to, prompting Gray to issue a command.

"Hang in there, Bellator! Block it with Water Gun!"

Firing a high-pressured blast of water from his mouth, Bellator quickly found himself overpowered, as Bisharp's Dark Pulse attack crashed through and exploded on contact. As a result, Bellator was hurled several dozen feet back and he landed on his stomach, prompting Furcifer to run over and check on him. What the ice type didn't realize was that she had left Gray completely defenseless, and Bryony pounced on the opportunity to end the threat.

"Kill the girl with Guillotine!"

As soon as he heard the words escape his enemy's mouth, Bellator looked up and watched as everything went in slow-motion. Bisharp, who was maybe four steps away from Gray, had reared his right arm back. Bellator once again tried getting to his feet as he locked eyes with Gray. His heart instantly changed its rhythm, and for a second, it felt almost as if they were in the same body.

Bellator then shot off the ground and threw himself in front of Bisharp, punching the dark type in the face a millisecond before it could stab, and kill, Gray. The water starter let out a deep breath and widened his stance so that his feet were shoulder-length apart. What he didn't realize until looking at his hands was that a thin coat of light blue energy was present.

Both Bryony and Bisharp stared at the Dewott standing before them, grinning at him.

"I guess Torrent's kicking in," Noah muttered, rubbing his chin before turning to White, who nodded emphatically. Meanwhile, on the roof of the Pokemon Center, N and Zoroark glanced at each other before the green haired teen's eyes went wide.

Baffled by her friend's reaction, Zoroark placed her hand on his shoulder, making him turn for a second.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

As N replied, leaving Zoroark in silence, Gray grinned and issued a command to Bellator.

"We're not going to back down! Bellator, use Water Gun!"

Not holding anything back, Bellator sprung into the air and began spinning like a drill, his head pointed towards the stars. Then, rearing his head back, the water starter unleashed a wave of water that was the size of a tidal wave, leaving everyone in shock. The massive body of water then slammed into Bisharp and threw the dark type against the ground.

"Get up and use Slash repeatedly!"

"Answer right back with Razor Shell!"

Both Pokemon narrowed their eyes and as soon as Bellator landed he broke into a dead sprint along with Bisharp. Meeting in the middle of the battlefield, both creatures began swinging at one another, their attacks colliding repeatedly.

"Look at him go," Ferus whispered aloud as he and the other Pokemon gaped while watching Bellator go toe-to-toe with Bisharp. Then, narrowing his eyes, Ferus analyzed the water surrounding Bellator's body and muttered something under his breath, grabbing the attention of Snivy.

"Now duck!" Gray screamed.

Bellator did just as he was told right away, making Bryony and Bisharp gasp. With a mighty swing of both his scalchops, Bellator slashed Bisharp across the chest and launched him into the air, only for the strange creature to spin and land on his feet while his trainer turned on her goggles in order to scan Bellator. As soon as she did, the woman gasped as an enormous wave of blue energy surrounded Bellator and looked to be reaching the sky.

 _"That, that's impossible!"_ Bryony thought to herself as she continued staring at Bellator, who was still holding onto both of his scalchops. _"That power... it's enough for us to accomplish our goals!"_

"Now get in close and finish this with Water Pulse!"

Bolting across the battlefield, Bellator roared as two balls of water formed in his hands, and he slammed both of them against Bisharp's chest, causing an explosion. As a result of the attack, Bisharp was hurled into the air, though he spun and managed to land on his feet, which surprised Gray and the others.

"Bisharp, we need to retreat for now," Bryony said aloud, taking everyone back. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to be as strong as they said. I'm impressed, kid," the green haired woman continued as she zapped Bisharp back into his Pokeball, leaving the trio of teens and their Pokemon perplexed. "Until we meet again."

With that, Bryony hurled a smoke bomb at the ground and disappeared.

Once the smoke cleared, the group looked around and at each other, unaware of what they were supposed to do. The silence was broken, however, when Ferus stepped forwards and made his way over to Bellator with a grin.

"That was awesome, Bellator. You made that Bisharp look awful."

"Yeah, that's so true," Furcifer opined while nodding along with Unicus, drawing a proud grin from Bellator as he placed both of his scalchops back on his thighs, the blue energy surrounding his body fading.

"I can't believe he was able to compete with Bisharp, though. I mean, it managed to kick the crap out of Arcanine, and then Bellator kind of just..." White trailed off, not knowing what to say as Gray and Noah stared at her.

"It's weird, that's all," Snivy continued, drawing a pair of nods from the other trainers. "Still, that's Bellator for you. He always pulls that kind of stuff off."

Tympole and Boldore nodded in agreement with their teammate while the rest of the Pokemon made their way back to Gray. However, Ferus turned to his right and looked up at the roof of the Pokemon Center uneasily. In the blink of an eye, N and Zoroark jumped from it and landed on the ground, somehow not breaking their legs, and White gasped immediately.

"It's been a while," the green haired trainer said nonchalantly, ignoring the fact that he hadn't seen either of the girls in almost two months. "I see you've both gotten a lot stronger, especially you, Gray," N commended, drawing a reluctant nod from the older brunette.

"So what are you doing here, N?" White interrogated while Snivy and Boldore moved so that they stood in front of her. Tympole, on the other hand, trembled behind his stronger teammates.

Zoroark moved in front of N right after White's Pokemon did the same, and they began glaring at each other until she sensed the presence of Ferus, who snarled wildly. Before either Pokemon could make a move, N stepped forwards and had his hands up, almost as if he were surrendering.

"We mean no trouble. After watching that battle, I knew you were the right people for what I'm going to ask," N started, making Gray, White, and Noah look at one another.

"What's the job?" Gray quizzed.

"There's this group of people after me. They're called Team Plasma."

* * *

 **Holy crap. Bryony managed to defeat Noah and Arcanine, and because Ferus' ribs are still injured, Bellator took action and squared off with Bisharp! Before Bisharp could kill him, Zoroark and N swooped in to save the day. Anyways, next chapter will focus on Team Plasma and their first interaction with Gray, White, and Noah. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) What are your thoughts on N asking Gray for help?  
2) How well do you think Bellator did against Bisharp?  
3) Should there be another battle between Bellator and Bisharp? If so, when?  
4) Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Testing the Subject"**_

 ** _With the threat of Bryony no longer present, the group begins trekking to Nimbasa City. Before they can leave, the Shadow Triad appears and a battle ensues! Will the they be able to defeat these powerful trainers? What are Plasma's goals?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 31: Finding Inner Zen  
** **Chapter 32: Fight at the Ferris Wheel!  
Chapter 33: Triple Battle: White vs Bianca  
Chapter 34: Mega Battle 4: Charizard vs Metagross  
Chapter 35: Stealing the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika  
Chapter 36: Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!  
Chapter 37: A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond  
Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
Chapter 39: A Cry for Help **  
**Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42: Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!**


	30. Testing the Subject

**Theme Song**

 **We're on the road, far from home (Gray's Pokemon and her mother are shown working at the Adoption Center, and then the camera switches to show Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, and Celsus battling in the background, and Bellator using Razor Shell to battle Bisharp)  
A brand new region we will rome (** **The five Team Flare scientists smirk at Gray, White, and Noah)** **  
New rivals here, and evil there (Bianca and Snivy, Cheren and Tepig, and Hugh and Frogadier smile at Gray,** **then the scene switches to Lysandre staring out at Castelia City)** **  
Time to breathe in some fresh air (** **White, Snivy, and Boldore battle a Magikarp but end up getting attacked by a Gyarados while Tympole hides and Noah and Arcanine watch from afar and shake their heads)** **  
All right (2x)! Another tale (Gray punches her fist in the air with White and Noah)  
Walk down (2x)! An unknown trail (** **Gray and Alain reach out to each other and touch a mirror splitting the screen in half, and then the screen transitions to Charizard staring at Bellator and another figure behind him** **)** **  
** **Reach out (2x)! For the holy grail... (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Ferus, and another Pokemon stand by Gray's side)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, everyone? Time for another chapter, and this will be the conclusion of the Castelia City Arc! Wooh! Last chapter, Gray and Bellator finally got to battle Bryony and Bisharp, and the latter duo ended up fleeing after Bryony scanned Bellator with her goggles and saw his power was far too much to handle. Then, N randomly came in and informed the gang about Team Plasma, and this will be their introduction chapter. Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Bellator does rock, doesn't he? Lol. There won't be any GrayxN going on, though Noah won't exactly be a big fan of N, so you're kind of right about that. And Flare will attempt to capture him for their schemes (great guess_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _But Pyro's, like, fifteen levels lower than Bellator. It'd be a massacre. Bisharp did get bodied by Bellator, to an extent, though I don't think that'll happen the next time they battle. Alain won't be battling Steven, White vs Bianca's a triple battle (I don't care if you're not hyped), and Gray's not battling N_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Yes, yes I am. Bellator held his own for reasons that shall be explained eventually (not sure when, though), and he's definitely going to battle Bisharp at least one more time_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Sadly, you're going to have to wait for N to be a badass, but at least Bellator will give you your fix XD Evolution joke, ftw, hahaha. (For the predictions, in order) yes, Gray won't battle N, you listed Gray's Pokemon instead of White's (lol), it's an E4 member but not ol' Stevey, definitely Gym battle, not quite yet, and yes. Sorry if the responses were confusing, I wanted to respond to each of the predictions in order :P_

 **FinLay Real:** _True, Gray won't be scared in the slightest, cause, ya know, she's Gray XD Bellator really is in a different level than everyone else, and is the single most overpowered Pokemon I think I've ever had Owen or Gray get. Now, for the predictions: Kind of, nah (I wish I did that, though), Gray vs Cheren, yah, he'll battle a Metagross that doesn't belong to Steven, maybe, of course XD, really good guess (though that won't happen), and you're really close with the last. Great guesses!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks, and you're right about Bellator being a target for Flare. However, there may be another one that emerges eventually ;) As for Bellator evolving, there're no plans of it. That's just a joke between me and a few people b/c of how much I hate Samurott (being four legged). White will get a lot more focus over the course of both Nimbasa and Driftveil, and I hope you enjoy this arc as much as I will!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 25, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 30, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Water Sport*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 22, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 25, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 26, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Are you sure we should travel with this guy? I don't trust him at all," Noah whispered to Gray, who shrugged in response as she stared out at the sun. "There's something off about him. I'm telling you," he continued which made Gray laugh.

"Relax, Noah. We'll be fine. If N turns out to be untrustworthy like you're saying, then we'll deal with it whenever that comes up," the brunette stated.

Noah crossed his arms over his chest and pouted until Arcanine and Ferus walked out of the Pokemon Center with the rest of Gray's Pokemon following behind. Among them was White, who yawned and stretched her arms out over her head with Snivy resting on her shoulder.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed with an upbeat attitude. "Are we heading out right now?" she asked.

Gray shrugged and turned to Noah as he smiled and patted Arcanine on the head.

"Well, are we letting N travel with us?" the boy asked with a hint of frustration, drawing nods from Gray and White. "Then we're waiting for him to wake up." Noah scowled and stared at the doors to the Pokemon Center while Gray withdrew all of her Pokemon except for Unicus and Ferus, who spoke with Snivy and Arcanine.

After a few minutes of waiting, Noah began tapping his foot against the ground impatiently before letting out an aggravated sigh and throwing his hands in the air while shaking his head.

"Well, I guess I'll go inside and wake him up."

Before the annoyed trainer could take a step forwards, N and Zoroark revealed themselves as they walked around the side of the building, ignoring Noah while they waved to White and Gray.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone. I figured since you're helping us out so much, I'd give you tokens of appreciation," N said as he opened his backpack and took out a few gifts. "Here are some Full Restores for your Pokemon, a bunch of food, and some water," the older trainer continued as he handed out the supplies to each of his three allies.

"Wow, thanks for all of this, N!" White exclaimed, making N nod. "So we're just protecting you until we get to Nacrene City, right?" the rookie trainer quizzed.

"That's right. As soon as we get there, Zoroark and I will get out of your hair and that'll most likely be the last you see of us."

"Unless Team Plasma starts acting up," Zoroark stated as she glared at N, who sweat dropped while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Come on. We should probably get going," the dark type continued as she began walking towards the streets of Castelia.

The group followed after her, and they were funneled into the traffic of the streets along with the millions of people heading out for work. However, what they didn't realize was a person resting on top of a building in a crouch position along with a Pokemon.

"Bravo has eyes on the target. It looks like he has some help, too. Three trainers, if I'm not mistaken, and two of them have really strong Pokemon," one of the Shadow Triad members said into an earpiece he was wearing.

"Do you think I'll need backup?" another one of the ninjas asked.

"Absolutely. Alpha and I are headed your way."

000

"So, N, why exactly is this Team Plasma after you?" Noah interrogated while glaring at the older trainer, who continued looking straight ahead, which seemed to piss Noah off even more. "Did you do anything to provoke them? Because I'm not in the mood to get involved with something like that."

Zoroark shot a nasty look at the annoyed teen, but she was stopped when both Arcanine and Ferus began snarling at her. Gray and White looked at each other and sweat dropped at the increasing tension and the former motioned for Ferus to leave Zoroark alone, which he did, albeit reluctantly.

"I guess you could say I did, in a way," N said while adjusting his cap, making Noah narrow his eyes. "About five years ago, Team Plasma tried taking over Unova, and I was the leader. Thankfully, we didn't succeed, and that was all because of a special trainer. When he stopped us, I demanded that we return all of the Pokemon that we had liberated, but another faction of Plasma was formed right afterwards."

Silence fell over the four humans and Unicus and Snivy stared at N uneasily while Zoroark shook her head at the story, remembering all of it vividly. Recognizing the remorseful expressions on the faces of N and Zoroark, Gray and White turned around and looked away from them, though Noah wasn't convinced. Arcanine and Ferus weren't, either, though the trio remained silent and looked away.

The group suddenly reached the center of Castelia City and Gray smiled as she watched Unicus roll over to a gigantic square monument that had water pouring down into a hole. Several hundred names were etched into the stone foundation, and Gray began reading each of them, confused by the monument.

"Hey, White, what is this?" the older girl asked curiously as White, Noah, and N walked over with Snivy, Arcanine, Zoroark, and Ferus. "Why are all of these names written here?"

Everyone except N and Zoroark turned to White with intrigue while the girl slowly reached out and placed a hand on the sleek stone with a crushed look on her face.

"Are you okay, White?" Unicus inquired.

The sixteen year old nodded her head and cleared her throat before rubbing her eyes slightly. Snivy, noticing the strange actions, hopped up onto her trainer's shoulder and looked on worriedly.

"Uh, this is a monument dedicated to the two towers that used to be here," White started, her voice cracking. "Some group of people from a different region bombed both of them on the same day, so the names on here belong to the people who died."

Everyone went silent and stared at the incredible area and they found themselves unable to move their legs due to the power of the site. However, Zoroark suddenly spun around and let out a howl, making everyone else turn to her.

"What's wrong?" Snivy asked as Ferus and Arcanine began growling and staring in the same direction as Zoroark. "Why are you guys doing that?"

"Plasma," Zoroark hissed, making N recoil, which caught everyone's attention. "They're here," she continued while looking around wildly until she finally spotted one of the people affiliated with Plasma.

In the blink of an eye, a ninja appeared on top of a streetlight and stared down at the group of trainers threateningly. N stared right back at the white haired trainer and Zoroark prepared to launch herself towards him, but she stopped when she sensed another presence. To her left was another one of the ninjas, and all of the people in suits walking around took note of the strange people, too.

"What the hell's going on?" Noah whispered to the others. "N?"

"It's been a while since we got to meet face-to-face, Lord N," the ninja on the streetlight started as he sat down and let his legs dangle. "I would've never thought you'd become an enemy of Team Plasma."

"And I wouldn't have thought you'd be so blind," N shot back. "Why are you still siding with Ghetsis?"

The ninja laughed and shook his head, and the ninja to the left of the group vanished, only to reappear next to his doppelgänger. Shockingly, a third ninja appeared in-between the others and stood on the top of the streetlight with his arms crossed over his chest.

Now everyone walking by the area was staring at either the three ninjas or the four trainers. The entire area began to clear out, providing enough space for a potential battle.

"That doesn't concern you," the one standing on the top of the light shot back aggressively. "All you need to know is that you're an enemy of Team Plasma, and we'll kill you before you have the chance to stop us."

With that, the three ninjas released their Pokemon, and they appeared at the base of the streetlight, standing side-by-side. From left to right were a Toxicroak, Lucario, and Grovyle. Each of the three creatures glared at N and Zoroark, who looked ready to battle. However, they were stopped by Unicus, who rolled forwards and locked eyes with Toxicroak.

"Leave this to us, N," Gray said as she made her way to Unicus' side, nodding at her starter.

The green haired man stared at Gray in shock for a moment until he nodded and backed away with Zoroark.

"Noah, White, you guys go ahead with N. We can handle this," Gray continued, grabbing two Pokeballs from her belt. "We'll catch up with you when we're done with these guys," the brunette vowed as she turned and gave a confident grin, making her friends nod before they ran away with N and their starters. "Bellator, Furcifer, come on out!"

In two separate bursts of light, Bellator and Furcifer appeared from their spherical devices and found themselves facing off with Lucario and Grovyle, respectively. Each of the three ninjas exchanged glances and they all nodded, opting to battle Gray instead of pursue N.

"Toxicroak, use Poison Jab on Sneasel!" the ninja to Gray's left commanded.

Sprinting towards Furcifer, the bipedal frog's hands began to glow dark purple, and it narrowed its eyes while grinning devilishly. Then, after jumping into the air, Toxicroak let out a loud grunt and reared his arms back before throwing them at Furcifer. However, Gray was quick to counter as she stepped forwards and cleared her throat.

"Take Toxicroak out of the sky with Swift, Unicus!"

Unicus threw both of her arms forwards and sent waves upon waves of stars at the poison and fighting type. Before he could hit Furcifer, Toxicroak was pelted by the normal type attack, which exploded on contact and sent him flying towards the streetlight all three ninjas were standing on top of.

"Lucario, use Metal Claw on Sneasel!" the one in the middle yelled.

This time, Lucario took off in a dead sprint towards Furcifer, and three large claws of silver energy shot out of his paws as he prepared to deliver a wicked blow to the ice type, who narrowed her eyes and prepared to dodge on her own.

"Bellator, go right at Lucario and use Razor Shell repeatedly!" Gray countered.

Without hesitation, the Dewott grabbed both of his scalchops and cutoff his steel type opponent. Both Pokemon then started swinging at one another, their attacks colliding repeatedly. The massive crowd that was forming began to scream wildly in support of Gray and Bellator, putting a smirk on the girl's face as Bellator eventually landed a vicious blow, knocking Lucario onto his back.

"Grovyle, hit Dewott with Leaf Storm!"

"Not on our watch! Use Fury Swipes to slash through it, Furcifer!" Gray screamed, throwing her right hand forwards while Ferus stayed by her side.

Grovyle jumped high into the air and threw both of his arms forwards, sending a horizontal tornado of leaves right at Bellator. Much to the grass starter's dismay, Furcifer threw herself in front of Bellator and began throwing her arms at the grass type attack, slashing all of the leaves to shreds. After successfully protecting her teammate, Furcifer grinned proudly while Gray pumped her fist, but they were caught by surprise when their opponents continued attacking.

"Brick Break!"

In the blink of an eye, Toxicroak jumped and smashed his fist over Furcifer's head, slamming her against the ground violently. Despite the ferocity and power of the super effective attack, Furcifer got back on her feet and looked ready to assault her attacker.

"Unicus, hit Toxicroak with Magnitude!"

Throwing her arms downwards, Unicus dug her claws into the ground, sending a massive wave of energy across the ground and towards Toxicroak, who was clobbered by the super effective attack and thrown into Grovyle, knocking the grass type over as a result.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere on Sneasel!"

"Use Water Pulse to block it, Bellator!" Gray roared.

Both Pokemon formed blue spheres of energy in their hands and hurled them. Just as Gray was hoping, the moves collided and exploded instantly, though the brunette continued grinning as she saw another ball of water in Bellator's hand. The bipedal otter then ran into the smoke and slammed the water type attack against Lucario's chest, blowing him into the streetlight.

"Grovyle, hit him with Leaf Blade!" the ninja to Gray's right ordered as the smoke began to clear.

Speeding towards Bellator, Grovyle smirked as the leaves on his forearms started to glow light green. Not holding anything back, the Hoenn starter slashed Bellator across the chest, causing the water type to roll along the ground and back to Gray's side.

"Freeze Grovyle with Icy Wind and then use Feint Attack!" the eighteen year old shouted.

Furcifer released a freezing cold burst of wind from her mouth, and the super effective attack struck its target, making Grovyle grunt in pain as frost began to form on his body. Seizing the opportunity to attack, Furcifer then teleported so that she was right in front of her opponent and she checked Grovyle as hard as she could. The three ninjas stared in shock as Grovyle's eyes were shut, making its trainer pull out a Pokeball.

"Return, Grovyle."

While the three men went over their strategy at light speed, Gray and her Pokemon celebrated until they heard their enemies speak up.

"Toxicroak, use Sludge Bomb on all of them!"

The poison type croaked slightly before firing several bullets of poison at each of his three targets, but Gray was more than ready to counter as the powerful attack closed in on each of her Pokemon.

"Bellator, use Water Pulse on the ground! Unicus, follow it up with Crush Claw on Toxicroak!"

After two balls of water formed in his hands, Bellator hurled them at the ground, creating a tidal wave that destroyed Sludge Bomb. Unicus then ran towards her fighting type foe while her claws began to glow cobalt, and she lunged before stabbing Toxicroak. The strength of the attack knocked Toxicroak unconscious immediately, and his trainer cursed before withdrawing him.

"Come back, Toxicroak."

While the poison type was zapped back into his Pokeball, Gray and her Pokemon celebrated for a second time, excluding Bellator, who kept a close eye on Lucario and his trainer.

"Lucario, hit Sandslash with Close Combat!"

Much to Gray's dismay, she was unable to react in time, nor was Unicus, resulting in the ground type being clobbered by Lucario, who finished his barrage with a savage kick to the face. However, Lucario wasn't quick enough to get away, as Bellator darted over and punched him in the nose. The strength of the punch made Lucario stumble back to his trainer and the two other ninjas, providing Gray with enough space to think calmly.

"Let's finish this! Unicus, use Magnitude! Bellator, Water Gun! Furcifer, use Icy Wind!"

All three of the Pokemon nodded at their trainer's words before nodding at one another, and then they performed their attacks at the same time. Lucario and the three ninjas stared as a wave of energy flew along the ground with a blast of water and gust of freezing wind traveling at the same speed. Too overwhelmed to do anything, Lucario took the three attacks head-on and was knocked unconscious immediately, making the trio of ninjas curse wildly.

"Shit. Lucario, come back."

Gray grinned as her three Pokemon walked back to her and Ferus, but she stopped and looked back up at the streetlight.

They were gone.

000

"You beat all three of them?" N asked with a smile, resulting in a nod from Gray and Ferus.

"That's right. Those guys didn't stand a chance," Ferus announced, easing N's nerves while White, Noah, and Zoroark spoke with Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer. "They're really weak, if you ask me."

N nodded at the analysis and walked towards the tunnel connecting Castelia City to the desert. However, he seemed to be thrown off by the idea of the Shadow Triad being so weak, at least, according to Ferus.

Something wasn't right.

* * *

 **Well, that's all for today, folks. Gray had a triple battle against the Shadow Triad and won with no problem, and N will be sticking around for one or two more chapters. Speaking of which, next chapter will be about the group traveling through the desert in order to reach Nimbasa City. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Finding Inner Zen"**_

 ** _Making their way towards Nimbasa City, the gang comes across a bunch of statues serving as a roadblock. What are these statues? Why can't the group get past them?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 32: Fight at the Ferris Wheel!  
Chapter 33: Triple Battle: White vs Bianca  
Chapter 34: Mega Battle 4: Charizard vs Metagross  
Chapter 35: Stealing the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika  
Chapter 36: Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!  
Chapter 37: ****A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond** **  
** **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	31. Finding Inner Zen

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Alain and Charizard battle alongside Gray and Ferus against Ingo and Emmet in the Battle Subway)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **Noah approaches Gray when she's by herself** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Snivy, Tympole, and Boldore stand in front of White and have a triple battle with Bianca and her Servine, Herdier, and Musharna)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide... (Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome to the Nimbasa City Arc, everyone! Last chapter, Gray battled the Shadow Triad and easily beat them in a triple battle thanks to the efforts of Unicus, Bellator, and Furcifer. However, N felt that something was wrong after Ferus told him about the outcome, and things ended right there. This chapter, the group (plus N) will attempt to reach Nimbasa City, though something will halt their progress. What exactly is it? Let's find out!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Sadly, it is not the character you're thinking of (as awesome as that would be), and Steven will not appear in this story (again, sadly). Noah hates N, but it isn't because of jealousy. It's more of him trying to protect Gray and White and be, as I'd like to put it, macho. Things between them could get heated, though it'd be more one-sided than anything. And the team for the battle is almost spot-on for Bianca. White's is also accurate, obviously, but I'm not sure there'll be an evolution for her. Both Snivy and Tympole will evolve at some point, but I don't think it'll be this arc_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Someone that looks identical to you (or anyone else, for that matter). I don't think Kyurem will play a role, but I will tell you there's potential for a different legendary - one that isn't Zekrom or Reshiram - to play a role. The odds are slim to none, but hey, crazier things have happened_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Oh, absolutely. The Shadow Triad's going to come back a whole lot stronger, and there could be a reason for them being so weak (there is, haha). I could give them M.E to make it more interesting, but I'm not sure because I'm trying to limit the amount of people that can use it (since it's so sacred and all). Still, I like the idea and could definitely implement it_

 **Defender31415:** _There is something wrong, absolutely. Lol, the Striaton Gym (in-game) was pretty bad, but then again, what would you expect from the first Gym? Hilarious theory, btw XD And I actually did that because I read somewhere that the desert area was actually based on ground zero (where the towers fell, for anyone that didn't know) and since I live close by, I wanted to make some allusion to it_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Could be a trap... could be. Last chapter was the Castelia Arc (I really should've made it Nimbasa), but thanks! Triple battles are always brutal, but I thought this one was fun to write given the ninja-like styles of Toxicroak, Lucario, and Grovyle. They were testing Gray, which will be talked about within the next chapter or two, I think, and Noah's more skeptical than jelly XD Thanks again!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Gracias. There will be a battle between N and Noah later down the road, but for now, the focus is on building Plasma up to be a threat, along with teasing Alain's role for the future. Also, the Triad was weak for a reason, don't worry. Gray's not freakishly OP... yet :P_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks! And Bellator's not evolving because I don't really like writing battles with four legged Pokemon. I feel like it limits my creativity in certain areas, and Samurott also doesn't have the agility to keep up with Greninja, while Dewott, to me, seems like it'd be a better matchup_

 **FinLay Real:** _Yeah, those things were so random. Why the hell did they get the transformation? (Probably a reason I don't know about, lol) The Shadow Triad's going to unleash their full power in time, no need to worry_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Oh, something is definitely up with the Shadow Triad, and you're right about them wanting to just see what Gray has to offer. Safe to say, she'll become one of their top targets, just like with Team Flare_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 28, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 25, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 25, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 26, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

The wind continued to whip violently and everyone covered their faces with their clothes in hopes of keeping their eyes clear of the sand. Unicus was lucky enough to be a ground type, so the sand didn't injure her. Much to the others' dismay, they were constantly being pelted by the raging sandstorm.

"Are you sure there's no other way to get to Nimbasa City!?" Noah screamed to White and N over the howling wind. "I'd be more than happy to turn around right now!" he continued, drawing a giggle from Gray.

"No! And we only have an hour left if we keep up our pace, so we won't be here much longer!" White shouted back to the older boy, who groaned in response, only for his mouth to be filled with a handful of sand.

As he spat out the sediment, Noah began cursing under his breath while N and Zoroark remained silent, not reacting to being hit by the vicious bursts of wind. The fox looked around at the three other trainers and kept her eyes locked on each of them until Unicus walked over to her with a smile, easing the dark type's mood.

"So, where are you guys from?" the Sandslash inquired as she and Zoroark walked side by side.

Exchanging a glance with N, Zoroark turned back to Unicus and shrugged, confusing the hedgehog.

"I don't know. All I can remember is being given to N when he was a little kid," Zoroark replied as she shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been by his side all my life, at least, I think."

Unicus nodded and focused on the path the group was going to have to walk along in order to reach Nimbasa City, and she laughed as Noah groaned once he saw a roadblock. Strolling over to the strange wall of statues, White inspected each of them and stepped back while folding her arms over her chest.

"What are these?" the brunette questioned while running a hand over the strange blue statues.

Each one was blue and it seemed as if there were hands clamped onto the sides while a pair of feet were on the bottom. As White and the others moved around to get different views of the strange object, it was almost as if the two white ovals were following their movements. Even as they did, the group of four travelers paid no attention, conversing and researching what the statues were.

Ferus, Arcanine, and Zoroark, meanwhile, continued inspecting the strange statues. Eventually, Arcanine tapped his paw against the statue and attempted to push it. However, the three objects released a massive blast of energy that sent him rolling back into Noah.

"Arcanine, what's wrong?" the trainer asked while helping his starter off the ground. "Who did that?" he continued, looking at Ferus and Zoroark, both of whom pointed at the statues, which didn't move a muscle. "Oh, come on. Do you guys really think I'm that stupid?"

"I don't feel comfortable answering that," Zoroark retorted, drawing laughs from everyone except N and Noah, both of whom glared at the dark type. "But in all seriousness, it was the statues. Arcanine kept touching one of them like this," the bipedal Pokemon started while placing her hand on one of the statues, causing a blast of energy to shoot out of it right away.

Lucky for her, Zoroark wasn't injured by the energy because of her being a dark type.

"Wow! Are those Pokemon?" Gray quizzed while looking around at the others, who shrugged as N walked over and placed a hand on them.

"Yes. These are Darmanitan," N replied calmly as, for whatever reason, the statues refused to blast him away with energy. "I believe they think we're intruders. If that's truly what you're worried about, there's no need to fret, my friends," N informed the strange statues, all of which began to transform.

Suddenly, each of the blue statues turned into large, round, red monkeys with enormous arms that they put all of their weight on. Their ridiculous eyebrows appeared to resemble streaks of fire, and they had stupid grins on their faces. For whatever reason, one of them stepped forward and began pointing at the group and speaking in an attempt to communicate with the teens.

"Darmanitan says that we have to prove ourselves," Ferus muttered, grinning as he did so. "If we can beat him in a battle, then he'll let us go on."

Grinning along with one of her strongest Pokemon, Gray began adjusting her Mega Bracelet and attempted to step forwards. However, she was stopped when White stuck her arm out and blocked Gray, catching the eighteen year old off guard.

"Don't worry, I've got this," White proclaimed as she stepped forwards and grabbed a Pokeball off her belt. "Boldore, come on out!" she shouted, hurling the spherical device.

Once it opened, the powerful rock type appeared in front of White and slammed its feet on the ground excitedly. Then, locking eyes with Darmanitan, Boldore turned back to White in confusion until he noticed the fierce look on her face, firing him up even more than earlier.

"Darmanitan, you can have the first move!" White shouted as she released Tympole from his Pokeball, too. "Tympole, I want you to watch Boldore as closely as possible, okay?"

"Okay," the water type replied, his voice trembling slightly. "Go get 'em, Boldore!" he exclaimed.

Nodding at his teammate's words, Boldore turned back around and lowered himself to the ground, preparing for an intense battle. Darmanitan then signaled that he was about to attack, prompting White and her Pokemon to bow thankfully.

Suddenly, the fire type reared his head back and unleashed a wicked wave of fire, sending it right at Boldore. White grinned confidently and kept her mouth shut as Boldore slammed his feet against the ground and braced for impact. Everyone, including N and Zoroark, watched in shock as Boldore took the powerful attack head-on and didn't even grimace in pain, showing just how much his training with White had payed off.

"Way to go, Boldore! Now use Power Gem!" White commanded, throwing her right fist forwards emphatically.

Boldore grunted in response before jumping into the air, and his face began to glow silver. Firing several blasts of silver energy, Boldore grunted each time while Darmanitan acrobatically evaded each of them until he slipped on the sand. Boldore fired one more blast of energy and it exploded on contact with his target, making the fire type cry out in pain.

Even as he did, Darmanitan pushed himself back onto his feet and sprinted towards Boldore, who was caught off guard by the incredible speed of his opponent. Leaping into the air, Darmanitan began spinning wildly as his arms began to glow crimson, and he slammed both of them over the rock type's head, dealing an insane amount of damage.

"Boldore, are you okay?" White asked in concern as the evolved Pokemon struggled to his feet

"I'm fine, thanks," he replied with a burst of energy, making White nod while Gray looked on with Ferus and smiled.

"Great. Now charge and use Rock Smash!" the rookie trainer commanded.

Boldore began galloping towards Darmanitan, and his fist began glowing orange. Darmanitan was quick to react and his fist was engulfed in flames as he charged at Boldore. The two Pokemon then swung at each other and the attacks collided. As both Pokemon fought back and forth, Boldore eventually overpowered his opponent and punched Darmanitan square in the face, sending him rolling along the ground until he popped back up with the help of his massive arms.

"Keep up the pressure and use Headbutt!"

Due to the speed with which Boldore moved, Darmanitan was unable to react and got clobbered by his rock type opponent, who held nothing back as he smashed his head straight into the ape's. Everyone cheered immediately as Darmanitan struggled to his feet, and White cleared her throat before pointing at the fire type, ready to end the battle. She was stopped, however, when N and Zoroark stepped in-between Boldore and the downed fire type with their hands thrown in the air.

"White, Darmanitan can't keep going. That's enough," the peaceful trainer decreed as he turned to the fire type Pokemon and nodded, making the injured creature nod thankfully as he pushed himself back upright.

"Thanks for the awesome work, Boldore. Let's keep working hard!" the brunette exclaimed as she ran over to her Pokemon and hugged him while Tympole and Snivy ran over with smiles and cheered for their teammate.

"That was really impressive, if I do say so myself," Noah said lowly while looking at Gray, who nodded in response along with Ferus and Unicus. "White's turning into a really good trainer."

Gray nodded once again and continued smiling at the younger girl, who was celebrating with her three Pokemon. She turned her attention to Darmanitan, however, when Ferus and Arcanine walked over to him and listened to the monkey speak.

"We can go on ahead," Arcanine announced, drawing cheers from everyone.

With that, the group said their goodbyes to Darmanitan and his pack, all of whom were still in their statue forms, and headed towards the tunnel connecting the desert to Nimbasa City. Once the trainers passed, Darmanitan turned back into his statue form and the trainers smiled as they approached their destination. With each step they took, the gang's smiles grew wider and wider.

Nimbasa City held many secrets, and Gray was going to learn them sooner or later.

* * *

 **Well, White got some training in thanks to the Zen Mode Darmanitan, which didn't go Zen Mode. Because of Boldore, the group will be arriving in Nimbasa next chapter, and I can't wait to get to everything that's going to happen later in the arc (the Alain battle being the main one). Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Fight at the Ferris Wheel!"**_

 _ **Wanting to take a break from battling, Gray, White, and Noah head over to the famous Ferris Wheel of Nimbasa City. While there, Gray runs into none other than Cheren, and the two face off. Will Cheren exact revenge on Gray?**_

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 33: Triple Battle: White vs Bianca  
Chapter 34: Mega Battle 4: Charizard vs Metagross  
Chapter 35: Stealing the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika  
Chapter 36: Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!  
Chapter 37: ****A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond** **  
** **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	32. Fight at the Ferris Wheel!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Alain and Charizard battle alongside Gray and Ferus against Ingo and Emmet in the Battle Subway)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **Noah approaches Gray when she's by herself** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Snivy, Tympole, and Boldore stand in front of White and have a triple battle with Bianca and her Servine, Herdier, and Musharna)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, people? Last chapter, the group traveled through the desert (don't remember the route. Unova made no impression on me) only to be stopped by a group of Darmanitan. White then used Boldore to battle the leader and they crushed him, so that's really that. This chapter will be the reappearance of a few of Gray's rivals (all three, actually) and she'll face off with Cheren! Now let's get going!**

 **davidtheman23:** _Si, si. Boldore is love, Boldore is life. Dicax's name has been there for quite some time, actually, and it's the nickname of Gray's last Pokemon. Celsus' name was put up there before he was revealed, too, so it's not a spoiler or anything, I figured I'd just get a head start and post their names. And thank you!_

 **Defender31415:** _I totally planned that XD Happy birthday! (And yeah, there'll be a lot of battles in this arc)_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Thanks. The battle was really short, I agree, but this chapter and the next (hopefully) make up for it. Alain's battles will all be really awesome, especially this one for various reasons. And the other legendary isn't actually real... kind of. Technically it's not because GameFreak hasn't released it, but it's been mentioned in the games once or twice, if I'm correct (probably not)_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Yeah, that fell flat on its face XD White's going to get a lot stronger really soon, and I'd say she'll be holding her own in battles against Flare grunts (and potentially admins) by the Mistralton Arc, assuming she ever faces off with them. Her development is my main focus right now, and once that's done it'll shift more over to the group dynamic. And you won't be winning for long, sir! (Bad joke is bad)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Totally (they actually are in-game). Boldore's really strong, and when I was writing 33 I actually thought about Gray trading for him, but then I realized how stupid that'd be XD Nimbasa Arc hype!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Boldore's going to be really strong, at least, until Tympole steps it up and becomes a Seismitoad. Even then, Boldore could be a beast. Can't say whether or not she'll lose, but I can tell you her real rivalry is with Hugh. Cheren and Bianca are going to shift more towards being White's rivals (more so Bianca), and thanks!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 28, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 25, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 25, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 26, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Why don't you want to battle the Gym today? If you won, you'd be halfway done!" White exclaimed as she followed Gray and Noah, who were walking next to each other with Ferus and Arcanine leading the charge. "Don't tell me you're quitting! That would be so annoying!"

The older trainers laughed at White's paranoia and shook their heads collectively while Unicus and Snivy rolled their eyes at White, knowing there was no chance Gray would just quit halfway through her travels.

"Relax, White. I just want to give my Pokemon a break, that's all. With Team Flare and the Shadow Triad popping up out of nowhere, I think they deserve some time off. Plus, N told me that I had to visit the amusement park while we were here. Apparently it's globally renowned," the eighteen year old replied, waving off her friend's concerns."

"I still don't trust that guy," Noah muttered. "And his Zoroark is a bully."

Gray and Ferus laughed at Noah's sensitivity while Arcanine shook his head, remembering how often Noah would act like that when they traveled across Kalos. After a few seconds, the group went quiet and they looked around to see the colorful buildings Nimbasa was known for.

"Wait, we're going to the amusement park!?" White screamed excitedly, drawing annoyed nods from Noah and Ferus. "I love that place! When I was little my family would take a week long vacation here!"

Snivy hopped onto her trainer's shoulder and sat down, wanting to hear more about White's family, which was made possible by Gray, who spoke up with intrigue.

"Really? Did you visit any of the other places we haven't been to yet?" Gray questioned, drawing a nod from White.

"Yeah. We had a beach house in Humilau City, which has a Gym that specializes in water types. The thing about Unova, though, is that we have ten Gyms, so you can skip any two that you want."

Gray's ears perked up at the information and she locked eyes with Unicus for a nanosecond before turning her attention back to the sidewalk that she was walking down. Eventually, the trio reached the end of the street and there was a gap between two large walls that looked like they could've been used during the Middle Ages to keep enemies out.

Stepping through, Gray's eyes went wide when she saw an enormous amusement park filed with neon lights and hundreds of incredible rides that were packed with kids either waiting on line, or riding.

"Holy crap," Noah muttered under his breath, taking in the festive atmosphere. "This place is amazing!" he screamed while White walked over with a smile on her face, nodding at the announcement.

"Tympole, Boldore, come on out!"

In two flashes of light, White's other Pokemon appeared from their Pokeballs and Snivy ran over to them. Mirroring White's actions, Gray grabbed the Pokeballs off her belt and chucked them in the air with a smile.

"Everyone, let's go!"

Bursting out of the spherical devices, from left to right, were Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, and Celsus. Unicus then rolled over to them and smiled at her teammates, excluding Potens, before looking at Gray, waiting for her to give a speech, which she did.

"Guys, I know we've been training a lot, so I figured I'd let you have a day to yourselves here at the amusement park. So go have some fun!" the Kantonian instructed, drawing cheers from all of her Pokemon before they ran off with White's team.

The only ones to not run off were Bellator and Celsus, who stayed with Gray. Seeing their facial reactions, Noah scratched his head and turned to Gray as they, along with White, sat on a bench and kept an eye on their Pokemon.

"Are you guys not fans of amusement parks?" Noah quizzed.

The two Pokemon looked at one another before shaking their heads, and Celsus decided to speak up after realizing Bellator wasn't in the mood to talk.

"I don't know about Bellator, but I'd rather train than take a day off, unless you're also taking the day off, Gray," the Girafarig replied, drawing a nod from his trainer. "Okay, then I guess I'll go train. Want to come, Bellator?"

Shrugging, the Dewott followed Celsus over to an open space and they began stretching. As soon as they did, Bellator's eyes narrowed, and Ferus began tapping Gray to get her attention when he spotted the sudden change in expression. Once Gray turned, she watched as Bellator grabbed his scalchops and pointed them at a group of kids gathering around to watch the training session.

Before she could do anything to stop a potential scene, Gray gasped in shock when a Frogadier appeared from thin air and was in a ninja pose with his right fingers in-between its eyes while his left arm was out to his side.

"Hey, isn't that Frogadier familiar?" Gray asked White, who turned her attention towards the water starter. "It kind of looks like-"

"HUGH!" White screamed as the blue haired boy walked over with his hands buried in his sweatshirt pockets. "Hugh! Over here!" White continued screaming without shame even as the teen sweat dropped and walked over.

"Hey, guys. Long time no see," he greeted, bowing to both White and Gray, who bowed back in response. "How goes the badge collecting?" he quizzed while looking at Gray, who smiled and held up three fingers.

"We just won our third last week," the girl stated, drawing a nod from Hugh. "How about you?" she quizzed, not noticing Hugh's constant looking around.

"Uh, I was just about to go challenge the Gym Leader, but I guess Frogadier's busy catching up with Bellator," Hugh noted as he watched his starter converse with his number one rival. "Ya know, ever since their battle, Frogadier's been pushing himself to the limit every time we train. He's taking his rivalry with Bellator really seriously."

Gray raised her eyebrows at the information and eyed her powerhouse, who began walking back with Celsus and Frogadier.

 _"That conversation about losing... was that only because of Frogadier?"_

"Uh, Gray?" Ferus called, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. "Who is this guy?"

Face palming in embarrassment, Gray patted her Houndoom on the head and turned to Hugh with a smile.

"Hugh, this is Ferus. I caught him when I was traveling across Johto," the girl stated before hearing Noah clear his throat obnoxiously. "And this is my friend, Noah. He's been traveling with White and me the past month or so."

"Nice to meet you both," Hugh greeted while bowing as Frogadier hopped over to his side. "It's great seeing you all again, but I really want to get my fourth badge. Maybe we can meet up afterwards," the blue haired boy suggested.

"I'd love that!" White screamed, her facing turning blood red as soon as she realized how loud she had just spoken. "Sorry. It's been a long day," she said before laughing loudly, making Hugh shift uncomfortably along with Frogadier.

"We can battle, after you win that badge too," Bellator surmised, drawing nods from both Frogadier and Hugh.

"Did someone say battle?" a feminine voice sang.

Appearing out of the blue, Bianca ran over to the group with her Servine by her side, and she smiled like an idiot while looking around at everyone. Eventually, she locked her eyes onto Hugh, who smiled and extended a hand, having never met the blonde before.

"Hi, my name's Bianca," the sixteen year old greeted as she shook the boy's hand.

"I'm Hugh. Nice to meet you," he greeted with a smile. "So, how do you know these guys?" Hugh quizzed while Frogadier and Servine introduced themselves.

"Bianca and I were neighbors the past sixteen years," White answered before Bianca could even open her mouth. "We've been friends as long as I can remember," the brunette continued.

"That's right. In fact, we have another friend who grew up with us, but he's obviously not here," Bianca told Hugh, who nodded and attempted to turn away in order to visit the Nimbasa City Gym.

"You'd be surprised," Cheren countered as he appeared with his Pignite by his side.

Sweat dropping, Hugh exchanged greetings with Cheren and ran his hand through his hair, realizing there was no way he was going to be able to battle the Nimbasa City Gym Leader. He noticed, however, that all of White and Gray's Pokemon were flocking towards their trainers. As soon as they reached the girls, the two groups of Pokemon looked at both Bianca and Cheren before spotting Hugh.

"Wow, you guys have caught a lot of Pokemon since the last time we met," Cheren said aloud, drawing nods from Gray and White. "I haven't been slacking off, though," he said with a slick grin while eyeing Gray, who grinned in response. "We've been training a lot since you beat us."

"Is that so?" the eighteen year old countered.

Cheren nodded, and everyone looked back and forth at the two until Noah finally spoke up.

"So are you guys going to battle or not?" he questioned sarcastically, making everyone laugh.

"What do you say, Gray? We've been itching for a rematch," Cheren stated, his Pignite nodding to reaffirm his trainer's words.

All seven of Gray's Pokemon looked at their trainer, waiting for her to respond, and she sighed before nodding, making them cheer, except for Bellator. With that, the group walked over to a battlefield near the end of the complex and Noah took the referee's box while Gray and Hugh stood in their trainer boxes, the former with all of her Pokemon by her side.

"This will be a three versus three battle between Gray and Cheren, where neither trainer may substitute their Pokemon! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Choose your first Pokemon!"

Gray looked around at all of her Pokemon while rubbing her chin until she grinned and pointed at Furcifer.

"Furcifer, I choose you!" the brunette exclaimed, prompting the ice type to run forwards and take her spot on the battlefield.

"Deino, let's go!"

In a flash of light, a strange dragon appeared in front of Cheren and his Pignite, and Gray noticed it didn't seem to have any eyes, which was strange, to say the least. Furcifer, meanwhile, grinned at the type mismatch she had, and started to sharpen her claws.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Deino! Begin!"

"Furcifer, start by using Agility!" Gray ordered while throwing her right hand out to her side.

Without hesitation, Furcifer obeyed her command and began popping up across the battlefield before reappearing in the spot she had started. A ring of blue energy then spun around her body before it disappeared.

"Don't hold anything back, Deino! Use Dragon Breath!"

Deino did just as he was told and threw his head back before unleashing a wave of green flames from his mouth. The attack sped across the battlefield and exploded on contact with Furcifer, throwing her into the air and past Gray, though she somehow landed on her feet and began running at her opponent.

"Reach max speed with Quick Attack and then use Metal Claw!"

Everyone watched as Furcifer reached her top speed and a trail of white light appeared behind her body as she pumped her legs faster and faster. Then, once she closed in on Deino, spun and slashed him across the face with her silver claws, dishing out a massive amount of damage that made the dragon type cry in pain as he slid across the ground.

"Hang in there!" Cheren yelled to his Pokemon, who grunted in response and rose to his feet. "Double Team!"

Roaring, Deino suddenly made copies of himself, and they formed a circle around Furcifer, who appeared to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents, which was five.

"We know just how to handle this. Furcifer, spin and use Icy Wind!"

Furcifer sprung into the air and began spinning while releasing a freezing blast of wind from her mouth. Each and every one of the clones were destroyed on the initial blast, allowing Furcifer to pinpoint her target. Rearing her head back as she landed on the ground, Furcifer unleashed another gust of wind and it slammed into Deino, who screeched in pain.

"Fight through it and use Dragon Breath!"

Deino did just that and shot another blast of green flames at Furcifer, and once again, she was hit by the powerful attack. The force of the dragon type move sent Furcifer skidding across the battlefield, but she stayed on her feet and nodded at Gray before taking off at full speed.

"Answer right back with Metal Claw!" Gray commanded while punching her fist forwards.

Furcifer grinned while her claws extended and began glowing silver, almost as if they had become steel, and she slashed Deino across the face, knocking the dark type unconscious immediately. As soon as Deino hit the ground, Noah threw his arms up and Cheren cursed under his breath as he watched Furcifer return to Gray's side while all of the other Pokemon cheered for her.

"Deino is unable to continue! Cheren, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Deino, return," Cheren muttered as he zapped the dragon type back into its Pokeball. "Sawsbuck, let's go!"

Releasing his second combatant, Cheren grinned as a deer appeared in front of him, and it took a stoic pose while locking eyes with Furcifer.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Sawsbuck! Begin!"

"Icy Wind!"

Furcifer reared her head back and fire another gust of freezing air at the grass type standing before Cheren, but the intelligent teen was quick to counter as he took his hands out of his pockets and threw them forwards.

"Counter it with Energy Ball!"

The imposing deer grunted in response and a green ball of solar energy formed in front of his mouth. Throwing his neck forwards, Sawsbuck fired the powerful move and it crashed through Furcifer's Icy Wind attack, shocking everyone. Too surprised to do anything, Furcifer was crushed by Energy Ball and rolled along the battlefield only to stop a few inches in front of Gray.

"Hang in there and use Feint Attack, Furcifer!"

Snickering as she pushed herself off the ground, Furcifer disappeared from sight and made Cheren bite his lower lip. Sawsbuck, meanwhile, kept his composure and looked as calm as ever, throwing Gray off a bit. As soon as Furcifer reappeared, she hit into Sawsbuck while shrouded in black energy. Despite hitting Sawsbuck, the grass type wasn't pushed back at all, allowing him to counter right away.

"Sawsbuck, send her flying with Double Kick!" Cheren shouted immediately.

Swinging his hind legs around, Sawsbuck unleashed a devastating kick to Furcifer's face, launching her into the air. As she fell to the ground, Furcifer didn't even attempt to ease her landing, and she was out cold as soon as she hit the ground.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Noah ordered while Gray stared in shock along with the rest of her Pokemon.

"Thanks for the awesome effort, Furcifer. Return," the brunette called as she zapped her Sneasel back into her Pokeball. "Now, who do I choose?" Gray asked herself while looking over her four other Pokemon. "Celsus, I choose you!"

Nodding at the announcement, Celsus strolled onto the battlefield and nodded at Sawsbuck, who nodded back before they took their battling stances.

"Man, Cheren's definitely gotten a lot stronger since his last battle with Gray," White announced, grabbing the attention of Hugh and Bianca. "He didn't stand a chance, but now it looks like he's really holding his own."

"Well, he's been training really hard, I'd assume," Hugh said. "Rivals are great for pushing you to your limits and making you strive to become the absolute best you can become. At least, that's what Gray's done for us. Right, Frogadier?"

The frog nodded, still maintaining his mute persona.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Sawsbuck! Begin!"

"Celsus, let's speed up with Agility!"

The giraffe slammed his front hooves on the ground and began appearing all over the battlefield, just like Furcifer had, and he finally reappeared in the same place he had started while a ring of blue light spun around his body. Once it disappeared, Celsus exhaled deeply through his nostrils and narrowed his eyes while looking over Sawsbuck.

"That's not going to do anything for you, Gray! Use Feint Attack, Sawsbuck!" Cheren shouted, catching Gray off guard.

Sawsbuck mimicked Celsus and slammed his front hooves on the ground, except he disappeared and popped up right in front of the psychic type, engulfed in black energy. Slamming his head against Celsus', Sawsbuck let out a victorious roar as he watched his opponent stumble back, but Gray wasn't going to back down, nor was Celsus.

"Answer right back with Stomp, Celsus!"

Holding nothing back, Celsus lunged forward and smashed his right hoof against Sawsbuck's face, knocking the grass type back to Cheren's half of the battlefield. Grinning at Celsus, Sawsbuck rose to his feet and looked ready to charge.

"Now use Energy Ball!"

Obeying his command, Sawsbuck opened his mouth and unleashed a ball of solar energy that flew towards Celsus. However, the giraffe and his trainer were thinking the exact same thing and knew just how to counter the incoming grass type attack.

"Dodge it and use Psybeam!" Gray shouted.

Celsus jumped to his right and a blast of multicolored energy formed between his antennae. The powerful attack was fired after Celsus easily dodged Energy Ball, and Sawsbuck cried out in pain as he was flung across the battlefield. After rising to his feet, Sawsbuck turned back to Cheren and locked eyes with his trainer, who nodded and threw his hand forwards.

"Charge and use Take Down!"

Sawsbuck did as he was told, and with each step he took, more bronze light appeared around his body and encapsulated the grass type.

"Use Confusion on the ground in front of Sawbuck!" Gray retorted.

With impeccable aim, Celsus fired a blast of blue energy at the ground right in front of Sawsbuck, and it caused an explosion. Because of that, Sawsbuck was thrown forwards and he skidded along the ground on his face, making everyone turn away, as they didn't want to watch the painful sight.

"Hang in there!" Cheren cried to his Pokemon, who struggled to rise to his feet.

"Assurance!"

Cheren shifted his attention to Celsus, who spun around and pointed his creepy tail at Sawsbuck and fired a blast of black energy. As soon as the attack struck its target, Sawsbuck was thrown past Cheren and when he landed, his eyes were closed tight.

"Sawsbuck is unable to continue! Cheren, choose your last Pokemon!" Noah ordered while pointing at the rookie trainer, who nodded and grabbed Sawsbuck's Pokeball.

"Return, Sawsbuck," he muttered, shaking his head in disgust with his own performance. "Pignite, let's go!" Cheren screamed, making his starter run forwards and onto the battlefield, where he locked eyes with Celsus.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Pignite! Begin!"

"Pignite, use Flame Charge!" Cheren commanded tactically.

Doing as he was told, Pignite started to stomp on the ground, causing a cloud of dust to appear around his body. He then shot out of the dust with fire surrounding him, and Pignite flew towards Celsus, who was shocked by the speed of the attack, and so was Gray. Due to their inability to think quickly enough, Celsus was crushed by the powerful attack and skidded back to Gray's side while grimacing in pain.

"Way to stay strong, Celsus! Counter with Psybeam!" Gray ordered.

Celsus nodded and fired a multicolored beam of energy from his antennae and the super effective attack struck Pignite, who was busy staring at the ring of blue energy spinning around his body.

"Get in close and use Arm Thrust!"

Pignite used his boosted speed to close in on Celsus, and he threw his glowing white fists at the psychic type. Due to Celsus also being a normal type, the Arm Thrust attack dealt neutral damage, making him grunt in pain after each punch landed.

"Blow Pignite away with Stomp!"

"Finish this with Flamethrower!"

Before he could throw his front hoof at Pignite, Celsus was engulfed in red flames, which made his scream in pain. Once the attack ceased, Celsus' legs began to shake violently before they gave out, resulting in the Girafarig hitting the ground hard with his eyes shut.

"Celsus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!" Noah yelled as he pointed at Gray.

"Bellator's going in next. There's not a doubt in my mind," Hugh stated while looking at White and Bianca.

"Yeah, he's the strongest out of all of them," Boldore added, drawing a nod from Hugh. "Except for Ferus, of course."

"Thanks for the amazing battles, Celsus. Return," Gray whispered to the fainted Pokemon as he was zapped back into his Pokeball. Then, after clipping the spherical device onto her belt, she turned around and locked eyes with Bellator, who began to walk forwards.

"Hey, I want this battle," Potens announced, causing Bellator to turn around and stare at the Noibat standing behind him. "I know you can take him, but I want to prove myself," the dragon type stated, drawing a nod from both Bellator and Gray.

"Alright, Potens, I choose you!"

Flying forwards, Potens landed on the battlefield while Unicus shook her head at the annoying dragon type before rolling over to White's Pokemon while Bellator followed behind, his eyes glued to Potens.

"Wow, she must really trust Potens," Bianca said aloud while turning to White, who shrugged in response.

"I guess so. Personally, I would've chosen Bellator, but Gray has a lot more experience than I do, so we'll just have to see how this turns out."

With that, the girls turned their attention to the battlefield while Hugh and Frogadier glanced at one another, perplexed by Gray's decision to not use Bellator who had the type advantage over Pignite and the track record that Potens, presumably, didn't have.

"This battle will be between Potens and Pignite! Begin!"

"Pignite, use Rollout!" Cheren commanded.

Curling into a ball, the fire starter began rolling along the battlefield at top speed, and he somehow began to enlarge himself. Gray, however, had no issue countering the attack and threw her right hand forwards with a confident grin.

"Ascend and use Agility!"

Potens shot into the air like a rocket, making everyone, including Cheren and Pignite, gasp in shock. Then, she started popping up in random places in the air, preventing Pignite from hitting her, and instead confused the bulky pig even as Potens remained in her place with a ring of blue light spinning around her body.

"Take her out of the sky with Flamethrower, Pignite!"

Pignite reared his head back and shot a blast of fire from his mouth. Not one to back down from her opponent, Potens turned to Gray and nodded before ascending even higher. Gray nodded in response and cleared her throat before issuing another command to her powerful Pokemon.

"Potens, use Air Cutter to slice right through it!"

With her wings glowing white, Potens threw them towards the wave of fire that was closing in on her, and she fired several blue crescents of wind. Each of the three sliced through the fire and exploded on contact with Pignite, sending him bouncing along the battlefield. After finally stopping, Pignite rose to his feet and saw Potens land on the ground with a confident expression plastered on her face.

"Hang in there and use Take Down!" Cheren barked, refusing to acknowledge the confidence his opponents were exuding.

Pignite nodded and charged at Potens while he was surrounded by bronze energy. Much to Gray's dismay, Potens wasn't quick enough to get away from Pignite, and was clobbered as a result. As Potens rolled along the ground, Pignite winced due to the recoil damage Take Down did, and Gray turned to Ferus with a grin.

"Potens, answer right back with Wing Attack!" the girl yelled.

Shooting off the ground at mach speed, Potens wings began glowing white and she let out a powerful cry while closing in on Pignite, who waited for Cheren to speak, which he did.

"Meet her head-on with Flame Charge, Pignite!"

Speeding towards Potens, Pignite was engulfed in fire and met her in the middle of the battlefield, causing an explosion to occur. Both Pokemon were hurled back to their respective trainers, but Potens got back up in a heartbeat while Pignite struggled due to his weight.

"Use Air Cutter again!"

Potens threw her glowing white wings forwards, sending several blue crescents of energy at her opponent. Pignite was unable to move because he was on the ground, and he took the super effective attack head-on, taking a colossal amount of damage.

"Pignite, give this everything you've got! Use Flame Charge!"

"Don't hold anything back, Potens! Spin and use Wing Attack!"

Both Pokemon took off at max speed, with Pignite engulfed in flames and Potens spinning like a drill so quickly a ring of white light formed around her body. The combatants then collided in the middle of the battlefield and began battling back and forth. Staring in awe, Unicus, White, Bianca, and Hugh watched as Potens suddenly overpowered Pignite and rammed him straight into the ground so hard the battlefield cracked as a result.

After flying back to her half of the battlefield, Potens turned to Noah and smirked as he rose his hands.

"Pignite is unable to battle! That means Gray, Furcifer, Celsus, and Potens are the winners!"

Gray and Potens immediately celebrated while Cheren walked over to Pignite and withdrew the fainted creature to his Pokeball. Then, looking up at the victors, Cheren cursed under his breath and began to walk away without congratulating Gray.

Watching the rookie, everyone shook their heads, but they didn't say anything as Cheren disappeared into the crowd of people that were trying to get on as many rides as they could.

"That was a great battle, Gray," Noah commended, drawing a bow from the girl. "Potens, you were great, too."

"Thanks," the dragon type replied before noticing Bianca walk into Cheren's trainer box.

"Hey, White, what do you say to a triple battle? My first three Pokemon against your three."

Gray, Noah, and Hugh turned to White and watched as she stepped into the trainer box Gray had occupied with a smile.

"Let's do it!"

* * *

 **Well, there really wasn't a way for me to end this chapter, so that's what I'll stick with. Anyways, Gray defeated Cheren with Potens earning the final win over Pignite. Next chapter will just be a triple battle between White and Bianca, and that's it. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Do you like chapters involving all of Gray's rivals? (Like how they interact at the leagues)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Triple Battle: White vs Bianca"**_

 _ **Gray once again attempts to take a day off from battling and training, but when Bianca shows up, her break is threatened. However, White steps forward and challenges her lifelong friend to a triple battle, but soon finds herself facing a major test in trusting all three of her Pokemon. Will she be able to defeat Bianca?**_

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 34: Mega Battle 4: Charizard vs Metagross  
Chapter 35: Stealing the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika  
Chapter 36: Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!  
Chapter 37: ****A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond** **  
** **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	33. Triple Battle: White vs Bianca

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Alain and Charizard battle alongside Gray and Ferus against Ingo and Emmet in the Battle Subway)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **Noah approaches Gray when she's by herself** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Snivy, Tympole, and Boldore stand in front of White and have a triple battle with Bianca and her Servine, Herdier, and Musharna)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, readers! 'Tis time for a chapter focused on White and Bianca, and it will be a triple battle between the two! Last chapter, Gray managed to defeat Cheren thanks to Potens sealing the decisive victory over Pignite, and that's basically all that happened, aside from Hugh and Bianca appearing. Now, let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _That comment was... weird. And Gray 'bodying' her rivals this time around is because she has competed in three leagues, this is her strongest team (compared to the others three badges through), and both Bianca and Cheren are rookies with little experience. Will she lose to the two of them at some point? Probably. She also won't be getting bodied by any of her rivals, per se, but her confidence will eventually be crushed. As for the legendary, I think it might've been mentioned in fifth gen, but that's it_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thank you! And Cheren will get a lot stronger between now and his next battle with Gray, so keep an eye on that. Gray won't be slacking off, but her team won't get nearly as much training in as it'll need_

 **Defender31415:** _Go, Gray! Glad you like these types of chapters, because I think there is a possibility that there will be a lot more interaction between the rivals in Driftveil depending on which arc outline I go with (I have 2, at the moment)_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Lol. What you call luck, I call misfortune XD Bianca and Hugh (especially Hugh) will get their chances at Gray soon enough, but they'll have to wait a little bit depending on how drastically my plans change, which, if you know anything about me, happens more often than not. Potens' obedience will also be crucial going forwards, because of her interactions with Furcifer and Unicus later down the road. As for Cheren's personality, I really don't have a clue where I want to take it... Shucks_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Never! Oh, and there will be a lot more appearances for the rivals coming up fairly soon, depending on which outline I choose to go by for the Driftveil Arc. Also, I went over everything involving Celsus, and my god... I apologize XD I don't have a clue why that happened with him, as opposed to the others (unless I did that too), and that's something I'll look to improve upon, so thank you for letting me know!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Naw, Potens won't be evolving during this arc. There is potential for the Driftveil Arc, but I'm leaning more towards Mistralton/Icirrus. It really all depends on how the plots with Plasma and Flare go. In regards to Cheren and his temper, I see your point. I can't argue against it, since I agree, though the only thing I can say is that I don't know what to do with his personality. And there won't be a double evo for White. I'd like to drag out the evolutions a bit so it doesn't seem like they happen in every battle she's involved in_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _I actually remember you saying that, and it ended when Gray got bodied by James in Azalea Town XD Good times. I'm also ecstatic that you (and almost everyone) brought up Potens' performance. At this point, it's almost guaranteed that she'll be serving as co-powerhouse with Bellator, but hey, ya never know what might come up to derail that (Inb4 White and Bianca tie)_

 **FinLay Real:** _Yeah, shame on you! Cheren's team will be a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about that, and Potens being the MVP might be a surprise for now, but just wait a little longer and you'll get used to it. Also, having this particular set of rivals meet up is pretty easy to write, probably because of them all being characters from the games_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 28, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 28, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 30, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Double Hit* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"This will be a triple battle between White and Bianca! The battle will be over when all three Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Now, choose your Pokemon!" Arcanine shouted as he stood in the referee's box while Noah sat with Hugh and Gray.

"So, do you think White has a chance at winning this? I mean, I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, but that Bianca girl's collecting badges and White isn't," Hugh explained while looking at Noah and Gray, both of whom exchanged glances before shrugging.

"To be honest, I haven't battled Bianca since... I think it was back on Route 2," Gray muttered while rubbing her chin. "For all I know, she could be just as inexperienced, or way stronger."

"And White's been working really hard lately," Noah stated, drawing nods from Gray, Unicus, Bellator, Ferus, Furcifer, Potens, and Celsus. "I think this will be a really even match, but that depends on how Tympole does."

Hugh raised his eyes at Noah's words and glanced over at White, who was talking to her three Pokemon with a stern expression on her face.

"What, is Tympole still having trouble with his confidence?"

Gray nodded and Hugh crossed his arms over his chest at the same time as Frogadier.

"Well, if he has any trouble during this battle, Frogadier and I will help him out. Right, buddy?"

Frogadier nodded once and punched his right fist into the air emphatically, making everyone laugh except for Bellator, who made his way over to his rival and began talking with the water frog after turning his translator off.

"Servine, Herdier, Musharna, go!" Bianca shouted as she tossed two Pokeballs while Servine scampered onto the battlefield.

Materializing from the light were Bianca's other two Pokemon, and they stood to the left and right of Servine, respectively, and continued staring down White's Pokemon.

"Let's do our best, guys. Boldore, I want you taking the lead when it comes to attacks, and Snivy, make sure you protect them, okay?" White ordered, drawing nods from her two Pokemon. "And Tympole, I want you staying back until someone's in trouble. Your role is going to be a hybrid between Snivy's and Boldore's."

"G-got it," the water type stammered before taking his position to the right of Snivy, who had Boldore on her left.

"Because Bianca issued the challenge, White gets the first move! Begin!" Arcanine shouted.

"Snivy, start off by using Leaf Tornado on Musharna! Boldore, use Power Gem on Herdier! Tympole, hit Musharna with Supersonic!"

Each of White's three Pokemon nodded and obeyed their commands, with Snivy pointing her tail at Musharna while a wicked gust of wind circulated with hundreds upon hundreds of leaves. Boldore then fired several blasts of white energy at Herdier, and Tympole let out a deafening cry that sent rings of yellow light towards Musharna. Even with three attacks heading towards her, Bianca maintained her composure and quickly threw her hand forwards, shocking Gray, Unicus, and Bellator.

"Grab Snivy's tail with Vine Whip, Servine! Then throw her into Boldore! Musharna, use Barrier to protect Herdier while he uses Work Up!"

Two green vines shot out of Servine's neck and wrapped around Snivy's tail, stopping the powerful attack dead in its tracks. Whipping Snivy around like a rag doll, Servine slammed her into Boldore, knocking the rock type over. Musharna, meanwhile, floated away from the Supersonic attack and floated in front of Herdier before humming loudly. A gigantic red wall appeared in front of her and blocked the first blast of energy, but the second broke the wall and allowed the third to crush Musharna. However, Bianca nodded at Herdier after watching the red ring of light spinning around his body disappear. White, on the other hand, looked on nervously as Snivy and Boldore struggled to their feet.

Once they did, the rookie trainer let out a deep breath and grinned once she saw her three Pokemon looking at her, which eased their nerves.

"Now charge at Herdier, and use Rock Smash, Boldore! Snivy, Leech Seed Musharna! Tympole, stay close to Boldore and back him up!"

Without hesitation, White's Pokemon followed through on their commands, and Boldore trudged across the battlefield with his right arm glowing orange. Tympole, who stayed a few feet behind his rock type teammate, trembled as soon as he saw Servine lock her sights on him. She turned away, however, when Snivy fired a sapling at Musharna.

"Servine, hit Boldore with Leaf Blade! Musharna, destroy Leech Seed with Psybeam! Herdier, use Ice Fang on Boldore!" Bianca retorted with the utmost confidence in her Pokemon.

Springing into the air and spinning like a wheel, Servine began to roar as he crashed down and slammed his glowing green tail over Boldore's head, spiking him straight into the ground. The grass starter then returned to his trainer's side and watched as Musharna fired a multicolored beam of energy at the sapling Snivy had shot at her. Much to White's dismay, the psychic type attack blew through Leech Seed and exploded on contact with Snivy, hurling her through the air and into her trainer, which knocked White onto her rear end.

Rising to her feet while Snivy ran back onto the battlefield, White's eyes went wide when she saw Herdier bounding towards Boldore, who was struggling to get on his feet, with ice forming around his mouth. Acting as quickly as she could, the girl didn't hesitate when she issued another set of commands.

"Tympole, get Herdier away from Boldore with Bubble Beam! Boldore, power up with Iron Defense! Snivy, charge at Servine and use Tackle!"

Trembling in place, Tympole shrieked when he saw Herdier lunge at Boldore. Because he was so scared, Tympole didn't attack and Boldore was hit by the super effective move, which made him cry out in pain before he punched Herdier in the nose. The rock type then slammed his feet on the ground and began to glow silver, boosting his defenses to another level. Snivy sprinted towards Servine after noticing he was too busy watching Boldore struggle standing, and she lowered her head in hopes of demolishing her evolution.

"Everyone, keep working hard! You're all doing really well!" Bianca chanted with a genuine smile, amping her three Pokemon up even more, which caught Gray's attention even as the battle was still going on. "Herdier, cut Snivy off with Take Down! Servine and Musharna, use an Energy Ball-Psybeam combination on Tympole!"

White gasped in horror when Herdier, who was shrouded in bronze energy, sprinted towards Snivy and slammed into her so forcefully she was thrown across the battlefield and bounced after passing White. Servine and Musharna then stood next to one another and unleashed their attacks, which began to form into one ball of multicolored energy that was outlined green, and it closed in on Tympole at light speed.

"Tympole, get out of the way!" White screamed desperately, praying that her Pokemon would listen.

He didn't. Closing his eyes in horror, Tympole waited for the attack to destroy him, but it never did. Instead, Boldore shot off the ground and threw himself in front of Tympole to protect him. The water type stared in silence as Boldore slowly turned around and nodded at him subtly before falling on his face, prompting Arcanine to speak up.

"Boldore is unable to battle! We'll take a short break while White withdraws her Pokemon."

"Boldore!" the rookie shouted as she ran over to the rock type and knelt next to him worriedly. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the Pokemon Center right now?" she questioned.

"It's okay, White. I'm fine," Boldore replied weakly. "I know how to beat them, though," he whispered as Snivy and Tympole leaned in. "Tympole needs to attack. They don't think he will."

With that, Boldore fainted, and White zapped him into his Pokeball with a pained expression, which everyone on the sideline could see.

"She looks really overwhelmed out there, Gray. Do you really think she'll be able to pull this off?" Furcifer quizzed while looking at her trainer, who continued staring at White, Snivy, and Tympole.

"Just wait. White's going to turn this back in her favor. Trust me."

Everyone nodded and turned their attention back to White except for Bellator, who continued staring at his trainer, his eyes narrowing. Even though his head said to not believe her, his heart did.

"Are both sides ready to continue?" Arcanine inquired, drawing nods from the girls and their Pokemon. "Okay. We left off with White's turn. Begin!"

"Snivy, grab Tympole with Vine Whip and throw him! Tympole, spin and use Bubble Beam! Back him up with Leaf Tornado on Servine!"

Without hesitation, Snivy wrapped her vines around Tympole and threw him into the air as high as she could, catching everyone off guard. Surprisingly, Tympole obeyed his command and began spinning while using Bubble Beam, which made the flurry of bubbles swirl around Bianca's Pokemon. Every time they tried escaping the vortex, they were pelted by dozens of bubbles, and Tympole continued his assault while Snivy began using Leaf Tornado.

"Musharna, block Leaf Tornado with Barrier! Servine, throw Herdier at Tympole, and use Take Down, Herdier!" Bianca countered.

Musharna just barely managed to block the grass type attack while Servine wrapped her vines around Herdier and launched him towards Tympole, who was still spinning and attacking. Once Bianca fell for her trap, White grinned and snapped her fingers, grabbing the blonde's attention.

"Now hit Herdier with Supersonic, Tympole! Snivy, use Vine Whip and throw Musharna into Herdier!"

Stopping his wicked water attack on the spot, Tympole screeched and fired three rings of orange light at Herdier, all of which hit him. While Herdier hit the ground like a bag of bricks, Tympole's Bubble Beam finally closed and exploded on contact with Musharna and Servine, making them both cry out in pain while presenting Snivy with the perfect opportunity, which she seized. After her vines shot out of her neck and wrapped around Musharna, Snivy swung the large psychic type and smashed the pig into Herdier.

Bianca stared at White and her two Pokemon in shock while Musharna floated off the ground and back to Servine's side. Herdier, meanwhile, stumbled around while his eyes were in different directions, but Bianca was unable to see, so she acted as if nothing had happened to him.

"Servine, use Headbutt on Snivy! Musharna, use Psybeam on Tympole! Herdier, hit Tympole with Take Down!"

While Servine charged at Snivy and lowered his head, Musharna opened her mouth and charged an orb multicolored energy, which she planned on firing at Musharna. She wasn't able to, though, thanks to Herdier being confused. He did obey part of Bianca's command, but instead of targeting Tympole with Take Down, he lunged and struck Musharna in the side, throwing her aim to the left and at Servine, who was shot into the air due to the Psybeam attack exploding on contact.

White chuckled at the mishap and nodded at both Tympole and Snivy, who nodded in response before turning to face their two downed opponents.

"Now let's finish this off with Mud Shot and Leaf Tornado on Musharna!"

Without hesitation, Tympole shot three bullets of mud at Musharna, each of which hit, and then Snivy trapped her inside Leaf Tornado. The grass starter then jumped as high as she could and slammed the vortex of leaves against the ground, along with Musharna, which knocked the psychic type out cold immediately.

"Musharna is unable to battle! We'll take a short break while Bianca withdraws her Pokemon," Arcanine announced after shooting a Flamethrower attack into the air.

"You were fantastic, Musharna. Thanks a bunch," Bianca said to her fainted Pokemon before nodding at Arcanine along with White before they started discussing strategy with their Pokemon.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Gray's team turned to her and stared in amazement.

"How'd you know White was going to turn it around? She looked like she was done for!" Unicus exclaimed.

"Yeah. You were so confident about it, too," Potens added, sending Gray a skeptical stare, which made her laugh while rubbing the back of her head.

Before she could answer, Gray noticed Ferus rise to his feet and stretch out while yawning. He then made his way over to the younger group of Pokemon and looked at each one of them, excluding Bellator, and then sat down next to Gray.

"You do realize how much this battle means to White, right?" Ferus quizzed, perplexing each of Gray's Pokemon except for Unicus and Bellator, the latter of whom walked down to Ferus with Frogadier by his side.

"I do, and so do you, Unicus. The others don't really know, so why don't you explain it?" Bellator asked Unicus, who nodded and turned to her three other teammates.

"White and Bianca grew up together and set out on their adventures on the same exact day. While Bianca's out collecting badges and aiming to compete in the league, White wants to sharpen her skills and compete when she thinks she's ready."

Gray nodded at the brief summary while Noah and Hugh stared at her with their jaws hitting the ground, wowed by the brunette's deep thinking.

"You know how we battle Gym Leaders?" Gray asked simply, drawing nods from all of her Pokemon. "Well, this is White's Gym Battle, essentially. She needs to prove that all of her training is actually paying off, and that it wasn't a mistake to not compete in the Unova League."

Frogadier turned to Bellator with a shocked look on his face and shook his head when he realized how calm Bellator was, even after hearing Gray's in-depth explanation for believing in White.

"Okay. We left off with Bianca's turn. Begin!" Arcanine shouted out of the blue, snapping everyone's attention back to the battlefield.

"Make sure you follow the plan," Bianca told her Pokemon, which made White bite her lower lip uneasily as she began thinking over what Bianca's tactics could be. "Herdier, use Ice Fang on Snivy! Servine, grab Tympole with Vine Whip!"

"Snivy, jump over Herdier and use Tackle on Servine! Tympole, dodge it!" White ordered confidently while throwing her open left hand forwards.

The two Pokemon nodded at each other before Snivy attempted to hop over Herdier and Tympole tried dancing away from Servine's grasp. Much to White's horror, neither of her Pokemon were able to evade their opponents' attacks, as Herdier snapped his jaw on Snivy's leg and made her scream while Servine began squeezing Tympole as tight as he could.

"Now use Energy Ball on Snivy, Servine! Herdier, throw her into it!"

Using his momentum to his advantage, Herdier swung around and hurled Snivy right after Servine shot an enormous ball of green energy from his mouth. The powerful attack hit its target and flung Snivy about ten feet behind Tympole, who continued to try to break out of Servine's grasp, which earned the grass starter's respect, along with that of Bianca and Herdier.

"Snivy, please hang in there and use Leech Seed on Herdier! Tympole, break free by using Mud Shot on the vines!"

Shooting a tiny sapling from her mouth, Snivy cheered weakly when Herdier was hit by the annoying attack, and the celebration continued as Snivy watched Tympole shoot several bullets of mud at the vines holding him. The power of his attack made Servine grimace in pain and retract his vines immediately, but Bianca was quick to issue another command.

"Servine, jump and use Leaf Blade on Tympole! Herdier, use Take Down on him, too!"

After hearing Bianca's commands, her Pokemon sprung into action with Servine shooting into the air like a rocket with his tail glowing light green. Herdier, meanwhile, charged towards Tympole while he was encapsulated in bronze energy.

White simply stared at the predicament, not knowing how to navigate out of it. Tympole remained motionless and stared as both Servine and Herdier closed in on him, but Snivy allowed her instincts to take over, and she sprinted forwards. Hurling herself in front of Tympole, just like Boldore had done earlier in the battle, Snivy was absolutely clobbered by the two attacks and was knocked unconscious immediately.

"Snivy is unable to battle! We'll take a short break while White withdraws her Pokemon."

White sprinted over to Snivy's side while Servine and Herdier retreated to Bianca's, and the rookie trainer placed a hand on her starter's head.

"Snivy... thank you so much. You were so brave, I can't thank you enough," White whispered as she picked the grass type up off the ground and released Boldore from his Pokeball. "Here, take these," she continued while placing Max Revives in the mouths of her Pokemon, bringing them back to consciousness immediately.

Once they were, Boldore and Snivy walked over to the sidelines and were swarmed by Gray's Pokemon and Frogadier, who cheered them on. White's two Pokemon didn't accept the praise, however, as they kept their focus on Tympole, who was trembling in pure terror while looking back and forth at Herdier and Servine, who were grinning at the thought of victory over their petrified opponent.

Even White looked defeated, angering Gray. As a result, the older trainer began cheering for Tympole, and her Pokemon joined in on the support right away.

"Relax, Tympole! Just try your best!" Ferus yelled.

"Win or lose, it doesn't matter! We'll be proud of you regardless!" Furcifer screamed.

"That's right! We've got your back!" Celsus reaffirmed while nodding at the tadpole.

"Tympole, if I can get along with these idiots, then you know nothing's impossible! Give this everything you've got!" Potens roared, making everyone laugh. Even Unicus and Furcifer, as surprising as it was.

"Come on, Tympole! You can do it!" Unicus cheered alongside Gray.

"Hang in there! We believe in you!" Noah and Hugh shouted in unison.

"You have them right where you want them, Tympole! This is all you!" Snivy and Boldore proclaimed, making their teammate nod solemnly before he finally turned his attention to Bellator.

The water types continued staring at one another, and Tympole immediately thought of a conversation he had with Bellator back in Castelia City the night before Gray's Gym Battle with Burgh, when she was training with Potens, Celsus, and Unicus.

 _"Tympole you need to do this for yourself, not just because White believes you can become strong. We all know you can, but you have to want it more than you want to breathe. Push yourself as far as you can, and then push some more," Bellator stated before getting to his feet to help train Unicus with her close-range combat for another two hours._

Tympole and Bellator nodded at the same time, and everyone, including Bianca and her Pokemon, looked at Bellator curiously until Tympole hopped forwards with a determined look stretching across his face. Just as Arcanine attempted to speak, he turned as soon as Tympole began to hum loudly. Then, all of a sudden, the tadpole was engulfed in a blinding coat of white light, making everyone gasp in shock.

The tiny creature underwent a drastic transformation, as his tiny face turned into a large body with two tiny blue feet on the bottom. His white tail shrunk a few inches, and there were several bumps - which looked more like bubbles - that had formed, with one large one being placed on his forehead and two on the sides of his head. While most of his skin was dark blue, the creature's stomach was cream, and he had a pair of large eyes.

Pulling her Pokedex out of her pocket, White scanned the new Pokemon standing before her.

"Palpitoad, the Vibration Pokemon, and the evolved form of Tympole. It lives in the water and on land. It uses its long, sticky tongue to capture prey. New moves learned: Muddy Water, Toxic."

"Tympole... evolved," White whispered to herself, trembling slightly. "That's..." she paused and hung her head, still trembling. "Incredible! Palpitoad, are you ready to win this battle with me?" the brunette asked her Pokemon excitedly.

"You bet! There's no stopping us!" Palpitoad replied with a proud smile as he turned around to lock eyes with his opponents, who shifted uneasily.

"The last move was made by Bianca, so it's White's turn. Begin!" Arcanine decreed after regaining his composure, along with the rest of the spectators.

"Palpitoad, let's use that new move of yours! Muddy Water!" White roared while punching her fist in the air.

Matching his trainer's enthusiasm, Palpitoad roared before slamming his feet on the ground. All of a sudden, a massive tidal wave of disgusting water, which was brown, appeared and crashed along the battlefield and on top of both Servine and Herdier. After the two were swept across the battlefield, they rose to their feet in disgust and turned to Bianca, who attempted to remain calm, though it was obvious she was beginning to crack under the pressure.

"Servine, charge and use Leaf Blade! Herdier, back him up and use Take Down!"

Both Pokemon sprinted towards their target, but Servine jumped and began spinning like a wheel while his tail started to glow light green. While Servine did that, Herdier was shrouded in bronze energy and grunted with each step he took, his eyes locked on Palpitoad. Much to Bianca's dismay, White's increased confidence coupled with Palpitoad's newfound strength prevented either of her Pokemon from striking their target.

"Dodge them both and grab Herdier with your tongue!"

Palpitoad effortlessly dodged Servine's violent attack, which cracked the battlefield, and then he threw his tongue towards Herdier as the normal type left his feet. Yelping in shock after being caught by Palpitoad, Herdier bucked wildly in an attempt to break out of his opponent's grip, but it was no use.

"Herdier!" Bianca cried to her Pokemon while Servine hopped around and held his tail in pain.

"Palpitoad toss him and use Mud Shot to finish this!" White boomed.

Hurling the quadruped as far as he could, Palpitoad narrowed his eyes and whipped his tongue through the air. Three bullets of mud were fired at Herdier and they hit their target, knocking Herdier unconscious instantly. Once the dog hit the ground, Arcanine ran forwards and stood in-between Palpitoad and Servine before roaring mightily, grabbing the attention of everyone on the rides of the amusement park.

"Herdier is unable to battle! We'll take a short break while Bianca withdraws her Pokemon."

While Bianca zapped Herdier back into his Pokeball, everyone except Gray, Bellator, and Frogadier went nuts and began cheering for Palpitoad, though they made sure to let Servine and Bianca know that they were also pulling for them.

"Okay, this is the final battle, and we ended with White's turn, which means Bianca has the first move! Begin!" Arcanine shouted.

"Servine, start off by using Leaf Tornado!" Bianca commanded, throwing her fist forwards.

Whipping his tail around in an attempt to create a tornado, Servine grinned when several hundred leaves appeared from thin air and were spinning along with the vortex of wind. Then, pointing his tail at Palpitoad, Servine grunted loudly and shot the wave of leaves at his water type opponent, though White thought clearly and countered without hesitation.

"Palpitoad, overwhelm them with Muddy Water!" White shouted while smiling at her lifelong friend, who smiled right back.

A massive wave of brown water rose from the ground after Palpitoad stomped his feet, and it crashed on top of the Leaf Tornado attack, swallowing it whole before tumbling along the battlefield. Lucky for Bianca, she had watched so many videos of battles that she knew just how to counter the tricky attack that acted as both a shield and counter.

"Use Vine Whip on the ground to throw yourself over the water! Then use Leaf Blade!" the blonde yelled to her starter, who obeyed.

Pushing against the ground with as much force as he could muster up, Servine shot into the air and began to spin like a wheel while his tail began to glow light green. As he descended, Servine started to roar, but Palpitoad and White were so in the zone, they didn't fret.

"Dodge it and use Toxic!" White shouted to her newly evolved Pokemon.

Palpitoad effortlessly evaded the devastating Leaf Blade attack and shot a ball of purple poison at Servine, which struck the serpent. The status-inflicting attack immediately began to chip away at Servine's health as he stumbled backwards and shook his head nauseously until Bianca's voice sliced through the air.

"Fight through the pain! Charge and use Headbutt!"

Obeying his command, Servine bolted towards Palpitoad and slammed his head into the water type's stomach so violently he knocked the wind out of Palpitoad, who fell on his back and rolled around in pain without grunting.

"Palpitoad, hang in there just a little longer! I know you can do it!" White shrieked as she continued watching her final Pokemon roll around in pain.

"Servine, finish this with one more Leaf Blade!" Bianca hollered, seizing the opportunity to end the battle.

With the same thought process as his trainer, Servine ran towards Palpitoad while his tail was glowing light green, and he jumped as high as he could. Crashing towards the ground as he spun like a wheel, Servine let out a powerful roar as he crushed Palpitoad underneath the might of his tail, and the water and ground type went silent as soon as the attack landed. Once he rose to his feet and walked back to Bianca's half of the battlefield, Servine watched Arcanine examine Palpitoad before shooting a blast of fire into the air.

"Palpitoad is unable to battle! That means Bianca, Musharna, Herdier, and Servine are the winners!"

White rushed over to Palpitoad's side and everyone on the sidelines began clapping for Bianca and Servine, who waved back appreciatively while making their way over to White, Palpitoad, Boldore, and Snivy as the latter two rushed onto the battlefield.

"That was so awesome, Palpitoad! I never knew you had that inside you!" Snivy screamed, making her teammate crack a grin as he was helped back onto his feet by White.

"Well, I wouldn't have been able to find it if you two didn't protect me during the battle. I really owe you two big time," Palpitoad replied with a cheeky smile. "It's too bad we lost, though. Coming so close only to lose sucks!"

Boldore and Snivy nodded until Servine entered the conversation, and they began to congratulate the larger grass type while White and Bianca shook hands.

"You and your Pokemon are way stronger than I remember, Bianca. It's great to see how much you've all improved," White told her friend, who smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you, White! Your Pokemon were incredible, too! I mean, you don't even collect badges and you still almost beat us!" Bianca exclaimed as she tipped her hat to Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore, who all bowed in response.

"That really was a great battle. So much strategy was used, it was kind of hard to keep up with all of it," Hugh said aloud while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I can only imagine what it was like for you two."

The girls nodded and Bianca patted Servine on the head when he returned to his side, and then she shifted her gaze back to the other teens.

"I guess we'll see you around. Servine and I are going to head back to the Pokemon Center and challenge the Gym some time tomorrow, so hopefully we meet up again."

The four trainers nodded in response, and Bianca bowed before walking off with Servine, who waved to his three opponents. Each of the three waved back, but they stopped when Servine disappeared, and they spun around to look at White.

"You said you were heading to the Gym, right, Hugh?" Noah asked, drawing a nod from the blue haired boy and his Frogadier. "Best of luck with that. We'll be rooting for you."

"I appreciate the support. I'll make sure to let you know how it goes when we get back, Gray. White, great battle. Maybe we can do that some time," the kind boy proposed, drawing a violent nod from the brunette, who was beginning to blush. "Nice meeting you, Noah. And hopefully the two of us can battle, too," Hugh said to Gray, who nodded. "See you later, guys!"

With that, Hugh ran off with Frogadier in hopes of winning his fourth badge, and the trio of Gray, Noah, and White began walking back to the Pokemon Center after the girls withdrew their Pokemon.

While Gray, Noah, Ferus, and Arcanine talked about Gray's strategy for her upcoming Gym Battle, and while Snivy and Unicus talked about the battles, White stared at Palpitoad's Pokeball with a smile.

She had finally reached through to one of her Pokemon, and that would be the first of many.

* * *

 **Soooo, that took really long to write. Hopefully it was a good read, or skim, or whatever you do. Even though White lost to Bianca, Tympole evolved and will finally be free of his timid personality. Next chapter will shift the focus to Alain and Charizard, who will be facing some stiff competition, to say the least. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Which of White's Pokemon do you think did the best?  
2) Should White battle Gray's rivals more often? Why or why not?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 4: Charizard vs Metagross"**_

 ** _Alain and Charizard arrive in Nimbasa City and come across a trainer and their Metagross, who is capable of using Mega Evolution. Eager to scratch another name off his list, Alain challenges the trainer and the two participate in a heated battle. Who will reign victorious?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 35: Stealing the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika  
Chapter 36: Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!  
Chapter 37: ****A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond** **  
** **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle** **  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	34. Mega Battle 4: Charizard vs Metagross!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Alain and Charizard battle alongside Gray and Ferus against Ingo and Emmet in the Battle Subway)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **Noah approaches Gray when she's by herself** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome back to another chapter of PUA:ANG, everybody! Last chapter, White and Bianca had a triple battle, which ended in a win for the latter, but things didn't end too poorly for White, considering Tympole finally evolved. This chapter will feature everyone's favorite badass, Alain, and his quest to defeat every Mega Evolution in existence. He'll be meeting up with an incredibly powerful foe, but let's not get into that. Now let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Great to hear from you again. Snivy's going to evolve into a Serperior at some point in the future, but that's really far from now, so I won't try to force it. Hugh and Cheren will battle during the Mistralton Arc, and Alain didn't go back to Lumiose, he's in Nimbasa. Silly, silly typos. There weren't that many questions, lol, so don't feel like you're asking too many_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks. I wanted her to, I really did, but having her of all people beat Bianca would make it nearly impossible for me to have Bianca beat Gray in the future. I'm really happy Tympole evolved, and now he won't be a coward, so it looks like White's got quite the team as of this point_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yeah, White's going to become really strong near the end of the story thanks to her training with Gray and the fact that her Pokemon (just the three she has) are all going to be freakishly strong. Or, at least, Seismitoad will be :D Also, she'll get a chance at battling during the Driftveil Arc, but her next one (against the rivals) won't be for a while after that_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Palpitoad! Wooh! There will be a rematch between White and Bianca, and she'll eventually get her shot at Cheren, though that'll happen a really long way down the road. The similarities between Leviculus and Palpitoad never crossed my mind until now, and White's going to have a few more opportunities to battle people other than Cheren and Bianca_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Sadly, she won't be catching any other Pokemon. There might be a chance of a fourth Pokemon, but that would be near Opelucid City at the earliest. And White would be training a lot more before taking on Gray's rivals, and it's not like I'd have her magically pull off a win over, let's say Hugh. And eventually, they'll form one organization XD Owen and Red won't be there to help, though. This one's all on Gray_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Dat quote tho. White's going to be battling a bit more often starting in the Driftveil Arc, and she'll get to go up against Flare and Plasma, too. Palpitoad certainly is on his way to becoming a beast, that's for sure_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Alain's opponent's going to be different, that much I can tell you. I'm pretty sure a few people got it right, but I'm too lazy to go back and check_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Yeah, she was originally supposed to lose, but then I realized how weak that would make her look and any chance of her beating Gray would be eliminated right there. She'll definitely battle Cheren and Bianca one more time each, and hopefully she can pull off at least one win XD_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _You have no idea how nervous I was reading that XD I went back in my search history and realized that I was looking at rock's matchups against other types, and that's why I thought it was super effective (aside from the fact that I thought it was super effective, lol). Palpitoad, ftw!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 28, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 28, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 30, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Double Hit* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Shifting his gaze from one person to another, Alain took a deep breath and reached for the only Pokeball in his possession at the same time as the others. As the black haired trainer narrowed his eyes, he ripped the spherical device off his belt and hurled it forwards. The two other trainers did the same, and all three Pokeballs opened at the same time, revealing each of the Pokemon.

In front of Alain was none other than his Charizard, while their opponents were nothing more than a measly Liepard and Watchog, both of which trembled at the mere sight of Charizard. The trainers opposing Alain and his Charizard deadpanned immediately and made a beeline for Nimbasa City, but they only took two steps before being grabbed by the winged lizard and lifted into the air.

Glaring at the two men, Alain made note of the petrified looks in their eyes and nodded at Charizard, who let go of the two men from forty feet off the ground, making them scream as they fell to the ground. However, the Kanto starter grabbed both of them with little effort and let out a menacing roar that made the tree leaves rustle and wild Pokemon scamper out of hiding.

"I'm only going to ask this once, so we can either do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way, which'll make my work more fun. Which one of you stole that Pokemon?" Alain interrogated while looking at the two men dressed like nights.

After exchanging glances, the men remained silent, and Alain's intense glare became even more terrifying, sending chills down the mens' spines.

"Charizard, you know what to do."

"WATI!" the man in Charizard's right hand screamed before the winged lizard could do anything. "He has it! Please, just don't hurt me!"

Shaking his head in disgust, Alain motioned for Charizard to land, which he did, and he made his way over to the fire type and found the Pokeball he was searching for. After turning his back to the two men, Alain sighed and ran a hand through his hair, turning around to stare at the tattler and his accomplice.

"Get out of my sight!" Alain screamed, his voice full of rage.

Charizard threw the two men onto the ground and took a mental photo of their attire, specifically the large "P" sewn into their shirt right over their left pec. The two men scampered into the woods after withdrawing their Pokemon, and Alain spat in disgust. Turning to face Charizard, he nodded at the fire starter and they began walking towards the streets of Nimbasa City, where a little girl was waiting with tears streaming down her face.

"Did you find them, mister?" she asked, sniffling wildly while cupping her hands together and holding them up to her face.

Alain smiled softly and handed the girl her Pokeball, making her squeal with joy. After taking the capsule back, the young girl, who couldn't have been older than seven, hugged Alain and Charizard and thanked them about a hundred times. The nineteen year old and his starter laughed at the girl's gracious reaction, but stopped when she began speaking.

"You must be really super strong if you beat those guys so fast. You should battle my aunt!" the girl shouted, causing Alain to sweat drop as he turned to Charizard, who shrugged. "She's the most strongest trainer in the whole wide world! No one can beat her!"

Squatting so he could talk to the girl at eye-level, Alain smiled and put a hand on her head, silencing the child.

"As much as Charizard and I would love to meet your aunt, I don't think it'd be wise for us to battle her if she's as strong as you say she is," the Kalosian stated, still smiling at the girl.

After taking his hand off her head, Alain watched as the child nodded and held the Pokeball to her chest as tightly as she could. Once she bowed, the girl began to run down the road, but she stopped when she spotted a woman Alain and Charizard hadn't noticed.

"There she is! That's my aunt!" the girl screamed before running over to the woman, prompting Alain and Charizard to follow along, just incase it actually wasn't the girl's aunt.

"There you are. I was worried I lost you for a second. Is everything okay?" the woman asked as she scooped her niece into her arms and stared at her worriedly.

"Yeah! These two guys stole Squishy, but they got him back for me!" the seven year old answered while pointing at Alain and Charizard, who nodded at the girl's aunt. "They're really super strong, but I told them they couldn't be as strong as you."

"Well, that's not very nice, Alice. What did I tell you about judging people?" the long haired woman, whose hair almost reached her ankles, asked her niece.

Alice hung her head immediately after hearing the question, which amused Alain and Charizard, and she frowned in sorrow.

"You don't know someone until you meet them. I'm really sorry, mister. I didn't mean to be mean," Alice apologized while looking at Alain, who waved his arm as if it were no big deal.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure your aunt is-" Alain was cutoff when he saw Alice's aunt was wearing a Keystone as an earring. "I'm sorry if I come off as rude, but you're a Mega Trainer, right?" the nineteen year old inquired, making the woman smirk.

Charizard recoiled slightly at the question until he noticed the Keystone, and he spread his wings, hoping to battle the woman.

"Yes, but I really don't have time to battle right now. I'm sorry for the inconvenience," the pale woman replied, crushing Alain's spirit.

"Oh, come on, Aunt Caitlin! Can't you battle him to say thanks for saving Squishy?" Alice quizzed as she released her Solosis from its Pokeball. "Pretty please? I've never seen you battle either."

Caitlin groaned at the plea, but eventually caved and nodded, drawing cheers from her nephew and her Pokemon while Alain and Charizard searched for a battlefield. They stopped, however, when Caitlin began walking away with Alice by her side, prompting the duo to follow the aunt and her niece to a colossal arena.

After walking inside, Alain and Caitlin were escorted through the waiting room and straight to a battlefield, which was laid out like a basketball court. Confused by his surroundings, Alain attempted to ask the blonde a question, but stopped when the entire room transformed into four blue screens; one on top, one on bottom, one to the right, and another to the left.

"I'm sorry, but what's your name?" Caitlin asked.

"Alain, ma'am," the Kalosian replied.

"So, Alain, how about we make this battle as intense as possible?" the woman inquired, drawing a nod from both Alain and Charizard while Alice ran off to the side of the room. "Just what I was hoping for. Arena four, please!" Caitlin shouted while cupping her hands around her mouth.

Charizard and Alain looked around in confusion until they watched the four blue screens transform into a gladiator-like arena. The two looked around in awe once they recognized the incredible facility that they were virtually placed in, and Caitlin laughed at their reactions.

"I'm guessing you've seen Champion League Stadium once or twice," she said.

"At least a hundred," Charizard responded, only for his voice to be drowned out by hundreds of thousands of fans screaming in the stands. "This is insane! How did you do this?" the fire starter asked, which was met with Caitlin winking.

Before another question could arise, a referee materialized from a bunch of pixels, and he pointed at both sides.

"This will be a one versus one Mega Battle between Alain and Caitlin! Furthermore, the battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue! Now choose your Pokemon!" the referee demanded while pointing at both trainers.

Nodding at each other, Charizard stepped in front of Alain and let out a ferocious roar, eliciting an explosion of cheers from the virtual crowd and Alice. Both Alain and Charizard then shifted their attention to Caitlin, and she smiled while showing them a Pokeball she was holding with her left hand.

"My closest friend, Metagross, lend me your strength!" Caitlin shouted as she chucked the red and white ball into the air.

After it reached its apex, the Pokeball opened and a gigantic, blue creature materialized from the light and slammed against the ground. Alain and Charizard immediately identified the Pokemon as a Metagross, and it let out a ferocious roar, which matched Charizard's intensity and drew even more cheers than that of his foe.

"So, Alain, are you going to use Mega Evolution?" Caitlin asked with a smirk, knowing the answer primarily because the referee had stated what type of battle it would be.

"Of course," he replied without hesitation, making the pale woman standing across the battlefield grin while the virtual crowd reached a feverish pitch.

Before using the powerful technique, Alain took in his surroundings, even if they weren't real, and inhaled deeply in an attempt to ease his nerves. Once he was calmed, the nineteen year old looked down at his Mega Bracelet and placed a hand over it.

"Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!" the Kalosian roared, hoisting his left arm in the air as if he had just won first place in a tournament.

Roaring for a second time, Charizard stared up into the sky before being engulfed in a blinding light, causing Alain, Caitlin, and Alice to shield their eyes. Then, the fire type was suddenly encapsulated in a pink sphere of energy and everyone waited anxiously.

When Charizard broke out of the pink egg the color of his skin had turned black, and there were blue flames streaming out of his mouth. His stomach was also blue, and his wings appeared much more jagged.

"Metagross, together, we shall unleash our true power. Mega Evolve!" Caitlin screamed while tapping her right index finger against her Keystone.

After being encapsulated in the same pink egg as Charizard, Metagross threw one of his arms forwards and the shell exploded into a million pieces, leaving Alain and Charizard speechless. Metagross, who was floating a foot or so above the ground, had all four of his arms sticking straight out at Charizard while the white "X" on his face had turned gold, which was accompanied by a strange point shooting out of the lower part of the steel type's face.

"So that's Mega Metagross. I've never seen one before," Alain muttered to himself while bending his knees. "We're going to take it down."

"This battle will be between Charizard and Metagross! Begin!"

"Dragon Claw, let's go!"

Grunting loudly, Charizard leaned back and two gigantic sets of neon green hands, with insanely long claws formed around Charizard's hands. The fire and dragon type then took off at mach speed and closed in on Metagross in the blink of an eye, though Caitlin and her Pokemon didn't seem to be worried in the slightest, which didn't faze Alain, unlike most other trainers.

"Stop him with Psychic, and then send Charizard flying!" the blonde commanded.

Metagross hummed in response and its eyes turned light blue while Charizard spun and prepared to deliver a wicked blow. Just before he could land the dragon type attack, Charizard was stopped dead in his tracks and a thin blue line of energy appeared around his entire body, making Alain curse under his breath while Alice and her Solosis watched in awe. All of a sudden, Charizard was lifted about ten feet into the air before being slammed against the ground like a child would do to a toy.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Alain shouted to his starter after watching Charizard get to his feet with little trouble.

Rearing his head back, Charizard unleashed a wicked wave of blue fire that zipped through the air and across the battlefield. The super effective attack hit its mark and Alain grinned confidently along with Charizard, but they stopped when they realized Metagross hadn't taken much, if any damage. Caitlin saw the shocked expressions on the faces of her opponents and cracked a grin.

"You're underestimating us if you think you'll be able to win with just one Flamethrower. Metagross, weaken fire's power with Rain Dance!"

Nodding at his trainer's words, Metagross formed a ball of water in-between his two top hands and threw the sphere into the air. Suddenly, the ball exploded and rain clouds appeared overhead before a torrential downpour started. Charizard growled at the water hitting his skin and began snapping his jaws at the rain drops, which made Caitlin and Alice laugh, but Alain wasn't amused.

"Dammit!" the nineteen year old yelled to himself before running his right hand through his hair in an attempt to calm down. "Use Dig!" he shouted to Charizard.

The winged lizard didn't hesitate and burrowed underground, disappearing from sight instantly. Even as the virtual crowd exploded with cheers, Caitlin and Metagross were able to here each other speak, which made Alain curse under his breath slightly. Surprisingly, Charizard shot out of the ground on his own and delivered an uppercut that made Metagross wince in pain. Even after regaining control over his flight, Metagross appeared to have taken serious damage from the super effective attack, but the confidence Alain and Charizard had gained was about to be wiped away.

"Meteor Mash!"

Metagross began spinning like a drill while it was engulfed in sparkling cobalt energy, and the overpowered Pokemon zipped across the battlefield and rammed into Charizard, who, despite resisting steel type attacks, let out a pained roar as he was slammed into the virtual wall behind Alain. As soon as he was, Alain turned around to check on his starter, who refused to give in despite the intense pain surging through his body.

"Spin and use Steel Wing, Charizard!" Alain yelled while punching his right fist forwards.

Charizard roared and spun like a drill while his wings grew exponentially and began to glow silver. Because of the velocity with which he was spinning, it seemed as if a ring of silver light had formed around Charizard's head. Despite Charizard's increased speed, Caitlin and Metagross had more than enough time to counter, which took Alain by shock.

"Crush Charizard with Rock Slide!" the pale woman demanded.

After Metagross slammed his four hands against the ground, a pile of massive rocks fell from the sky and crashed down upon the speeding fire starter, bringing him to the ground. Once Caitlin saw that Charizard was buried underneath the heap of rocks Metagross had created, she began walking towards her Pokemon only to be stopped by Alain's persistence.

"Don't hold anything back! Blast Burn!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Nothing happened, and Caitlin sighed at her opponent. Much to her dismay, the young woman watched as the entire battlefield began to break apart and a blast of magma erupted from the ground and engulfed Metagross, who let out a deafening roar filled with pain while the rocks that had been laying on Charizard were thrown across the battlefield. Staring at her opponents in shock, Caitlin took note of the cuts and bruises covering Charizard's body, though it didn't seem like he was going to slow down anytime soon, which brought a smile to the blonde's face.

"Metagross, it's time we end this," Caitlin told her strongest Pokemon, who nodded in agreement as he floated back to his trainer's side. "Use Rock Slide again!"

Doing as he was told, Metagross slammed all four of his hands against the ground for a second time, but Alain and Charizard knew just how to counter. As the wave of rocks began crashing towards his Pokemon, Alain cleared his throat and stomped on the ground powerfully before issuing another command.

"Shatter the rocks with Brick Break and then use Dragon Claw!"

Charizard roared as his hands began to glow white, and he punched through each and every one of the rocks that were headed his way. Then, he took off towards Metagross while large bodies of neon green energy formed around his hands and turned into a set of massive claws.

"Take him out of the air with Flash Cannon!"

Wasting no time, Metagross fired a wicked blast of silver energy at his airborne opponent as the rain continued to fall, but despite the fact that it looked like Flash Cannon was going to hit its target, Charizard's strength coupled with Alain's quick thinking proved otherwise.

"Flamethrower, let's go!" the Kalosian commanded.

Charizard held nothing back as he unleashed yet another wave of blue flames from his mouth, and the attack, despite the effects of Rain Dance, blew through Flash Cannon and headed straight towards Metagross.

"Send it right back with Psychic!"

The steel type's eyes suddenly turned blue, and the fire headed its way was turned redirected, making Alain and Charizard gasp. Unable to react due to how shocked they were, Charizard was charred to a crisp by his own Flamethrower and let out a pained cry as he fell to the ground face first.

"Charizard, please get up!" Alain begged, despite knowing there was no chance Caitlin and her Metagross were going to lose. Charizard refused to back down, however, and rose to his feet while roaring as loudly as he could, wowing the woman and her floating Mega Pokemon, but that wasn't enough to win the battle.

"End this with Meteor Mash!"

Before he could even blink, Alain saw Metagross crash into Charizard, who was slammed into the wall behind his trainer for a second time. As Alain spun around, he watched Charizard revert back to his normal form, prompting the virtual referee to raise his arms.

"Charizard is unable to battle! That means Caitlin and Metagross are the winners!" the virtual referee shouted, causing Metagross to revert back to his normal form as Champion League Stadium disappeared and in its place were the four blue screens.

Alain walked over to Charizard's side and sprayed the winged lizard with a Full Restore and patted him on the head, which made Caitlin smile.

"Alice wasn't kidding when she said you were strong," Alain started as he and Charizard walked towards the middle of the battlefield and bowed to Caitlin and her Metagross respectfully. "It was a pleasure to battle you. Hopefully we can have a rematch," the Kalosian said, drawing a nod from Caitlin, who, along with her niece and Pokemon, walked out of the arena while Charizard and Alain followed.

Caitlin stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and gasped in shock, her eyes glowing bright pink. The light suddenly faded and Caitlin shook her head while picturing what was in her mind when the strange event happened.

A girl was smiling and cheering alongside her Houndoom, making Caitlin rub her chin as the picture in her mind expanded and showed Alain and Charizard were next to the unfamiliar pair. They were facing two people that looked nearly identical, save for their outfits, and two Pokemon were down on the ground in front of them.

"Alain," Caitlin called as she turned to see the powerful teen walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Turning to face the blonde, Alain stared her in the eyes, not knowing what she wanted.

"You want to get stronger, right?" the pale woman inquired, drawing a nod from her challenger. "You should check out the Battle Subway today. There's someone there that has power unlike anything you've ever seen."

Widening his eyes, Alain nodded and bowed to Caitlin thankfully before waving to Alice and walking away with Charizard's Pokeball secured on his belt.

 _"A trainer with power unlike anything I've ever seen, huh? Sounds interesting."_

* * *

 **Well, Alain got his ass kicked by Caitlin of the Unova Elite 4, and the chapter ended with her telling Alain to go to the Battle Subway, where he'd meet a trainer with power unlike anything he's seen, at least, according to Caitlin. Next chapter will shift the focus back to Gray as she fights for her fourth badge. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Who do you think Caitlin was talking about? (With the unimaginable power)  
2) Aside from Fortis, is there any other Pokemon of Gray's you'd like to see battle Alain and Charizard?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Stealing the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika"**_

 ** _Ready to earn her fourth Gym Battle, Gray squares off with Elesa on the runway. After a back and forth contest, things come down to Celsus and Zebstrika in a winner-take-all duel. Will Gray be able to win her fourth badge?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 36: Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!  
Chapter 37: ****A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond** **  
** **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	35. Steal the Thunder: Celsus vs Zebstrika

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Alain and Charizard battle alongside Gray and Ferus against Ingo and Emmet in the Battle Subway)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(A Pokemon teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE IN THE ENDING A/N**

* * *

 **What's up, everyone? Last chapter, Alain battled a woman name Caitlin (Unova E4 member) after saving her niece's Pokemon from Team Plasma, and he got absolutely bodied by her Mega Metagross. After the battle, Caitlin saw something and told Alain to go to the Battle Subway so he could meet a trainer with power unlike anything he had ever seen. As for this chapter, the focus will be on Gray as she vies for her fourth badge. Now let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _There will be a confrontation between the two eventually, yeah, but they will also work together (the theme song that reveals a fair bit of spoilers) in the future. As cool as Lysandre vs Ghetsis would be, I think you'll be pleased with the route I'll take_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Oh, the Battle Subway is so much better it's not even funny (inb4 you reference this response in a review). I'd love to explain why, but that'd ruin the hype, so I'll just sit here. And the super powerful Pokemon/trainer whatever you want to call it could be Bellator. It could also be Gray, or there may be one other person that no one would expect (not Bianca)_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Thanks for pointing that out. For whatever reason I can't spell her name, like, I kept putting "g" at the end through force of habit. Those are the Subway bosses, and Gray and Alain will meet up again for a double battle! Impeccable responses to the questions, by the way XD_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I knew someone called it (I think there was another one), so nice job. Alain and Charizard getting bodied is an understatement, but I also made Caitlin freakishly strong for that battle for reasons that will be indirectly explained very, very soon. Potens vs Charizard could be interesting, especially if I decide to unleash an idea I had for dragon types and Mega Evolving (those that can't won't mega, but it's pretty close to it)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _I figured since he seemed so unbeatable he needed to show some sign of mortality, haha. Plus, it was a member of the Elite 4, and I'll explain why Caitlin was so freakishly OP if people don't pick up on it soon. Also, thanks!_

 **Defender31415:** _Tis true, but it (the blowout) was done for a reason that will be indirectly explained really soon. Gray and Bellator are good guesses (is a good guess? I don't know if this should be singular or not XD). And I obviously can't tell you that for a few reasons, the main one being I haven't thought about the league at all, especially with the notice at the end of the chapter. That threw everything out of whack_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 28, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 28, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 30, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Double Hit* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Hugh wasn't kidding when he said this place is impossible to miss," Noah muttered as he deadpanned at the sight of the Nimbasa City Gym, which was covered in flashing neon lights and obnoxious signs. "I can't believe he won here while using Frogadier. That thing has to be really strong," the eighteen year old continued as he followed Gray and White into the Gym.

"Yeah, water types in an electric Gym? Not good," Snivy announced as if what she had said was groundbreaking. "I bet Bellator could do the same thing if he wanted to, though. Frogadier's not the only really strong water starter around these parts," the grass snake joked, making everyone laugh.

After walking past the receptionist, who made sure Gray had an appointment, the group of three teens made their way into the main room where the battlefield was. What Gray didn't know going into the battle, though, was that the walkway she was traveling down was actually the battlefield.

Suddenly, the lights went off and everyone looked around in confusion until two lights turned on. One focused on Gray while the other focused on a slightly older woman, who had black hair and was wearing fashionable clothing. Before Gray could say a word, all of the lights in the Gym flashed on and focused on the runway, catching the girl off guard while the Gym Leader strutted towards her.

"Welcome to the Nimbasa City Gym. My name's Elesa, and I specialize in electric types. Are you here for a battle?" the young woman asked Gray, who nodded in response along with Unicus, drawing a grin. "Perfect. This runway shall act as the battlefield, and the referee will go over the rules of this battle."

Gray nodded along with Unicus and stared at the referee, who looked like a model, similar to Elesa.

"This will be a three versus three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City, Elesa! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue! Elesa, choose your first Pokemon!"

The young woman nodded and grabbed a hold of one Pokeball from her belt with a confident expression on her face, and she gracefully tossed it forwards.

"Heliolisk, take the stage!" Elesa shouted as the spherical device opened and revealed the Gym Leader's first combatant.

Gray and Unicus narrowed their eyes as a bipedal electric type appeared in front of them. Looking off to the side, Gray saw Noah, White, Arcanine, Ferus, and Snivy sitting on the bleachers. The rookie trainer then released Palpitoad and Boldore from their Pokeballs so that they too could watch the battle.

"Furcifer, I choose you!" Gray shouted, hurling her first Pokeball as hard as she could.

With her Sneasel appearing from her Pokeball, Gray watched as the Johto Pokemon nodded at Unicus and then took a battling stance while squaring off with Heliolisk, who seemed to be feeding off the intense lights along the runway.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Heliolisk! Begin!"

"Furcifer, use Beat Up!" Gray commanded immediately, throwing her fist forwards as violently as she could.

Furcifer mimicked her trainer's actions and threw her right hand as hard as she could, sending a bullet of black energy towards Heliolisk. The electric type was blasted by the speedy move and, much to his dismay, Heliolisk watched as two more bullets of black energy zipped towards him. Both hit their mark, and Heliolisk stumbled backwards while holding his head in pain.

"Set the stage! Electric Terrain!" Elesa ordered confidently, almost as if she didn't seem interested in having her Pokemon attack.

Heliolisk nodded and the flap around his neck opened. Shooting a ball of electricity into the air, Heliolisk snickered as the electric ball exploded and little jolts struck the ground runway, making it turn yellow while occasional sparks danced along the ground.

"Charge with Quick Attack!"

Elesa and Heliolisk looked up in shock only to see Furcifer sprinting along the runway while a trail of white light appeared behind her. Then, lowering her shoulder, Furcifer checked Heliolisk and sent him tumbling along the thin battlefield. Somehow, the electric type got back on his feet and ran towards Furcifer, catching both Gray and Furcifer by surprise.

"Retaliate with Iron Tail, Heliolisk!" Elesa shouted, now going on the offensive.

Heliolisk grunted and swung his silver tail at Furcifer, and it hit her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the ice type as she was launched into the air and crashed into the roof. After falling towards the ground, the Sneasel regained control of her body and landed on her feet, though she dropped to one knee and winced in pain, which Gray noticed.

"Hang in there, Furcifer! Answer back with Icy Wind!" the brunette demanded.

Obeying her command, Furcifer reared back and released a freezing blast of wind from her mouth that struck Heliolisk and made him grunt in pain as frost began to appear along his body. Seeing the terrible state her Pokemon was in, Elesa muttered something under her breath before watching Heliolisk turn and nod at her, making the young woman smile.

"Restore your health with Parabolic Charge!"

"Not on our watch! Furcifer, Feint Attack!"

Before Heliolisk could open the flap on his neck Furcifer reappeared right in front of him while shrouded in black energy, and she slammed her head against her opponent's, knocking him out cold right away. After Heliolisk fell on his back, the referee stepped forward and raised her arms in the air

"Heliolisk is unable to continue! Elesa, choose your next Pokemon!"

"That was a joke. If the rest of the battle is anything like that, Gray should win, no problem," White announced while looking at Noah, Arcanine, and Ferus, who all looked at one another before glancing back at Elesa.

"I don't know. I feel like she used Heliolisk as a set-up," Arcanine opined, making White and the rest of her Pokemon cock their heads in confusion.

"It could be a set-up that makes challengers overly confident, or that Pokemon can set up a few moves, like Reflect, to help out their teammates. It's uncommon among Gym Leaders, but I guess there are some that still use tactics like that," Noah explained.

"Great battle, Heliolisk. You did just what I needed," Elesa commended while smiling at the fainted creature's Pokeball. "Your Sneasel's speed is impressive, but I won't back down."

"Thanks, Elesa!" Gray replied. "We wouldn't want it any other way!"

Smiling at her challenger, Elesa nodded and enlarged her second Pokeball, which was resting in her left hand. Throwing it, the woman didn't say a word even as the spherical device opened.

"Rotom, take the stage!" she shouted just as her combatant materialized from the light, throwing Gray off.

Standing before the stylish woman was a large orange washing machine that snickered, making Gray jump in fear before she sweat dropped in embarrassment. She then shifted her attention to Furcifer and motioned for the ice type to return to her side, which she did.

"Unicus, I choose you!" the Kantonian exclaimed, unaware of Rotom's water and electric typing.

Noah was, however, and he brought his hands up to his head while giving a look of frustration.

"Come on, Gray! Rotom's part water in this form! You have to know that!" he shouted in a hush whisper, making Ferus laugh.

"You really don't think she knows that? Maybe you're the idiot," the Houndoom retorted in defense of his trainer, making Noah scowl while White and her Pokemon laughed.

"An interesting choice, if I do say so myself," Elesa commented while looking at the Sandslash standing in front of Gray. "It looks well trained, so this should be interesting."

"This battle will be between Unicus and Rotom! Begin!"

"Unicus, start by using Magnitude and then hide with Dig!"

Stabbing her claws into the ground, Unicus let out a powerful roar while sending a wave of energy flying across the runway, which was unavoidable for Rotom. As a result, the electric type was clobbered by the super effective attack, and then Unicus dug a hole in the middle of the battlefield, making Elesa gasp slightly while Gray immediately bowed as an apology.

"Don't worry about it, that's what happens during a good battle," the older trainer replied, making Gray smile. "Now flood the hole with Hydro Pump, Rotom!"

Rotom aimed his hose-like arm at the hole Unicus had dug and attempted to fire a wicked blast of high-pressured water, but Unicus shot out of the ground and delivered a wicked uppercut to her opponent, who was knocked onto their back as a result of the super effective attack. Seeing the opportunity to seize an insurmountable lead in the battle, Gray remained on the offensive and threw her hand forwards.

"Keep it going, Unicus! Use Crush Claw!"

Unicus obeyed and sprinted towards Rotom while her claws were glowing cobalt, but as she wound back, Elesa spoke up and countered the powerful attack with ease, just like any Gym Leader would.

"Evade it with Double Team!" the model commanded.

Rotom snickered just before making copies of himself, and Unicus stabbed one of the fakes, making her fume. Gray kept her cool, though, as she remembered the perfect move for situations like the one she was currently in. After making eye contact, Unicus knew exactly what her trainer was going to say, so she jumped in the air and prepared the attack.

"Heh, that's not going to stop us! Swift!" Gray shouted.

Unicus began throwing her arms violently, creating waves upon waves of golden stars that flew around and pelted all of the Rotom on the runway. Elesa watched in anger as each of the clones were destroyed, and she realized that there were only two Rotom remaining, forcing her to act as quickly as possible while Unicus continued her assault.

"Send the stars right back with Ominous Wind!"

Surprisingly, Rotom created a wicked gust of purple wind that sent all of the stars back towards Unicus, but Gray wasn't worried in the slightest, as she knew just how to counter her own attack. Seeing the confident look on the eighteen year old's face unnerved Elesa, but she took a deep breath and waited to see what Gray was about to pull out of her sleeve.

"Plow through Swift with Gyro Ball, Unicus!" the younger girl ordered while throwing her right arm out to her side.

Unicus nodded and began spinning like a drill while she was enveloped in silver energy, and she blew through each and every one of the stars. Then, as she closed in on Rotom, Elesa hurried and issued yet another command to her bulky water and electric type, who was panting.

"Finish this with Hydro Pump!"

"Jump and use Crush Claw!"

Before Rotom could fire a potentially devastating Hydro Pump attack, Unicus lunged forward and jabbed him in the chest with a max power Crush Claw attack, which sent him flying through the air and instantly knocked him unconscious. After seeing the electric type's eyes were closed, the referee raised her arms, and Unicus cheered excitedly.

"Rotom is unable to continue! Elesa, choose your last Pokemon!"

"Thanks, Rotom. I got all of the information I needed because of you," Elesa whispered to the Pokemon's Pokeball.

"I still don't get what Elesa's doing. Why is she leaving this all up to her last Pokemon?" Snivy asked Ferus, who shrugged in response, not knowing the reasoning behind Elesa's strategy.

"Yeah, that's pretty stupid if you ask me. I mean, all it takes is one false move and you're done," Boldore muttered while shaking his head at the Gym Leader's tactics.

"Zebstrika, it's time to steal their thunder!" Elesa shouted, releasing her final Pokemon from its Pokeball.

Gray stared as a zebra appeared in front of her opponent, and it began to flash yellow with electricity while swiping its hooves along the runway. Zebstrika kept his eyes locked onto Unicus even while she looked away, and the referee raised her arms in the air.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Zebstrika! Begin!"

"Zebstrika, use Stomp!" Elesa commanded, this time much more aggressively.

Doing just as he was told, Zebstrika bolted across the battlefield at an unprecedented speed and lunged at Unicus while extending his legs in an attempt to crush her with his hooves. Gray wasn't having it, though, and quickly issued a counterattack to her starting Pokemon.

"Keep Zebstrika at a distance and use Magnitude!" the brunette barked.

Unicus nodded in response before stabbing her claws into the ground, creating a wave of energy that zipped along the battlefield. What Gray and Unicus didn't realize was that they had just provided Zebstrika with the perfect opportunity to land a devastating blow, and Elesa wasn't about to pass it up.

"Leap and use Stomp again! But this time, pin Unicus!"

Taking off at top speed, Zebstrika hurdled the ground type attack with ease and slammed his hooves on Unicus' chest, pinning her against the ground while knocking the wind out of her. White, Noah, and the rest of the Pokemon stared in shock as Unicus struggled to move, and Furcifer began cheering for her teammate, though it was obvious Unicus had little to no chance of breaking free on her own.

"Unicus, break free with Rollout!" Gray shouted after thinking of the perfect counter.

"End this with Signal Beam before she can move!"

Without hesitation, Zebstrika fired a beam of light red energy from his mouth, and it exploded on contact with Unicus, who let out a high-pitched cry before her limbs went limp and her eyes closed, prompting the referee to raise her arms.

"Unicus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

Everyone continued staring at Zebstrika while he trotted back to Elesa's side with a confident grin, and Gray smiled at the Pokeball in her hand while zapping Unicus inside it.

"You were great out there, Unicus. Thanks for all of your effort."

Clipping the capsule onto her belt, Gray attempted to pull out another Pokeball but she was stopped by Furcifer, who walked forwards and took a battling stance as she locked eyes with Zebstrika.

"Zebstrika's so strong. I don't know how Gray's going to overcome this, especially now that she doesn't have Unicus' immunity to electricity," Palpitoad said aloud, drawing nods from the others, except for Ferus, who remained silent and kept his eyes locked on his trainer.

"Furcifer, let's win this!" Gray shouted to her Pokemon, who nodded emphatically in response.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Zebstrika! Begin!"

"Zebstrika, let's show them another one of your moves! Use Flame Charge!" Elesa commanded, throwing her hand forwards.

While Zebstrika stomped on the ground repeatedly, he was engulfed in fire and bounded along the runway, which made Gray gasp in shock along with everyone else watching. Because she was so thrown off by the attack, Gray wasn't able to react and Furcifer took the super effective move head-on. As a result, the Sneasel was flung through the air before she landed on her face and struggled to get back up.

"Hang in there, Furcifer! Use Beat Up!" Gray ordered.

Furcifer nodded and formed two balls of black energy, one in each hand, and threw them at Zebstrika. Much to her dismay, and that of Gray's, Elesa was more than capable of countering the attack, and she did with little effort.

"Destroy those with Shock Wave!"

All of the stripes on Zebstrika's body turned bright yellow and he let out a ferocious roar while unleashing a wicked bolt of zigzagging neon blue electricity, which crashed through Beat Up and zapped Furcifer so badly she was brought to one knee. Despite the pain she was experiencing, Furcifer rose to her feet and locked eyes with Zebstrika, who was swiping at the ground.

"Let's use Quick Attack!"

"Finish this with Flame Charge, Zebstrika!"

Both Pokemon charged at one another and they collided in the middle of the runway. However, Zebstrika easily overpowered Furcifer and sent her flying past Gray. Watching her Pokemon slam into the ground limply, Gray cringed at the sound of impact and heard the referee clear her throat before speaking.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!"

"Great work, Furcifer. You tried your hardest."

"That's insane! How can Zebstrika be that strong!?" White screamed as she rose to her feet and began pulling at her hair underneath her baseball cap. "There has to be some kind of rule against this! Right?"

Noah shook his head and sighed at the fact that Gray had no chance at winning, but Ferus, who was examining the battlefield, noticed something was off. The lights that were flashing along the runway were emitting electricity, which Zebstrika was using to power up all of his moves. After realizing what Elesa had been doing, which wasn't cheating, he ran towards Gray and hopped onto the runway to alert her.

"Ferus, what are you doing?" Gray asked the powerful dark type, who attempted to stand on his hind legs, only to fail miserably. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but I know how to beat Zebstrika," he started before going on to explain the lights and what they did. "See? It makes perfect sense!" Ferus exclaimed before Gray rubbed his head and laughed to herself.

"Thanks for the help, buddy. We can take it from here," she stated, prompting Ferus to run back to the sidelines and sit down, ignoring all of the looks he was receiving.

"So, Gray, what's your last Pokemon?" Elesa asked, trying to make Gray choose.

"He's right here," the eighteen year old retorted while holding out her third and final Pokeball. "Celsus, I choose you!"

In a burst of light, the Girafarig appeared in front of Gray and narrowed his eyes as soon as he saw Zebstrika. The electric type mimicked his opponent, and both creatures began swiping at the ground until Gray began telling Celsus about her strategy in a hush whisper, preventing Elesa or anyone else from hearing it. After they finished discussing strategy, Celsus exhaled deeply and nodded at the referee, who threw her hands in the air.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Zebstrika! Begin!"

"Zebstrika, use Shock Wave at full power!" Elesa commanded with the utmost confidence in her final Pokemon.

Without a second to waste, Zebstrika roared as he unleashed another zigzagging bolt of neon blue electricity at Celsus, who narrowed his eyes and prepared to jump out of the way. He stopped, however, when he remembered what Gray's strategy was, and he waited for her to speak. The experienced trainer did end up issuing a counter, and with just enough time for Celsus to act.

"Cancel it with Psybeam and then destroy all of the lights with Confusion!"

After channeling as much energy into his antennae as he could, Celsus grunted when he fired a multicolored beam of energy at the Shock Wave attack. The two moves exploded immediately, and with impeccable aim, Celsus fired several red lasers that destroyed all of the lights. Once she saw that all of the devices had been reduced to rubble, Elesa cursed under her breath.

"Dammit! I didn't think anyone would figure that out," the model mumbled to herself before shaking her head as a means of snapping out of her daze. "No matter, we'll still win! Flame Charge!"

Zebstrika sprinted down the runway while he was engulfed in flames, but Gray's quick thinking allowed her to seize the momentum.

"Celsus, use the first part of Double Hit to block, and then the latter half to attack!"

While he was shrouded in light purple aura, Celsus' tail extended and he whacked it against Zebstrika's head, stopping the electric type dead in his tracks. Then, with all of his might, Celsus donkey kicked Zebstrika and launched the fully evolved Pokemon across the runway and back to Elesa's side, where he struggled to get up, and, once he did, panted wildly.

"Hurry and use Wild Charge while you have the chance!" Elesa yelled, ignoring the obvious signs of fatigue Zebstrika was displaying.

Without hesitation, Zebstrika sprinted towards Celsus while he was engulfed in electricity, and he slammed into his psychic type foe, who was sent rolling along the runway until he stopped just in front Gray, who looked on in concern.

"Are you okay, Celsus?" the brunette quizzed, which was met with an immediate nod. "Okay, then use Psybeam again!" she shouted once Celsus rose to his feet.

"Use Shock Wave, Zebstrika!"

The two quadrupeds fired their attacks, and they missed each other. Instead, Celsus and Zebstrika were hit by the others' attack, and they were thrown onto their backs, making them grunt in pain while their trainers looked on in concern.

"Hang in there just a little longer! I know you can do it!" Gray and Elesa cheered in unison as their Pokemon rose to their feet.

"Great job, Zebstrika! End this with one last Wild Charge!"

Zebstrika did just as he was told and when he reached his top speed, he was engulfed in yellow electricity.

"We're not going to back down! Celsus, use Psybeam!"

Celsus didn't obey his command. Instead, he charged at Zebstrika and everyone gasped in shock until they saw his head begin to glow light blue. A strange humming noise filled the air as soon as Celsus performed the attack, and he lowered his head before lunging at Zebstrika. Both Pokemon collided and began pushing each other down the runway. Once second Celsus would look like he was about to power through, and then the other it seemed like Zebstrika was going to win. Then, when they both threw all of their momentum forwards, an explosion occurred and launched the two back towards their trainers, who waited anxiously for the cloud of smoke to dissipate.

Once the battlefield was cleared, Gray immediately ran forwards and threw her hands upwards victoriously as Celsus stood over Zebstrika, albeit barely.

"Zebstrika is unable to continue! That means Gray, Unicus, Furcifer, and Celsus are the winners!"

Running over to her victorious Pokemon, Gray cheered and embraced Celsus, who let out a victorious roar. Elesa, watching the scene from afar, smiled to herself as she withdrew Zebstrika to his Pokeball and made her way over to the victors.

"Well done. I didn't think you'd find out what was powering Zebstrika's attacks, but I'm pleasantly surprised," the model commended, drawing a bow from Gray and Celsus. "Here, you earned this," she continued, handing Gray a tiny piece of metal that looked like a lightning bolt. "That's the Bolt Badge, and what looks to be your fourth."

"That's right. We're halfway to the league!" Gray exclaimed, making Elesa laugh before she pushed a stray hair out of her eyes.

"Congrats. The closest Gym is in Driftveil City, but be careful. The guy you'll have to battle is one of the toughest Gym Leaders you can find, and not just in Unova," Elesa warned.

Nodding at the older trainer's advice, Gray then bowed and waved as she walked out of the Gym with White and Noah by her sides. Once they exited the Gym, Gray placed the symbol of her victory in her badge case before turning to Ferus and smiling at him since, after all, he essentially won the battle by discovering Elesa's trick.

"So, what do you two want to do now?" Noah inquired, grabbing the attention of Gray and White, who glanced at each other and shrugged. "I was hoping you'd say that," the eighteen year old remarked with a slick grin. "Apparently there's this place called the Battle Subway where loads of trainers test their strength. Want to check it out?"

"Definitely!" White shrieked while pumping her fists in the air.

With that, the trio headed off for the Battle Subway while being watched carefully by a pair of eyes, which were hidden behind glasses.

"Hm, it seems that N is no longer traveling with them. Oh well, whatever the boss orders shall be done, I guess."

* * *

 **Wooh! Gray won her fourth badge, and that means she's halfway to the league. Also, an unnamed person popped up at the end, but they won't be making their debut until the arc's finale. Next chapter will feature a double battle between the teams of Gray and Alain, and Ingo and Emmet, which should be a pretty even fight, and there's also some HUGE news.  
If you look at the arc preview, a few more chapters have been added, and the plot's going to change drastically (or, at least, the process of going to the inevitable final face-off) with this new bit. I won't say what it is, or why I just sprung it on you guys (just kidding, I will eventually), but you should get hyped. Till next time, peace out.**

 **1) Thoughts on the additional chapters? (39-42)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!"**_

 ** _Upon their arrival at the Battle Subway, Gray, White, and Noah run into none other than Alain, who is denied a battle by the subway bosses only because he doesn't have a partner. When Gray and Alain join forces to take down Ingo and Emmet, they find themselves in one of the toughest battles they've ever been in! Will Alain and Gray be able to defeat the brothers?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 37:** **A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond** **  
** **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	36. Gray and Alain vs Ingo and Emmet!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Alain and Charizard battle alongside Gray and Ferus against Ingo and Emmet in the Battle Subway)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(A Pokemon teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Wooh! I love writing anything involving Alain since he's such a badass, and every time he meets up with Gray, things are going to take a darker... or maybe more action-packed(?) turn. Anyhow, last chapter featured Celsus vanquishing Elesa's Zebstrika after Ferus told Gray about some contraption that increased the zebra's attack power. This chapter, as mentioned several times before, will be about Gray and Alain battling Ingo and Emmet, and there will be a couple of curveballs thrown in here. Now let's get going!**

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Thanks! All of the Gym Leader's teams will be stronger than what they were in the games, so there's more where that came from. Celsus will be pretty beast for a while, but there may or may not be a certain Pokemon that'll steal his spotlight_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _No way you do XD Those were actually pretty good guesses, too. That Elesa comment is too vicious, haha, and I'm starting to run low on ideas for gimmicks in the battles, so... yeah :/_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Thanks. Advena's going to be a game-changer when it comes to Gray's team, so that's all I'll say about that. And the two will come together through a common enemy, plus Lysandre doesn't want to destroy the world in this. He only wants to kill everyone that doesn't appreciate Earth, and feel free to keep asking anything that crosses your mind (except the league. I don't know about that yet)_

 **Defender31415:** _Gracias, and I'd say it was more of Ferus seeing through it than anything. Also,_ _the Pokemon won't have anything to do with winter/Christmas, sadly, though I think I may try to do a "special" for a chapter_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _No problemo, school first for those that aren't fortunate enough to be seniors (youngest in the grade tho...). And thanks!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Once he reached the bottom of the filthy stairs, Alain shuddered and pressed on, careful to avoid any disgusting garbage lying on the ground. While looking around, the nineteen year old spotted several trainers duking it out with their Pokemon.

 _"Clearly these people are more in my skill range,"_ he thought to himself after watching a Nidorina swipe at a Gengar. _"Still, I need to find people that are stronger!"_ With that thought engrained in his mind, Alain passed several different trainers, all of whom requested a battle but seemed as if they were lacking that killer instinct only two of his previous opponents had shown.

"Charizard, let's go."

Appearing from his Pokeball, Charizard extended his arms and yawned until he took a quick look around to see where he was. After realizing that his trainer had listened to what Caitlin had suggested, the winged lizard grinned in anticipation of a ferocious battle. He was disappointed, however, when everyone passing by simply sped up when they took note of him, which made Alain clench his fists.

"Let's see if there's a section for people that are stronger," the Kalosian said to Charizard, who nodded and followed his trainer down a hallway, which let to another open room, one that was identical to the previous. "Now, is there anyone worth battling in here?"

Suddenly, the black haired trainer spotted a pair of tall men in coats, one being white while the other was black. Solely basing if off their attire, Alain assumed the men were strong and walked over to them as they scanned the area, talking to one another in a hush whisper.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if either of you would want to battle," Alain stated while showing the men his Mega Bracelet.

Exchanging glances, the identical men shifted their gaze back to Alain and Charizard, both of whom stared right back with an intense fire burning in their eyes.

000

"Hurry up, Gray! What's wrong with you today? You're so slow!" White screamed as she bounded down the street, only to slam her feet against the ground and skid on her heels. "Even Noah's ahead of you!"

Taking offense to the comment, Noah shot the younger girl a nasty look, which made her sweat drop and back away with her hands up to her face. Despite his anger with White, Noah turned and saw Gray strolling along with Ferus, who was marveling at the beautiful building.

The entire thing looked like, at worst, a few years old, with sleek green metal making up the entire exterior, while glass windows allowed everyone, both inside and out, to see through. While the fire type continued staring, Gray shook her head at White, who sweat dropped for a second time and bowed apologetically right away.

"Sorry. It's just, I was never allowed to go in here when I was a kid, and now that I have my own Pokemon and no parents telling me what to do, it's kind of exhilarating, you know?" the sixteen year old asked as she followed her mentor and Noah into the massive building.

Both of the eighteen year olds nodded understandingly until Arcanine stopped and turned to White and Snivy, the latter of whom shot the fire type a puzzled expression.

"Wait, why weren't you allowed to check this place out? It's only battling."

Sighing, White shook her head and resumed her methodical pace, keeping about ten steps behind Gray, Ferus, and Noah, who were laughing about something inaudible. Arcanine noticed the saddened look on White's face and moved closer to her in concern, but she perked up and forced a smile to reassure him everything was fine.

"Well if we're being perfectly honest here, there are some sketchy people that hang around the subway. That, and my parents didn't want me going down there without a Pokemon to protect me," the brunette informed Arcanine, who nodded while he watched White pat Snivy on the head. "The city really cleaned things up, though."

Intrigued by the information, Arcanine tilted his head as a means of telling White to continue.

"You see, a bunch of crime was going on, like stealing Pokemon and drug dealing, and all that stuff, but then these two guys just plowed through all of those people with their Pokemon. That's how the Battle Subway became what it is."

Overhearing the conversation between his starter and White, Noah spun around and folded his arms over his chest, impressed with the younger trainer's knowledge.

"They hold tournaments here, right?" Noah inquired.

"Small ones," White replied as she followed the older boy and Gray down a flight of disgusting steps. "Say, Gray, maybe you should check out the area for _really_ strong trainers. I bet Ferus would definitely like to battle."

Ferus' ears perked up immediately at the mere mentioning of a battle, and he began wagging his tail at a blistering speed. With his ribs all healed, he had been cleared for battle by Nimbasa's Nurse Joy, which was wonderful news. He then turned to face Gray, and the brunette sighed before nodding reluctantly.

"I can't wait to see what kind of trainers you two go up against. Who knows? Maybe they'll have Mega Evolution, too," Noah remarked, making Gray shrug while Ferus grinned at the boy's words.

"I hope so. I've been itching for a good battle ever since I lost to Charizard," the fire and dark type announced as he followed Gray and the others down a hallway and towards the area filled with trainers that were at a much higher skill level. "I still can't believe how strong he and Alain were. It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. I doubt even Fortis could've won that."

Gray began stroking her chin, pondering the hypothetical battle between her strongest Pokemon and Alain's Charizard.

"I'm not sure. Maybe if there were a Mega Evolution for Flygon, and Fortis and I could use it, we'd have a chance. Then again, if you and I just train a lot harder, I'm sure we could beat them if we really wanted to," Gray opined, drawing a confident nod from Ferus while Arcanine seemed to disagree, drawing an annoyed glare from Ferus.

"What do you mean I have to have a partner? I want to battle _one_ of you! Not both!" a masculine voice yelled fiercely, grabbing the attention of the trio.

Turning towards the owner of the voice, Gray and Ferus began walking towards the scene, and Arcanine and Noah followed close behind while White and Snivy stayed as far back as they could. Eventually, White pursued her friends after spotting a bunch of old men shooting her perverted looks, which were answered with Snivy threatening to murder the men.

"Is there a problem here?" Noah asked in an attempt to impress Gray, which fell flat on its face when the yelling trainer spun around and glared at him, making the eighteen year old sweat drop. He stopped, however, when he recognized the trainer and his Pokemon, who was standing right by his side. "Hey, you're Alain, right?"

Turning once he heard his name, Alain looked at Noah and then turned the other way to see none other than Gray and Ferus. As soon as Charizard faced Ferus, the hound fought back the urge to snarl, and instead nodded, drawing a nod from the Kanto starter.

"Fancy meeting you here," Ferus said, still glaring at Alain, who shrugged and turned his attention back to the taller men standing before him.

"Give me one reason why I have to battle you both, and I'll leave."

The man wearing black shook his head at Alain's statement, but he stopped when the man wearing white, who looked like a clone, cleared his throat prior to speaking.

"As the bosses of the Battle Subway, we get to make the rules here. First off, you don't have the right to challenge us, because we have an entire system that rewards only the best of the best with battles against us. Second, you don't have a partner, and we're only doing double battles for this week. Third, quite frankly, we don't appreciate your arrogance. You can't just walk in here and demand a battle just because you can use Mega Evolution."

The group fell silent and everyone stared at Alain, including Charizard, as the teen started to hang his head in an attempt to refrain from screaming in the face of the man that had just spoken. Sensing this, Charizard stepped in front of his trainer and bowed slightly to the two men.

"Sorry for the trouble, sir. We'll be on our way," the fire and flying type said, drawing a thankful nod from both men.

Reluctantly, Alain began walking away with Charizard while cursing wildly, and as the Kalosian did so, Gray looked down at Ferus, who was staring at the departing duo. Turning his attention to his trainer, Ferus didn't utter a word, instead staring right into Gray's eyes as a means of hammering home his stance, which the brunette agreed with.

"Wait," Gray ordered while pointing at Alain, who lifted his head and looked at the younger girl. "He has a partner."

Both men standing in front of Gray looked at each other and turned their backs to her while whispering. After a few seconds of deliberation, the two returned to their original stance and stared right through the Kantonian, who didn't back down. Smiling, the man in black nodded and motioned for Alain to return.

"Very well. As one of the two leaders of the Battle Subway, I, Ingo, accept your challenge."

"As do I, Emmet, the other leader of the Battle Subway," the man in white added as he and Ingo drew Pokeballs from their pockets. "Are you sure you both have a Pokemon strong enough to compete in this area of the subway?"

Gray and Alain turned to one another and examined the fire type that didn't belong to them. After locking eyes for a second time, the pair nodded.

"Follow us," Ingo ordered as he and Emmet made their way towards a train. "The rules of our battles are very simple, though that hasn't stopped us from winning every single challenge we have received over the past eight years. Are you two sure about battling us? You can back out now."

Neither of the teens had any intention of losing, and they both shook their heads adamantly, making Ingo and Emmet grin eagerly as the train took off at mach speed. In the blink of an eye, the train reached its destination, and the group of six trainers hopped outside, only to find themselves walking onto a battlefield, which looked more like an arena with a stone roof.

"Welcome, to the Subway Arena!" Emmet roared as he stuck both arms out to his sides and twirled around, pointing at the enormous crowd, which exploded once the twins strode across the battlefield.

"Gray, be careful out here. These guys are considered to be the strongest trainers in Unova, not counting the Elite 4," White whispered to her mentor, who nodded and handed over five of her Pokeballs, which contained her Unova Pokemon.

"Thanks for the concern, but Ferus and I will be fine," Gray reassured White, who nodded and ran over to the sideline while Noah folded his arms over his chest. "Don't tell me you're worried too," the Kantonian said before groaning.

"Haha, not at all. I know you can hold your own," Noah answered, blushing at his own answer. "Uh, what I wanted to say was that you're going to kick ass out there, with or without Alain's help. Now go get 'em," he ordered after patting Gray on the shoulder, drawing a confident smirk and nod from the brunette.

"Seriously? That's the best you can do?" Arcanine teased as he laughed at Noah, only to stop when he realized he had struck a chord with the eighteen year old.

After watching her friends sit down, and her Pokemon appear from their capsules, Gray turned and stepped into her trainer box, which was much larger than the standard size. A line was in the middle, and Alain was stationed comfortably in one half, prompting the girl to occupy the other, which Ferus was sitting in.

"We're going to give this everything we've got. Sound good?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Ferus retorted slyly, making Gray laugh to herself until she heard Alain snort, exuding an aura of derision, which Gray didn't take kindly to.

"What's so funny?"

The Mega Trainer cracked his knuckles and then turned to his partner with a serious expression plastered on his face, one that made all others look like a face a clown would make.

"Relax, I'm not making fun of you intentionally," he replied cooly. "Charizard and I will take Emmet, so if you and Ferus could keep Ingo busy, that'd be nice," Alain concluded, his confidence bordering onto arrogance.

Not wanting to make a scene, Gray simply nodded and kept her mouth shut while Ferus and Charizard stepped onto the battlefield together before exchanging nods.

"Garchomp, go forth!" Emmet shouted, hurling his Pokeball onto the battlefield at the same time as Ingo, who yelled in unison with his twin brother.

"Absol, front and center!"

Both spherical devices exploded and revealed the aforementioned Pokemon, but Gray and Alain immediately noticed Mega Stones were present on their opponents. Biting her lip, Gray began to devise a strategy while Alain maintained his usual calm demeanor even as a referee appeared and turned a scoreboard on, which showed the pictures of all four Pokemon.

"What are your names?" the man quizzed while looking at the younger team.

"Alain."

"And Gray."

"This will be a double battle between the challengers, Alain and Gray," the referee said, only to be cut off by an eruption of boos and people throwing food onto the battlefield. "And your Subway Bosses, Ingo and Emmet!" Right away, the atmosphere flipped on its head and turned to one of euphoria, with everyone in the crowd losing their minds over their hometown heroes.

"Wow, this place is insane," Arcanine said aloud, drawing nods from all five of Gray's Pokemon, White's three Pokemon, and the two trainers.

"How do you think Gray can handle an environment like this, Noah? Is it anything like the regional league competitions?" White questioned as she turned to the more experienced trainer, who brought his hand up to his chin and paused for a second.

"Not like one I've seen, no. But the thing Gray has to remember is that she's not out there alone. Alain has to deal with the same amount of boos and hate, so if they can put their heads together, like Ferus and Charizard seem to be doing, the crowd shouldn't play a factor."

Bellator narrowed his eyes as soon as he heard Noah mention Alain's name, and then he realized the powerful teen was standing next to Gray, and Charizard was also right beside Ferus, which confused the bipedal otter, though he didn't say anything and instead kept to himself.

"The battle will be over when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue, and Mega Evolution is permitted. Gray will be using her Houndoom and Alain his Charizard, while Emmet has chosen his trusty Absol, and Ingo his unstoppable Garchomp. Because this is a double battle, turns will be rotated in an orderly fashion, with each team alternating. Who will get the first move?" the ref asked while pointing at Alain and Gray.

"Me," Alain answered without hesitation.

"And for you two?"

"Ingo will," Emmet replied calmly, drawing a nod from the referee.

"Alain has the first move, Ingo has the second, Gray will go third, and Emmet will be last!"

Each of the four trainers nodded and before the ref could say another word, Alain threw right hand over his Mega Bracelet, prompting the others to follow suit.

"Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

"Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

"Garchomp, unleash your inner power! Mega Evolve!"

"Hold nothing back, Absol! Mega Evolve!"

The entire stadium gasped in unison as all four Pokemon were encapsulated in pink eggs of energy, which exploded at the same time. Once they did, rainbow colored double helixes appeared over the heads of each combatant, and their pictures changed to represent their Mega Evolutions.

"There's so much power on the battlefield I can feel it from over here!" Snivy screamed, dumbfounded by the sheer energy each of the four Pokemon were emitting. "How can Pokemon and people become so strong?"

No one knew the answer, and Bellator sighed as soon as Unicus and Furcifer began rambling on about bonds while Potens sat back and cursed at them under her breath. Celsus, meanwhile, shared the same reaction and immediately moved over to Bellator's side, where he sat in silence.

"Are both sides ready?" the referee asked as he raised his arms up, drawing nods from both teams. "Battle begin!"

"Flamethrower on Absol, let's go!" Alain shouted, hurling his right fist forwards.

Doing just as he was told, Charizard reared his head back while inhaling deeply, causing a blue light to start shining through his stomach. Then, violently throwing his head forwards, the winged lizard shot a wave of spiraling blue flames at his dark type target, but Ingo's quick thinking and selflessness prevented the wicked attack from landing.

"Garchomp, block it with Earthquake! Then jump and fire a Stone Edge at both of them!" the black-suited man commanded.

The dragon type let out a menacing roar before stabbing both of his razor-sharp claws into the ground, causing the entire arena to shake as if a fissure had occurred. All of a sudden, a wall of rocks appeared in front of both Absol and Garchomp and acted as a shield, blocking Charizard's Flamethrower. The bipedal Pokemon then sprung into the air while sharp rocks revolved around him, and he threw his arms down towards his fire type foes, who narrowed their eyes and looked ready to attack.

"Destroy the rocks with Countershield, Ferus!" Gray countered tactically.

Ferus slid onto his back and began to spin as quickly as he could while releasing a stream of blue fire into the air. Everyone watched in amazement as the lone blast of fire turned into several whips, which destroyed Garchomp's Stone Edge and shielded Charizard from taking any significant damage, which the dragon type was thankful for.

"Impressive, but that wont fool us twice. Absol, use Double Team and surround Charizard!"

The winged dark type bounded forwards and stopped once he reached the center of the battlefield. Roaring mightily, Absol generated about twenty copies of himself which surrounded Charizard, making the Kanto starter look around worriedly. Reaching the same level of paranoia his Pokemon was experiencing, Alain acted without thinking, catching Gray and Ferus off guard.

"Blow them all away with Blast Burn, Charizard!"

Charizard flexed as quickly as he could and then punched the ground with unparalleled ferocity, and Gray, along with her friends and all of the Pokemon, nearly screamed when her entire half of the battlefield began to break apart before geysers of magma shot up across the entire area. Much to her dismay, Gray watched as Ferus was obliterated by the devastating attack, dampening the enthusiasm that would've risen due to Absol also being hit. After the dark type landed next to Garchomp, Emmet began laughing at his opponents, who all narrowed their eyes and glared.

"Hah! That's what poor teamwork does for ya. Our jobs were made a whole lot easier thanks to that," Ingo remarked, making Alain growl. "Crush Charizard with Dragon Rush!"

Taking advantage of the fact that Charizard had to recharge his energy for a turn, Garchomp zipped through the air while the dark blue coat of aura surrounding his body turned into the shape of a dragon. As soon as it did, Gray knew she had to act as fast as she could, and lucky for her and Alain, Ferus allowed his instincts to kick in as he bounded towards Charizard in an attempt to shield the defenseless dragon.

"Stop Garchomp by using Iron Tail!"

"Keep Ferus back with Psycho Cut!"

While Ferus' tail began to glow silver, he attempted to close in on Garchomp and get a better angle so that there was no chance Charizard could get hit. However, Absol took to the air with the help of his wings and, while his horn was glowing light pink, he threw his neck forwards. A blade of pink energy cut through the air and exploded on the ground right in front of Ferus, throwing him several feet backwards while Charizard was crushed by the super effective attack from Garchomp, who returned back to his half of the battlefield with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Charizard, don't give in! Use Steel Wing on Absol!"

Despite the pain reaching maximum levels, Charizard fought through it and zipped towards Absol while his wings extended dramatically and were shrouded in silver energy. Even with the damage he took, Charizard was still traveling at a blistering pace, which caught Ingo and Emmet by surprise, though they both were able to react in time.

"Meet Charizard head-on with Dragon Rush!" Ingo roared.

Garchomp wasted no time in launching himself at Charizard while he was engulfed in blue aura. As he closed in on his target, Garchomp began to snarl violently while swinging his bladed arms, and the aura surrounding him took the shape of a dragon opening its mouth, almost as if it were about to eat Charizard.

"Not on our watch! Ferus, Play Rough!" Gray yelled in an attempt to help out her teammate.

Ferus took off in a dead sprint and was soon shrouded in pink energy, which drew a whisper from Ingo directed towards Emmet. After his brother finished speaking, Emmet nodded and threw his open left hand forwards while watching Charizard and Ferus collide with Garchomp.

"Absol, hurry and use Swords Dance while you have the chance!"

Grunting in response to his trainer, Absol remained motionless, and three swords began to spin around his body. A red ring of light then did the same thing, and it vanished into thin air along with the swords. Once the move ended, Ingo watched as Garchomp threw his arms forwards and slammed Charizard and Ferus into each other, causing an explosion to occur between the fire types.

While they bounced back to their trainers' half of the battlefield, Charizard and Ferus let out weak grunts of pain, though they used all of their energy to get back on their feet, though that didn't put any concerns to bed.

"What's Gray doing wrong? It seems like those guys are just impossible to hit!" Furcifer shrieked as she looked at White and Noah, drawing a shrug from the former.

"It's because she and Alain are completely out of synch," Bellator replied before Noah had the chance, drawing the attention of his teammates. "Even though they're just as strong as Ingo and Emmet, they don't know how to work together, so they're at a clear disadvantage."

Back on the battlefield, Ferus turned to look back at Gray and he gave her a reassuring nod while Charizard did the same with Alain. Despite the confidence of both fire types, it wasn't hard to see they were hurting, badly. Charizard's right wing was bleeding badly while Ferus, who hadn't taken nearly as much damage, had a laceration on the back of his neck. Meanwhile, Garchomp only had a few cuts and bruises, and Absol had yet to be hit.

"Fly at Absol and use Brick Break!" Alain commanded after noticing the same thing as Gray, which made the eighteen year old crack a slight, optimistic smile.

"I guess he just hasn't learned his lesson yet," Ingo mumbled, drawing a chuckle from his twin. "Garchomp, use Return on Ferus!"

Charizard and Garchomp zipped past one another with the former rearing both of his glowing white fists back while the ground type was encapsulated in a golden light that looked to be almost angelic. As each closed in on their targets, Gray and Ferus shared the same reaction: a smirk.

"You know what to do, Ferus! Iron Tail!" the youngest of the four trainers shouted emphatically.

Happy to oblige, Ferus roared while his tail began to glow light silver, and then he wound up before delivering a vicious uppercut swing that struck Garchomp in the chin and sent him bouncing along the battlefield before he somehow managed to plant his feet on the ground. By doing that, Garchomp was able to assist Absol as Charizard drew closer and closer, his intent on finishing the battle with one blow.

"Use Future Sight as fast as you can and follow it up with Play Rough, Absol!" Emmet barked.

Absol hummed obnoxiously loud and four portals appeared near the top of the arena, grabbing Bellator's attention while everyone else kept their eyes glued to Charizard. Then, Absol lunged at his attacker while engulfed in pink energy, and, much to Alain and Gray's dismay, Charizard was overpowered due to the fairy type aura being resistant to fighting type attacks.

As he watched his starter tumble along the ground, Alain's face began to scrunch up and he clenched his fists to the point where his arms were shaking. Noticing her teammate's frustration, Gray spoke up in an attempt to calm Alain.

"Alain, we have to start working together!" she shouted to the older boy, who paid no attention to her and instead continued to focus on his own strategy until he watched as several blasts of energy appeared from the roof and exploded on contact with both fire types, throwing them towards the left and right sides of the field. Despite the power of Future Sight, the resilient Pokemon got up for what seemed to be the hundredth time and turned to their trainers.

Remembering what Gray said, Ferus and Charizard, stared at the brunette as a sign of agreement. The idea was discarded, though, when Alain threw his hand out to his side and issued yet another ill-advised command to his only Pokemon.

"Dig!" the Kalosian commanded, forcing Charizard to look away from Gray.

Burrowing his way underground, Charizard attempted to make his way over to the other half of the battlefield and resurface with an uppercut on either of his opponents, but Ingo wasn't about to let that happen, which made Alain curse as soon as he heard the counterattack.

"You're making it too easy. Wrap this up with Earthquake, Garchomp!"

Displaying a nonchalant attitude, Garchomp jumped as high as he could and began spinning like a wheel as a means of hyping up the crowd, which was effective, to say the least as the crowd reached a deafening pitch of cheers. Somehow maintaining her sanity while hearing all of the cheering against her, Gray was able to rationally come up with a way to protect Charizard, and Ferus knew what his trainer was thinking, making the attack even faster.

"Stop him with Feint Attack!"

Just before Garchomp could slam his feet on the ground, Ferus reappeared while shrouded in black energy, and he slammed his head into the dragon type's stomach, sending him flying past Ingo and into the wall behind the Subway bosses, silencing the crowd while also drawing a round of applause from White, Noah, and the Pokemon.

"Absol, shoot a Dark Pulse attack at Ferus to get him away!"

Without hesitation, Absol began charging his attack, and a ball of spiraling black and purple energy formed in front of his mouth. Before he could fire the powerful move, Absol was on the receiving end of a devastating uppercut from Charizard, who shot out of the ground at light speed and held nothing back. As a result, the winged dark type fell to the ground and landed face first, crying in pain instantly.

The winged lizard then flew over to Ferus and grabbed him by his tail so that he was facing Absol and Garchomp while Charizard focused on returning to their half of the battlefield. When they did, Charizard placed his teammate on the ground and they nodded at each other before turning around to stare at their trainers. Gray knew exactly what the creatures were getting at, as did Alain, though he was reluctant to stray from his strategy despite the fact that it had failed miserably.

"Look, we need to work together if we want to beat these guys, and our Pokemon know that," Gray told the nineteen year old, who nodded slowly, making Gray, Ferus, and Charizard smile.

"Alright, Charizard, let's be smart from here on out. Let Ferus jump on your back and use Dragon Claw on Garchomp!"

Smirking with newfound confidence, Charizard let out a fearsome roar alongside Ferus before leaning forward so that the dark type could stand on his back. Once Ferus established his balance, Charizard took off at the speed of sound while his hands were covered in neon green energy that morphed into a pair of massive claws.

"Looks like things are finally starting to get interesting," Emmet opined while smirking. "I like it."

"Me too. Garchomp, go right at them and use Dragon Rush!"

Not one to back down from a challenge, Garchomp took off like a rocket as he was engulfed in blue aura. Much to his and Ingo's dismay, Charizard's speed prevented the attack from reaching its full power, and the Mega Evolved creatures slammed into each other. While they battled back and forth, Gray noticed she had a golden opportunity to steal the momentum, forcing her to trust her gut.

"Ferus, jump on Garchomp's back and use Bite!"

Hopping off Charizard's back and onto Garchomp's, Ferus chomped down on the ground type's neck, making him shriek in pain while also providing Charizard the chance to obliterate Garchomp, which he did. With Ferus landing on the ground softly, Charizard held nothing back and delivered a wicked set of slashes to Garchomp's chest, spiking the dragon type into the ground.

"Crush Ferus with Play Rough!"

Springing forwards, Absol rammed into Ferus while he was encapsulated in pink aura. The super effective attack hurled Ferus across the battlefield and almost into Gray, but she managed to evade the collision. Charizard retreated despite wanting to crush Absol, and he landed by Ferus' side. Helping the quadruped off the ground, Charizard turned his gaze to Alain and Gray while pointing at himself and Ferus.

"We need to go for a combination move right now. There's no better chance!" the winged lizard proclaimed, drawing nods from both trainers.

"Let's finish this! Charizard, grab Ferus and then use a spinning Steel Wing!"

"Give it even more power by using Flamethrower, Ferus!"

As soon as the fire types' commands ceased, Ingo and Emmet came up with their own combination move, not wanting to be shown up by their challengers.

"Grab a hold of Absol and use Return!"

"Use Play Rough!"

While Charizard spun like a drill and created a ring of silver energy around his and Ferus' heads, Ferus released a stream of blue fire that changed the silver to blue, while also increasing the power of the attack, Garchomp, meanwhile, was engulfed in white energy and when Absol used Play Rough, the colors merged. Both pairs of Pokemon collided closer to Ingo and Emmet's half of the battlefield and Charizard immediately overpowered his foes, ramming them into the ground so forcefully the battlefield shattered.

As soon as Ferus and Charizard returned to their trainers' sides, the referee, with a pained look on his face, raised his arms to signal the end of the battle.

"Both Garchomp and Absol are unable to battle! That means the winners are Alain, Charizard, Gray, and Ferus!"

The entire arena went silent while Gray and Alain thanked their Pokemon for their effort, though they stopped when Ingo and Emmet sauntered over without a care in the world.

"Well, we have to hand it..."

"...to you; you proved us both wrong and won that battle fair and square. Congratulations," Ingo concluded after finishing Emmet's sentence, which drew creeped out looks from the victorious trainers.

The teens bowed, however, along with their Pokemon, and when Noah and White reached Gray, they began to turn around and head out of the area. Before they could depart, someone clapped their hands very slowly and drew closer with every passing second. Spinning to see who was clapping, Gray scratched her head in confusion when a woman she had never seen or met before had a small smile on her face.

"Impressive. Very impressive," she iterated after ceasing her applause. "You two worked really well together, if I do say so myself," the blonde continued, drawing a bow from Alain and Charizard while Gray just stood still. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Caitlin, nice meeting you."

Gray examined the pale woman as she extended her hand, as did Bellator, which drew a glance from Caitlin. Slowly, Gray shook Caitlin's hand and looked down at the rest of her Pokemon, trying to think of an excuse to leave the awkward situation. Instead of doing something, she ended up withdrawing her Pokemon while Alain conversed with Caitlin, easing Gray's nerves regarding the woman.

"White, Noah, let's go."

* * *

 **So Gray and Alain worked really well as a team later in the battle once they were getting crushed. After that, Caitlin reappeared and invited Alain and Gray back to her house, but didn't state why, so that's kind of weird :/ Meh, whatever. Next chapter will just be teasing what's going to happen later down the road (about thirty chapters, if I recall), and that will be posted way later tonight. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Should Gray partner up for double battles with her rivals, companions, and/or Alain more often? (Dat Bellator and Greninja team, tho)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "A Thrice in a Liftetime Bond"**_

 _ **After defeating the Subway Bosses, Ingo and Emmet, Gray and Alain follow Caitlin of the Unova Elite 4 to her house. While there, the two learn not only about their futures, but also those of their Pokemon. What exactly does the future hold in store for Gray?**_

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 38: The Second Piece of the Puzzle  
** **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	37. A Thrice in a Lifetime Bond

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Gray and Bellator stand next to each other on one half of the screen with Alain and Charizard on the other. A man and his six Pokemon appear in-between them)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **A Pokemon teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, everyone? Last chapter, Alain and Gray teamed up in the Battle Subway and defeated Ingo and Emmet in a double battle that featured Mega Evolution from all four trainers. Then, Caitlin, who battled Alain a little while back, appeared and instructed both Gray and Alain to follow her to her house. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _The kind words are greatly appreciated, sir. Alain's going to become a major character some time around the Driftveil Arc, and let's just say he's going to stir up quite a bit of drama. As for his future being revealed... I might have to go and add that now. That could make for an interesting dynamic. Maybe I'll have Caitlin reappear for that, now that I think about it. Thanks for the awesome idea!_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! It took a while to write, but it was sooo fun! And nice pickup with the line changing. The romance shall be postponed drastically because of Advena, who's going to steal the spotlight for a long time, so you're right in your guess (god, you're on fire XD)_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Because you didn't review 35, so the sass is unwarranted. If you're referring to yours from 34, it's because I misinterpreted it_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Gracias. Their strength, in my opinion, is what really made them a good team, and there will definitely be more tag battles in the future. Not all of them will involve Gray, so there's something to look forward to (hopefully)_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Much appreciated, and they're team skills could be fine-tuned, but considering it was the first time they battled together, I'd agree with you. Those are the only people I'd imagine her battling with, other than, possibly, N, and those were some solid reasons for each_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

Gray and Alain sat quietly in Caitlin's house, not wanting to say anything to possibly make the situation awkward, which, ironically, made things even more awkward. Caitlin, meanwhile, took her time making tea before she sat down in her chair, which had a couch to the left and right, and they were being occupied by Alain and Gray, respectively.

"So, tell me," Caitlin started, taking a sip of her tea before continuing her sentence. "What exactly are you after, Alain? What are your goals?"

A puzzled expression crossed the teen's face as he kept his eyes locked with Caitlin's, though he was beginning to waver due to the lost look in the young woman.

"I want to defeat every Mega Evolution in existence with Charizard," the black haired trainer told Caitlin while Charizard, who was laying down next to the couch Alain was sitting on, grunted in agreement.

The young woman paid no attention to Alain's response, making him deadpan while Gray giggled, but she stopped as soon as she realized Caitlin was looking at her. Ferus sat up immediately and eyed the woman intently, and silence fell over the room before it was broken by Caitlin giggling at Ferus' serious nature. Even with the sound of laughter in the air, Ferus maintained a stern expression.

"And you, Gray?"

The girl looked at Ferus and then back at Caitlin, placing a hand on her Pokemon's head.

"I want to become the World Champion with all of my Pokemon. Our goal is to help each other become stronger every day. That's what we're really after."

Pleased with the answers, Caitlin placed her teacup on the glass table in-between her guests and their Pokemon, but she turned back to Gray, who continued to remain silent even though she wanted to ask why an Elite 4 member, who didn't even know her, would ask her to talk.

"Would you mind releasing all of your Pokemon?"

The girl obliged, albeit reluctantly, as she pulled the five Pokeballs off her belt and allowed her Pokemon to escape his capsule. As soon as they did, it looked like the group of creatures was about to start running around the house, but something calmed them. Surprisingly, all five sat down along with Ferus, and Caitlin nodded to Gray thankfully.

"Now, I want everyone to close their eyes and take a deep breath," the young woman instructed, prompting her guests to obey.

Each and every one of them closed their eyes, taking a meditation pose, and they all inhaled, which Caitlin paid close attention to. Then, they exhaled, again, something that Caitlin paid close attention to, and a strange fog began setting in the room as Gray, her Pokemon, Alain, and Charizard opened their eyes. Each of them were shocked to see the fog, but Caitlin continued smiling and released her Metagross from its Pokeball.

"Metagross, would you please do the honors?" she asked kindly, resulting in a friendly grunt from the pseudo legendary, whose face began glowing light blue. "Don't be alarmed when this works. I've seen several people freak out over this when I spent time in Anistar City visiting a friend of mine. She taught me how to do this just because we shared a vision."

"Sounds like they shared some mairju-" Potens was cut off by Ferus smacking her upside the head, quieting the dragon type.

Suddenly, the room turned green, and so did everything in it, making everyone except Caitlin and Metagross gasp in shock. Gray's jaw nearly hit the ground as she looked at her arms and saw they were an intense shade of green, as was everyone else's skin. Then, as she looked across the room and at Alain, Gray was caught off guard by an orb of green energy appearing in-between her and the Kalosian.

"What is this?" Alain interrogated, clenching his teeth.

Caitlin laughed at the hostile question and raised a hand to the younger trainer, who slowly sat back in his chair and repeated the question.

"A friend of mine, Olympia, shares a unique ability with me and a few other people in this world," the long haired woman started, staring straight into the orb of energy. "Gray, you met one of us while traveling across the Kanto region. Can you guess?"

The girl shook her head immediately, not knowing what Caitlin was talking about.

"Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron. She, like Olympia and myself, can see into the future," the calm trainer announced. "But it's not so much on command as it is just a sudden flash coming to us."

"That's why you told me to go to the Battle Subway," Alain said, drawing a nod from the Elite 4 member, who then turned to Gray and waited for Alain to speak. "When I battled Caitlin, she told me to challenge the Battle Subway. She knew you'd be there," Alain told Gray, making the girl gasp in shock.

"Are you able to elaborate on what you saw during our battle?" Charizard quizzed politely.

"Yes. I saw you both working together, and that you defeated Ingo and Emmet, but there were two things there that really drew my attention. One was intangible, the other natural."

"What do you mean by that?" Unicus asked, leaning forwards excitedly, making Caitlin laugh.

"Why don't we take a look?" the psychic replied with a question of her own, pointing at the green energy in the middle of the room before moving her arms apart, which made the orb expand. "Make sure you watch this carefully."

Sitting in silence, Gray, Alain, and their Pokemon stared at the orb of energy before seeing Gray celebrating the victory over the Subway Bosses, which unnerved everyone. However, the focus of the scene wasn't on her, it was on Bellator.

"So Bellator's the reason you told Alain to go to the Battle Subway," Gray said under her breath. "But why him? Why not Charizard or Ferus? They're both stronger."

Bellator nodded in agreement with his trainer's inquiry, but Caitlin was quick to shoot it down like an enemy aircraft.

"They're not stronger, they're at higher levels," the Elite 4 member retorted, making Gray feel like an idiot. "You see, this one is special. He's not like any other Pokemon you've ever met, including your Flygon," Caitlin announced as she rose to her feet, throwing her arms towards the green energy, causing the scene of Gray cheering to disappear.

A new image replaced it, and everyone stared intently as they saw an Oshawott all by its lonesome in the middle of a field.

Bellator recoiled at the site and attempted to get up, but he was stopped when Gray reassuringly placed a hand on his shoulder, sitting the water type down. Staring into the strange, crystal ball-like orb, Bellator furrowed his brow, drawing the attention of his trainer while Alain, Charizard, and the other Pokemon watched in intrigue.

"You see, Bellator never truly fit in with any of the other Pokemon while he was at Professor Juniper's lab. Instead of playing and not worrying about the outside world, he was determined to become something great. He wanted to become the strongest Pokemon ever, but he knew he needed the right trainer to get him there."

A scene showing Bellator, as an Oshawott, throwing his scalchop at targets with his eyes closed appeared. Every one of his teammates began laughing as they watched him miss and hit Professor Juniper in the face, but the Dewott didn't find it funny. Clenching his scalchops as tight as he could, Bellator stared at the ground, not wanting to see what was going to come next.

"However, despite all of his training, he just wasn't able to succeed in battle. Whether it was because of the trainer's inabilities or his own, nothing ever worked out for him, and he was returned to the lab nine times," Caitlin said, giving background to the new scenes, which were Bellator's Pokeball being exchanged for another.

The laughter from his teammates ceased as soon as they watched the gut-wrenching moments of his past.

"Bellator, I'm so sorry," Gray whispered to the Unova starter as she stared at him, unaware of his checkered past.

"As a result, he began turning his back on any trainer that wanted him as their starter, and he pushed himself to limits he never thought were imaginable. Then, everything changed one fateful day."

The scene in the orb displayed Gray sitting in Professor Juniper's lab with Unicus while White, Bianca, and Cheren were picking their starters. Everyone, including Alain and Charizard, stared at Gray as she uneasily tried acting as if she was so caught up in watching herself that she was unaware of their gaze. Then, the orb sped up the moment and began showing Bellator glancing over at Gray, something the girl had never noticed.

"That was the day he met you, Gray. You were different than all the others, and he could tell that from the start," Caitlin informed the younger girl, who began to tear up as moments of her and Bellator appeared within the orb. "Even if it was something as small as giving him an apple, or asking him if he were okay, that made all the difference, and that's the reason I told Alain to go to the Battle Subway; so that I would get the chance to inform you about the true power you and Bellator have."

Silence fell over the room and every one of Gray's Pokemon turned to stare at Bellator, who cracked a slight grin while Gray smiled at him. Alain, meanwhile, brought his hands to his face and sighed.

"Wow, so I was just a pawn," he mumbled dejectedly, turning away from the Elite 4 member who shook her head immediately.

"Not quite," the blonde answered with a grin. "I'll get to that later, but for now, we'll focus on you, Gray," Caitlin stated, grabbing the girl's attention. "I have one final thing to show you: the part of the vision that forced me to take action and find you," the master of psychic types announced.

Gray nodded in response and Caitlin threw her arms forwards, causing the scene going on within the orb to disappear. In its place was a strange figure, one that was covered in darkness. Suddenly, a wave of water formed around the unidentifiable figure, and an intense shade of blue light outlined it. Along with that, there were two holsters on its back. Peering, none of the Pokemon or Gray were able to identify the strange figure and turned to Caitlin, expecting an answer.

"I don't know what it is, but what I do know is that both you and Bellator are destined to achieve power the world has never seen before. He has limitless potential."

The brunette and her Pokemon turned to face each other, and Gray smiled immediately.

Much to her surprise, Caitlin watched as Gray placed her right hand on Bellator's left shoulder and looked him right in the eyes, the strength of their bond radiating.

"Let's become the strongest we can be and show the world just what we're capable of, Bellator. First, we'll win the Unova League, and then we'll beat the Champion!" Gray proclaimed while Bellator placed his right hand over her left, which was still on his shoulder.

"We'll do it together."

000

"Sir, everything is ready," the man that had watched Gray leave Nimbasa Gym stated while looking at Ghetsis, who turned his back to the monitor and cackled.

"Well done. Make sure everything goes according to plan, and that the Triad can get to N. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" the unfamiliar man shouted, ending the conversation and leaving Ghetsis to himself.

 _"Team Plasma will rise again, with or without you, N."_

* * *

 **Well, I know I completely stole that from the anime, but there is no shame! Okay, there's some shame, but hey, the episode in which that happens (92 of XY, I believe) was really good, and one of my favorites (the english sub of XY's actually really good). Anyhow, the question of how Bellator is going to be stronger than Ferus, according to all of the Flare admins Gray's encountered, has been answered. Basically, he's going to get a form like Ash-Greninja, because I'm a fanboy of that and can't get over how cool it is. (Yeah, it's pretty sue-ish, but I don't care at this point)  
Next chapter will focus on Plasma's invasion of Nimbasa City, so** **get ready for some insane stuff to happen _very_ soon, like, next arc soon. ****Alain and Charizard's convo with Caitlin will also be taking place in bits and pieces, so that's another thing to look forward to.** **Till next time, peace out.**

 **1) Gray-Bellator (Ash-Greninja form) hype?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Second Piece of the Puzzle"**_

 ** _While Caitlin tells Alain about his future, Plasma springs a surprise invasion on Nimbasa City. By destroying everything in their path, Plasma forces everyone to step up to protect the city! While White battles the Shadow Triad, Gray has her hands full when a mysterious man challenges her! Will Plasma destroy Nimbasa City?  
_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 39: A Cry for Help**  
 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	38. The Second Piece of the Puzzle

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Gray and Bellator stand next to each other on one half of the screen with Alain and Charizard on the other. A man and his six Pokemon appear in-between them)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **A Pokemon teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's cookin', good lookin'? Last chapter, Caitlin told Gray about Bellator's past and showed her a strange figure covered in shadows that no one had ever seen before (it's a form based on Ash-Greninja), and nothing important surrounding Alain happened. This chapter has a lot of stuff happening, so I'm going to cut the A/N here, except I have to let y'all know that I changed an upcoming chapter. Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Your wish is my command, lol. I'm really pumped for Gray-ator though, and I edited the chapters (again) so that you're going to be really pumped about what's coming up soon ;)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Yes, yes ya do XD Alain was too scrub for me to keep doing that, so I decided that he'd go boss-mode and crush Ingo and Emmet. And thanks! (megassss) Gray-ator's actually happening a lot sooner than you think (I changed a chapter), so the wait won't be that long. Maybe two weeks, depending on how the next few chapters go. They're really tough to write, at the moment. Also, White's going to have backup and Gray's battling Colress. Wooh!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Lol, it's all good. And you were watching the anime at 1? Or were you checking the story out at 1?_

 **Defender31415:** _Oh, the hype shall come, sir. But if it doesn't, well, shoot XD Ash-Greninja on posters looks really gross, but from what I've seen with the anime opening it looks really cool, thought that's just a difference of opinions (even though I thought it was nasty at first). It will be an alternate Dewott form because if he did evolve into Samurott, that'd ruin the ninja-like battles with Frogadier/Greninja. Plus, the poll for Bellator being a Dewott or Samurott ended with the former winning by a vote_

 **FinLay Real:** _No worries. Keep up with school, unlike me, lol. Thanks, by the way! These next few chapters are going to be building up hype for Driftveil and beyond, so this is just the tip of the iceberg_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Of course not XD I'm going to try to have Potens make sly comments like that about people the group meets, so hopefully there's more where that came from. That answer, tho (yours, not mine). Gray-ator... not much I can really say about it, at the moment without giving things away. Plasma's going to blow shit up, White will have backup in that battle, and the person Gray will battle is Colress_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)** **  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
**

* * *

"Caitlin, it was an honor meeting you, and thank you so much for allowing my Pokemon and me to enter your home," Gray said the older woman, who rose from her chair and bowed. "Bellator and I are going to work our butts off to make sure what you saw become's reality. Right?"

Everyone, even Alain and Charizard, shifted their gaze to the Dewott, who nodded solemnly and placed his hand over his heart, drawing a grin from Caitlin and Metagross. Bowing to the hosts, Gray withdrew all of her Pokemon except Ferus and Unicus, and then she made her way over to Alain and Charizard while extending a hand.

"We need to battle again, but not on the same team," the brunette stated, drawing a nod from Alain as he took her hand and shook it. Ferus and Charizard nodded at each other respectfully before the winged creature waved to Unicus, who waved back until she rolled out of the room and towards the front door, prompting Gray and Ferus to follow her.

Stepping one foot out the door, Gray looked to her right and saw Noah and White sitting on the rails at the bottom of the stairs with Arcanine and Snivy, who were talking about the Mega Battle against Ingo and Emmet.

"Is everything okay? What'd Caitlin say to you?" White interrogated as she pressed her nose up against Gray's face, making the older girl sweat drop as she pushed her away in order to have some space. "Was it about Ferus? Ooh! What if it was about Alain?"

"Relax. All she wanted to talk to us about was something that came to her. I guess you could call it a dream, if you don't believe in seeing the future," Gray replied as she began walking down the street with the Pokemon Center set as her destination.

Unsatisfied with the response, White narrowed her eyes and continued peering at Gray, but stopped when Ferus nodded to reaffirm his trainer's statement. Arcanine and Noah also eased up on their suspicion, and the group soon arrived at the Pokemon Center, where Bianca and Cheren were sitting and eating lunch. The two rookies immediately spotted White and her friends, and Bianca waved them over while Cheren rolled his eyes, adjusted his glasses, and continued eating his food without any intention of talking.

"So, Gray, did you get your fourth badge?" Bianca quizzed as soon as the older girl sat down next to Noah, who awkwardly scooted away from her.

"Of course we did!" Unicus shouted, drawing unwanted attention from everyone else inside the spotless building. "Man, was that lady tough. Her Zebstrika knocked me out in, like, two or three hits. You've gotta watch out for that if you haven't already battled her, Bianca," the Sandslash forewarned as she pointed her dangerously sharp claws at the ditzy blonde, who beamed and nodded like a fool.

After doing that, Bianca turned to her left and stroked Servine's head gently even as the tall creature kept his eyes locked with Unicus'. Pignite, who was sitting next to Cheren, meanwhile, tapped on his translator to make sure it was working, and when he knew it did, the fire type cleared his throat and found himself at the center of attention.

"Uh... Gray, I was just wonderin' if you saw that Hugh guy around lately. Cheren thinks he'd be a good challenge for us, since you're too strong," the fire type admitted, only to be lightly punched in the arm by Cheren, drawing laughs from the group while Cheren continued scowling and eating his food in silence.

Gray shook her head at the same time as Noah and White, but while doing so, as if by miracle, Hugh walked into the Pokemon Center lobby with Frogadier by his side. As soon as she spotted the talented trainer, White began drooling while her eyes turned to hearts, making Cheren stare daggers as Hugh strolled over to the table and pulled up a chair so he could sit to the left of Arcanine and the right of Noah.

"What's up, guys? How's the week been?"

Everyone looked around and waited for one person to speak up, but because they all shared that thought, no one uttered a word. Hugh slowly turned to Frogadier and jokingly broke down crying, breaking the silence and awkward atmosphere as the others laughed in response.

"Alright, so now that we've got that out of our systems, what're everyone's plans going forward? Frogadier and I are probably going to be heading out Sunday after getting some training in tomorrow," Hugh announced.

White, Noah, and Gray exchanged glances after the two girls released their Pokemon along with Bianca, Hugh, and Cheren, and the elder duo shrugged. White, however, seized the opportunity to talk to her crush, and Potens, who had been having basic conversation with Boldore, immediately flew up and landed on Gray's head so she could hear more clearly.

"That's so weird! We were going to head out on Sunday after training, too! _Right,_ guys?" the Unova native inquired with a nervous smile as she not so subtly jabbed Gray in the ribs and winked at Noah.

Potens shook her head in disgust at the same time as Cheren for similar reasons, but the two didn't realize while Pignite did, causing him to laugh immediately.

"I... yeah, that's right," Noah stated, his voice rising and dropping so harshly it was impossible to not decipher his words as lies. "White's been begging Gray and me to help her train these past few weeks, but we've been so busy. Actually, I haven't, but, you know, Gray's actually a good trainer," the Kantonian joked, drawing a couple of giggles from Gray and Bianca and a hearty laugh from Hugh.

"Well, thanks for that, Noah," Gray started as she grabbed Potens and placed her on the ground so she could socialize with all the other Pokemon. "Things have been really hectic lately, though. I mean, I don't want to get too into everything, but there was this group of people we've been running into a bit too often."

After hearing Gray finish speaking, Hugh, Bianca, and even Cheren leaned forward and stared with intrigue. Just as Gray prepared to continue speaking, she caught sight of Noah subtly pointing at Hugh with his head while shifting his gaze to White. Gray then placed her left hand on the table and turned it into a fist, only to stick her thumb out, giving Noah the green light.

"Hey," he announced abruptly, shooting out of his chair. "Why don't you two train with Gray for the Nimbasa Gym? That was easily the toughest one yet."

"But you've only seen two," White interjected, not knowing that she was nearly preventing herself from spending alone time with Hugh.

"...Exactly!" Gray shouted, unintentionally reaching deafening levels of pitch as she walked over to Noah and Arcanine with a bright smile. "That's why he needs to come with us! So he can see me battle some more," the brunette concluded while leaning her head against Noah's shoulder, making him blush instantly.

Standing a few feet away from the other side of the table, all of the Pokemon glanced at each other as they continued staring at Noah and his red face until Unicus turned and spoke up.

"Is he trying to use Flamethrower or something?" she asked, genuinely confused by the teen's reaction, which made all of her teammates, except Ferus, whisper the exact same question about a hundred times each. The Houndoom, meanwhile, rolled his eyes as he stood next to Arcanine, who shook his head at the ridiculous question.

"Isn't it obvious?" Snivy asked her friend while standing next to Boldore and Palpitoad, who had the same quizzical expressions on their faces. "He likes Gray."

Hearing the news, Gray's five Unova Pokemon recoiled slightly and stared at their trainer for a few more moments until she and Noah turned away from the table and headed out back to the practice battlefields with Bianca, Cheren, and their Pokemon. Mirroring the actions of their brethren, Gray's Pokemon started to head out until Potens saw White stumbling over her words.

"Guys, tell Gray I'm going to sit this one out and I'll make it up tonight, or whenever," the dragon type ordered.

"What're you planning on doing? You better not put any hot sauce-"

"Would you get over that!? It's been almost three months! I'm sorry!" Potens shouted at Unicus, who glared at her along with Furcifer. The staring contest ended, though, when Celsus used his massive frame to block both sides' line of vision.

"I will, and I'll come back here when I do just so you know," Ferus told Potens, who nodded in appreciation before shifting her attention to the sixteen year old.

Walking over to the table, Potens hopped up into a chair and sat down as if she were a human, making Hugh crack up while White shot the Noibat a look of suspicion.

"So what was Gray saying about that group of people? Have they been bothering you?" Hugh asked while staring at White, who looked away from him nervously and began fiddling with her hair.

"Yeah, I mean, no, I mean..." White paused, took a deep breath, which made Hugh crack a slight grin, and she turned back to face him. "Kind of, yeah. They're bothering Gray, more than anything."

Hugh watched as White started to hang her head, as did Potens, and he spun around to check with White's Pokemon to see if he had done anything wrong, which he didn't.

"What do you mean by that? Did they do something to Gray?"

White, once again, stuttered and had a difficult time articulating words that were a part of her everyday speech. Potens noticed the change in Hugh's posture from being pointed towards White to slouching over the table with his arms crossed, prompting her to step in.

"She doesn't feel like she's helped Gray at all during these altercations, right?" Potens told Hugh before turning to White in order to confirm her assumption, which was verified with a nod.

White flinched as she turned to her left and saw Hugh had his hand on her shoulder. Staring into her eyes, the blue haired trainer, with the most sincere tone behind his voice, spoke in an attempt to uplift White's spirit.

"Come on now, you can't be thinking like that, White. You and I both know Gray's an awesome trainer and all, but just because that's true doesn't mean you can't become strong like her. And guess what? She doesn't think you're like that. I'm willing to bet my life on it!" Hugh exclaimed, slamming his left hand on the table for emphasis. "The next time you, Noah, and Gray run into those people, I'll make sure to be there so I can watch you kick their ass. Sound good?"

The brunette giggled to herself and nodded, making Potens smile as she hopped off her chair and headed for the battlefields with Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore.

000

"Caitlin, I hate to be rude, but what's the point in me being here right now when you just spent all that time talking to Gray about her Dewott? It feels like you only brought us here just to avoid hurting our feelings," Alain admitted as he stared at the Elite 4 member who he had lost to.

The blonde scoffed at the confession and shook her head, which made Alain's blood boil while Charizard began to show his teeth in rage, only to stop when he saw Metagross was ready to step in and put an end to any potential fight.

"I told you, when Gray was here, actually, to just wait for me to tell you. Now that she's gone, I will fill you in on the reasoning behind your inclusion," the pale trainer stated, drawing a nod from the nineteen year old and his lone Pokemon. "Metagross, do you mind helping out?"

The psychic type grunted in response and the room was washed over in a heavy green light. Then, as the Kalosian attempted to speak, he was cut off by an orb of green energy appearing in-between him and the Caitlin.

"When I told Gray about the figure I saw, and was unable to identify, it wasn't the only strange thing I saw. There were two others, but only one relates to you and your Charizard."

Raising his eyebrows, Alain motioned for the young woman to continue, which she did after cracking a grin at the eager reaction from the seemingly composed nineteen year old.

"Here, I'll show you," Caitlin stated as she closed her eyes and put her hands onto the green orb. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and were revealed to be glowing green as a strange, dark cloud began to expand in the orb her hands were on. Once Caitlin's eyes returned to their usual color, she shook her head and cracked her knuckles. Reaching out, Caitlin grinned as the image inside the orb grew exponentially to the point where it looked like a flatscreen television.

"Is this one covered in shadows too?" Charizard inquired, disappointment oozing from his words.

His question was answered right away as the body of green energy flashed and revealed a jaw-dropping scene.

Turning to face Caitlin, Alain, whose jaw was still hanging open, shook his head and began rubbing his eyes as a way to check if what he was seeing had been fake. It wasn't, of course, but the scene was truly impossible.

"When will that happen?"

000

As he surveyed the area from above, the mysterious man - the one who had been keeping tabs on Gray ever since she arrived in Nimbasa - smirked and twiddled his thumbs until his phone rang, which he answered immediately. Being met with Ghetsis' face, though terrifying for most, had become the norm, and the unfamiliar man smirked wickedly.

"Is everyone in place?"

The man nodded right away and fiddled with the technology in his possession, eventually bringing up a screen marked with hundreds of red dots.

"Each of these dots is a member of Plasma. The Triad refused to use any trackers, but they'll be surveying the city after divvying it up into thirds. If anyone needs backup anywhere in the city, they'll be covered, I can assure you that."

Ghetsis nodded at the proclamation as he continued to stare at the massive amount of dots. He stopped, however, when he noticed something was missing.

"Is N still in Nimbasa?" Ghetsis questioned aggressively.

Despite the sudden snap in his volume, Ghetsis didn't intimidate the person he was speaking to, as the man had learned long ago that the best way to communicate with his boss was by losing all sense of fear.

"Yes, sir. Our attack will commence in ten seconds, so I must get going in case anyone needs help. I'll update you as soon as we're done."

With that, the man ended his video chat with Ghetsis and placed his phone in his pocket, only to grab the tablet that had been tucked between his side and arm. Watching the timer run down, it seemed as if everything began to slow down the closer it got to zero. However, when it did, the man looked out at Nimbasa City and stretched his arms as far out to his sides as he could.

"A new age is upon us. It's only a matter of time."

000

"So this Team Flare group's been a problem before? That's weird, because I've never heard of them," Cheren stated while looking around at the five other trainers, who shrugged and watched as all of their Pokemon chatted on battlefield. "I mean, you said that you had battled a few of their admins, or high-ranking officials, and beat them, so they can't be all that threatening."

Gray shrugged once again, not knowing whether she should take Cheren's words as a backhanded compliment or him trashing her.

"No, they're strong, they've just been holding back," Ferus announced as he sat up and stared at Cheren, who adjusted his glasses and rubbed his chin while trying to think of a logical explanation that could support the statement.

"But why would they do that? And are those ninja guys affiliated with them, too?" Bianca questioned as she glanced between Gray, Noah, and White.

"Apparently they're aligned with Team Plasma," Noah answered, drawing a noticeable reaction from Hugh, who recoiled backwards while his eyes went wide. Frogadier mirrored his trainer and they both regained their composure. However, as soon as they did, Gray opened her mouth to speak.

As she did so, a series of explosions occurred and echoed through the air, sending the chilling screams of trepidation into the ears of everyone inside the city. While all of the trainers looked around, perplexed by the situation, Potens, the lone Pokemon capable of flying, took to the sky and searched for the cause of the explosions.

"Find anything yet, Potens?" Gray asked, only for Potens to shake her head.

"We need to check that out! Let's go!" Noah shouted as he and Arcanine began running towards the explosions.

The others followed right behind after withdrawing all of their Pokemon, and they sprinted in a panicked rush, only to be met by a wave of screaming civilians flying in their direction. Navigating their way through the traffic, the group of six saw a yet another explosion straight ahead, prompting them to run towards it. After a few minutes, the six trainers arrived at the site of the explosion and they saw two people dressed in strange outfits ordering their Pokemon to attack the buildings.

Each of the people were wearing black masks over the lower halves of their faces, along with black berets. Their pants and sleeves were a light shade of black, and they were also wearing black boots that reached their knees. The one thing that wasn't black was a blue "P" sewn over the left side of their chests, which Hugh noticed immediately.

"Frogadier, go!" he screamed while releasing his starter, who shared the exact same reaction as Hugh. "Hit them with Water Pulse!"

Without any hesitation, Frogadier sprung into the air, catching everyone by surprise, and her hurled two spheres of water, one at each of the villains. Both of the people were crushed by the wicked attacks, and Hugh and Frogadier stepped in front of their friends with the intent to pummel the attackers. As soon as they did, their enemies got off the ground and stared daggers at the spiky haired teen.

"You're going to pay for that! Krokorok, use Stone Edge!" the woman to Hugh's left commanded.

"Scrafty, Shadow Ball!" the man to the right shouted.

Their two Pokemon nodded and obeyed their orders. Krokorok crossed his arms over his chest as two rings of rocks began to spin around his body, and Scrafty formed a large ball of purple and black energy in-between his hands. They then threw their attacks at the same time in an attempt to overwhelm Frogadier, which seemed to work until Noah intervened.

"Arcanine, block the attacks with Flamethrower!"

Shooting in front of Frogadier, Arcanine reared his head back and unleashed a wave of powerful red flames that enveloped the combined attack and the result was an explosion, creating a massive cloud of smoke. Once the smoke faded the six teens were shocked to see the two people dressed in black running away, but while everyone stood around, not knowing what to do, Hugh sprung into action with Frogadier right by his side, and they pursued.

"Hugh, wait!" Gray shouted to her rival, who didn't even turn around. "Shit. We can't just let him go on his own."

"Don't worry, we can handle that," Arcanine assured the brunette as Noah hopped on the fire type's back just before he sprinted after Hugh.

Gray, White, Bianca, and Cheren looked around, unsure of what to do with the threat seemingly subdued. Walking back towards the Pokemon Center, the four trainers carried on as if nothing had happened while Ferus looked around uneasily, the feeling of someone, or something, lurking in the distance making its way into his mind. Suddenly, he unleashed a Flamethrower attack after spinning around, and as Gray and the others turned, they saw a trio of figures standing on the edge of a roof.

"It's the Shadow Triad," Ferus muttered to Gray, who nodded and reached for a Pokeball at the same time as Cheren, White, and Bianca.

As soon as they did, the three ninjas reappeared about twenty feet down the road, each holding a Pokeball of their own. The wind began to howl as both groups of trainers stared each other down as Ferus snarled wickedly.

"So, what are you people after?" Cheren interrogated, breaking the silence.

The three ninjas looked at one another and laughed under their masks, drawing an enraged response from the skinny-jean wearing boy. Shortly thereafter, silence filled the air for a second time until the ninja in the middle cleared his throat and spoke up.

"There's no need for us to tell you such sensitive information. All you need to know is that you're not getting out of here alive," he decreed, sending chills down the spines of Bianca, Cheren, and White.

Gray, on the other hand, didn't find the threat to be intimidating in the slightest, nor did Ferus. Instead, she stepped in front of the rookie trainers protectively and prepared to use Mega Evolution. However, she was stopped when she felt someone tap her on the back. Spinning, Gray eyed White intently, and the younger brunette forced a confident grin across her face before speaking.

"Don't waste your time with these guys. We can beat them, no problem," she stated, drawing a reluctant nod from Gray, only for it to be stopped by multiple explosions going off in several different areas. "Go! You have to see what's going on!"

Once again, Gray nodded and motioned for Ferus to follow her, which he did, and the powerful duo sprinted towards the nearest explosion. What neither of the two knew was the cause of said explosions was waiting for a challenger to emerge from the chaos.

000

"Alain, remember, this power will only reveal itself during a time of great need," Caitlin informed the nineteen year old as he and Charizard were walking out the door of the woman's house. "You won't be able to activate it until then."

The Mega Trainer nodded and bowed to Caitlin, but turned around in shock as an explosion sounded in the distance. Taken back by the sound, Alain and Caitlin stood still for a second until the young woman stepped out of her house with Metagross inside its Pokeball. While she closed the door Caitlin heard thousands of horrified screams pouring down the street, which was accompanied by a mad rush of people piling into buildings left and right.

"I'm going to see what's going on," Alain announced as he hopped on Charizard's back, prompting the winged lizard to take off at mach speed.

Releasing Metagross from its Pokeball, Caitlin hopped onto the powerful Pokemon and he began to fly in the opposite direction of Charizard.

000

"Frogadier, stop them dead in their tracks with your frubbles!" Hugh commanded as he continued sprinting after the two Plasma members.

The water frog launched himself into the air and grabbed the scarf of bubbles around his neck before throwing them at his targets. Both of the criminals were hit in the back by the sticky substance and they spun around to see both Hugh and Frogadier glaring.

"Get lost, kid. We don't have time to deal with you!" the woman shouted through her mask, making Hugh growl and throw his hand forwards.

"Use Cut!"

"Go, Scrafty! Send Frogadier flying with Brick Break!"

Erupting from its Pokeball, the male Plasma member's Scrafty appeared while his hands were glowing white, and he swung at Frogadier, whose arms had turned to blades of white energy. The combatting Pokemon swung at each other repeatedly until Scrafty prevailed and punched Frogadier in the face, sending him rolling along the ground.

"Krookodile, come out and end this with Stone Edge!" the woman commanded as she tossed a Pokeball forwards.

Once it opened, her Krookodile appeared with two rings of stones spinning around his body. After throwing his hands forward, Krokorok grunted loudly and sent all of the sharp rocks right at Frogadier, who was too hurt to get out of the way.

"Flamethrower!"

Much to Hugh's surprise, a wave of orange flames collided with the Stone Edge attack and prevailed, striking Krokorok right afterwards. Both Hugh and Frogadier turned to see Noah and Arcanine making their way towards the altercation. With Noah reaching Hugh's side and Arcanine reaching Frogadier's, the stronger duo nodded at the younger pair before shifting their attention back to the Plasma members.

"You're going to regret attacking the people of Nimbasa," Hugh hissed as Frogadier rose to his feet and nodded. "Aerial Ace!"

000

Meanwhile, in the middle of Nimbasa City, White, Cheren, and Bianca continued staring down the Shadow Triad until Cheren hurled a Pokeball forwards.

"Pignite, let's go!" the black haired trainer shouted as he chucked the spherical device high in the air.

"Snivy, I need your help!" White called.

"Servine, go!" Bianca hollered right after her friends.

As each of the three device opened, the Unova starters materialized next to each other and exchanged nods until their attention was turned towards the three ninjas standing in front of them. Without a word, the Plasma members revealed their Pokemon and each of them stood imposingly. From left to right were Toxicroak, Lucario, and Grovyle, who opposed Snivy, Pignite, and Servine, respectively.

"Are you kids sure you really want to get into this? We won't be held responsible for any injuries your Pokemon suffer," the ninja standing behind Grovyle inquired, angering each of the three rookies.

"There's no way we're going to let the likes of you people destroy our home region! No matter the cost, we'll stop you!" White barked while throwing her right arm out to her side, Snivy nodding in agreement with her trainer's response while Pignite and Servine did the same.

Cheren, meanwhile, stared at White in shock until he cracked a smile and crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's right. If you attack one person of Unova, you have to deal with all of us!" Bianca decreed, causing the three ninjas to look at one another before they shook their heads in shame.

"Grovyle, take care of that Servine with Leaf Blade!" the ninja on the right ordered, throwing his left hand straight out.

The Hoenn starter let out a loud grunt as he jumped in the air, and the leaves on his forearms began to extend and glow light green. While Grovyle spun and descended, similar to how Bellator would whenever he used Razor Shell, Bianca stepped forwards and punched her fist into the air.

"Not on our watch! Servine, grab Grovyle's arms with Vine Whip and throw him against the ground as hard as you can!"

Doing just as he was told, Servine grinned and shot two green vines from his neck, which he wrapped around Grovyle's left arm. Much to his and Bianca's dismay, Servine was unable to grab a hold of Grovyle's right arm, allowing the Hoenn starter to slash Servine across the chest.

"Hit him with Poison Jab, Toxicroak!" the ninja to the left roared as Servine laid on his back in pain while Grovyle retreated to his trainer.

Toxicroak acrobatically performed a series of forward cartwheels as his hands began to glow light purple, and he set his sights on Servine while the bipedal snake rose to his feet with a grimace. Seeing his partner was in need of assistance, Chern acted quickly, as did Pignite.

"Intercept it with Flame Charge!"

Without hesitation, Pignite flew forwards while he was encapsulated in flames, and the bulky pig attempted to crash into his attacking opponent. Somehow, Toxicroak stopped and grabbed Pignite's right arm. Then, using the momentum from Flame Charge, Toxicroak threw Pignite towards Lucario and the middle ninja, who both grinned and made the exact same movements at the same time.

"Seize the opportunity and use Close Combat, Lucario!"

While Toxicroak made his way over to Servine and jabbed the grass type in the throat, sending him flying into Bianca, Lucario grabbed Pignite with one hand and threw him a few inches upwards. Following that up with a barrage of kicks and punches, Lucario finished with a punch to Pignite's face, and Cheren watched in horror as his starter bounced along the street unconsciously, sending chills down the rookie trainer's spine.

"Snivy, show off your strength by using Leaf Tornado on Lucario!" White demanded.

While the ninjas and their Pokemon were busy focusing on Servine, who was struggling to stand, Snivy narrowed her eyes and channeled all of her energy to her tail. A cyclone of leaves began spinning around the end of her tail, and she pointed it at Lucario, who was sucked inside the attack. Then, Snivy slammed her tail against the ground and dealt a devastating blow to the fighting type.

"Hit Snivy with X-Scissor!"

Before she knew it, White saw Grovyle descending from the sky like a bomb that had been dropped, and the leaves on his forearms were glowing light blue. Snivy backpedaled away from her attacker, but tripped over her feet and started to fall, leaving her completely defenseless. With a mighty swing of his arms, Grovyle had a maniacal smirk spread across his face, but a loud clink echoed in the air, leaving everyone with their jaws agape.

Standing in front of Snivy was a massive blue figure, which had a woman sitting on top of it. Recognizing the woman, White ran over to her and bowed about forty times along with Snivy, making the blonde laugh as she hopped off her Metagross.

"Thank you so much, Caitlin. Without you here, Snivy would've..." White paused and stared at her starter, who nodded and then bowed to the Elite 4 member and her strongest Pokemon.

"Don't worry about it. We can take it from here. Right, Metagross?"

"Me-ta," the steel type replied lowly while Grovyle jumped back to his trainer and eyed his new opponents worriedly.

"Let's end this right here. Metagross, lend me your strength! Mega Evolve!"

000

Running towards the explosion with Ferus by her side, Gray couldn't help but worry about the others. Sure, the Shadow Triad was fairly weak, but White, Cheren, and Bianca were all rookie trainers. Who knew what'd happen to them? And Hugh and Noah were going into the woods to pursue their targets, so there was no telling what kind of trouble they'd run into.

"Gray, are you okay?" Ferus quizzed as he and his trainer slowed down to look for the cause of the explosion. "You seem off," he continued, drawing a shrug from the eighteen year old.

"It's upsetting that a group of people would just kill all of these civilians for no reason. That's what's got me right now," Gray replied, looking off in the distance, unaware of the man standing behind a statue that had been partially blown up. "Once we beat all of these people, they'll know not to mess with Unova, though," the Kantonian continued, drawing a nod from Ferus.

"Aggron, Flash Cannon!"

A blast of silver energy came out of nowhere and was headed right at Gray, who gasped in shock until Ferus leaped in front of her and blocked it with an equally powerful Flamethrower. An explosion occurred immediately and smoke filled the air, preventing either side from seeing.

"What the hell was that?" Gray asked Ferus, who didn't respond. Instead, the Houndoom continued growling and staring at the smoke, which faded rather quickly and revealed a strange man standing beside an Aggron.

He was wearing a pair of glasses and white lab coat over a black and blue shirt along with a pair of black pants. He had yellow hair, which had a strange blue strand wrapping around the back of his head from the left to right.

"Who are you?" Ferus interrogated, snarling after speaking.

The weird man laughed at the anger from Ferus, increasing the fire type's rage, and then he looked over at Gray, who was eyeing him intently. Noticing the inquisitive expression plastered on Gray's face, the man snickered and turned to his Aggron.

"Me? I work for Team Plasma. My name is Colress, and I've heard a lot about you, Gray. Like, for instance, the strengths of all of your Pokemon and when you caught them, how long they've been with you, and all of that kind of stuff. You're abilities are quite impressive, if I'm being honest," Colress commended, leaving Gray in an awkward position of not knowing whether she should accept the compliments.

"So what are you doing here? Why are you killing all of these innocent people?" Ferus shouted, making Colress laugh.

"Team Plasma's goals are... complicated, for those that aren't as mentally equipped as us. Explaining it to you would be a waste of not only my time, but yours as well. I can tell you, however, that I'm working on a way to unleash a Pokemon's true potential, and we could certainly use someone as powerful as you, Gray."

Ferus turned to his trainer and stared at her as she looked at the ground, unsure of how to answer. Slowly, looking up from the ground, Gray saw the massive damage done to all of the buildings along with several lifeless bodies. Her gaze sharpened and she stared daggers at Colress, making the man grow uneasy.

"You," the girl started, bringing her hand up to point at Colress, "are _crazy_ if you think I'd help a bunch of terrorists like Team Plasma! Ferus, use Flamethrower!"

Eager to attack, the Houndoom jumped as high as he could and unleashed a wicked Flamethrower attack that slammed into Aggron and blew the steel type back about twenty feet, wowing Colress as he turned back to stare at Ferus and Gray, both of whom had enraged looks in their eyes.

"That's a shame, I suppose. Now that we're enemies, I must use my research to stop you! Aggron, go!" Colress shouted as he pressed a button on the tablet he was holding in his right hand.

Suddenly, the rock and steel type was engulfed in a bright light and encased in a pink egg. Recognizing what was happening to Aggron, Gray stared in shock as the monstrous Pokemon exploded from the egg with a new physique and let out a deafening roar.

"See? We've found out how to force Pokemon into using Mega Evolution! Why wouldn't you want to be a part of something so incredible?" Colress inquired with a deranged look on his face, making Gray nervous.

"You're crazy," she reiterated while placing her hand over her Mega Bracelet. "Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

After going through the same dramatic process Aggron did, Ferus broke out of the pink egg in his Mega Evolved form and released a blast of blue fire into the air before locking eyes with his Mega Evolved opponent.

"Now use Fire Fang!"

"Double-Edge!"

The Mega Evolved Pokemon charged at one another, Ferus with his mouth engulfed in blue flames, and Aggron shrouded in white light, and they collided. As soon as Ferus chomped down on Aggron's head, the steel type let out a pained cry and tumbled backwards, allowing Gray to continue her assault while Colress looked on, baffled by the outcome of the collision.

"Keep it going, Ferus! Use Flamethrower at full power!"

As soon as he landed, Ferus shot a wicked wave of blue fire at Aggron, who attempted to get out of the way but was too slow to do so, resulting in him being charred to a crisp. Leaning over in pain, Aggron glanced at Colress and watched him point at Ferus, refusing to acknowledge the pain his Pokemon was in.

"Use Head Smash at full power!"

"Ferus, jump and use Iron Tail!" Gray retorted.

Aggron shut forwards as he was engulfed in bright blue energy, and he let out a menacing roar as he closed in on Ferus. Despite the steel type's speed, Ferus was able to react in time and sprung into the air while spinning like a wheel. His tail began to glow bright silver and extended dramatically before Ferus smashed it over Aggron's head, spiking the colossal Pokemon into the ground so hard he was knocked unconscious.

"What the hell? How did you do that?" Colress screamed as Ferus returned to Gray's side and stayed in his Mega Evolved form while Aggron reverted back to his normal state. "My research, it still needs to be polished up," the scientist muttered under his breath, only to be cutoff by a speeding blur slamming against the ground behind him.

Upon turning, Colress saw Alain hop off Charizard's back and pat the Mega Evolved creature on the head before walking forwards.

"You're the one creating this chaos!" he shouted before attempting to grab Colress. Somehow, the blonde managed to evade Alain's right hand and he backpedaled away from him so that he was able to see Gray, Ferus, Alain, and Charizard, who looked ready to fight.

"Hmph. I'd love to stay and battle, but I think I've collected enough information. Team Plasma will rise again, and don't you forget that."

Before either of the teens could do anything, Colress pressed a button on his tablet and disappeared along with his Aggron, leaving Alain and Gray in a state of rage until they each took deep breaths and looked at one another.

"Should we tell everyone to come out of hiding?" Gray quizzed, prompting Alain to nod as Charizard and Ferus reverted back to their normal forms.

000

After alerting most of the city, everyone, including Alain and Caitlin, met up in front of the Pokemon Center. All of their Pokemon were being healed after the battles they had gone through, and the group, satisfied with their work, watched as families found each other and rejoiced through tears.

"So Colress is back," Caitlin muttered to herself after Gray told her about the run-in she had with the scientist. "Things aren't looking good right now. If Plasma's coming back, and they're even half as strong as they were before, dark times are coming."

Shocked by the sudden announcement, everyone looked around and then at the blonde, who had a stone-cold expression. Clearly, she wasn't kidding around, and judging by all the damage Nimbasa had taken, things were just getting started.

"We're going to go check on all of the Pokemon," White announced as she looked at Gray, who nodded and watched as the large group of trainers filed into the Pokemon Center, leaving her with Alain and Caitlin.

"By the way, you two, a friend of mine, who works for the Hoenn Elite 4, told me about this Mega Tournament being hosted in Mauville City. Only trainers with recommendations from Elite 4 members are allowed to participate, so I wanted to know if you're interested," the psychic master informed the powerful teens before her, which elicited excited reactions.

"Absolutely. If it means Charizard and I can come closer to achieving our goal, I'll do it," Alain answered emphatically before Caitlin turned to Gray.

"Sure! Thank you so much for the opportunity!" Gray exclaimed as she shook Caitlin's hand, making the young woman laugh.

"Wonderful. I look forward to seeing how you two do. A boat's supposed to come around next week, and the trip will only take about a day."

The trainers nodded thankfully and waved to Caitlin as she walked away, leaving Alain and Gray with each other. Before the brunette could say anything, Alain walked away with his hands in his pockets, causing Gray to sweat drop and walked back into the Pokemon Center, her mind focused on the Mega Tournament, and her trip to Hoenn.

* * *

 **Holy crap! Plasma's not messing around, seeing as they destroyed all of Nimbasa to try and kill N. So, with that out of the way, we move on to the newly added chapters, and these are going to set the stage for some massive turning points. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "A Cry for Help"**_

 _ **With the destruction to Nimbasa City grabbing Unova's attention, Team Flare seizes the opportunity and attempts to find the mythical Volcarona of Relic Castle in hopes of having it power the Ultimate Weapon. Xerosic, the head admin, is the lone person searching. Will he find the almighty Pokemon?**_

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 40: Advena Appears!**  
 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	39. A Cry for Help

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Gray and Bellator stand next to each other on one half of the screen with Alain and Charizard on the other. A man and his six Pokemon appear in-between them)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(** **A Pokemon teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **It tastes like hype, doesn't it? Damn straight it does! Last chapter, Team Plasma attacked Nimbasa City so everyone battled them, and things ended with Caitlin inviting Alain and Gray to a Mega Evolution Tournament in Hoenn, which they both plan on competing in. This chapter, however, will focus on Xerosic and his hunt for Volcarona. Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Not a crossover, just the Mega Evo Tournament, unless you count Owen battling in this as a crossover between the original series and this one_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, and you'll find out fairly soon. Whenever the Mega Tournament starts is when that will be revealed, and I think everyone will be shocked with what happens_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Gracias, mi amigo. Plasma did kick a lot of ass, but that's, in my opinion, a product of the group not being there from the beginning (to keep them from blowing stuff up, I mean). Caitlin's worries are moot, at this point, as she's served her role for now, but Flare is a lot more intimidating from a numerical standpoint_

 **Defender31415:** _Well, I'm trying to make this as cannon as possible, and since Owen and Nick (Monfernofreak's OC) had crossovers, and Plasma attacked Unova in his story, I'm just continuing that, in a way. They're trying to kill N for reasons that will eventually be explained, unless I forget XD Plasma's definitely not a joke, and that could be who Alain battles ;)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yeah, they weren't too bad in Black2/White2, but at the same time they still were, lol. Thanks, and this tournament's definitely going to be the most interesting one that will happen_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Lol, I really don't know how to do internet humor. Believe me, I've tried and failed miserably :/ I can't wait for Cheren and Hugh to battle, regardless of how long I have to wait to get to it, and I'll try to drop something funny in a chapter here and there, but don't blame me if it's really bad. Now, if I could tell a joke instead of having to type it, maybe things would be different_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Colress is the largest of scrubs, though he'll turn it around with all of the information he'll collect from battling Gray and the gang (sounds like a band name, lol). And the Mega Tournament is scheduled to start next arc, which means Driftveil won't be happening right after the Nimbasa Arc. Thanks for the support!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _But you told me to do it... T-T Hopefully you did well on the ACT! Also, thanks. I've realized I have a pretty messed up mind when I decide to stop controlling it (like people should do in public), so I'm glad that it's paying off with evil teams actually being evil! And I agree that they're becoming sue-ish, but the problem is that I don't know how else to incorporate it (what I'll call Synchro Evolution) in a non sue-ish way_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _I love Potens, and thanks! Plasma's definitely making moves and they were really weak, but that's not going to happen the next time they interact with the group, that much is sure. There won't be any cameos in the tournament, sadly, though there may be an arc dedicated to Alain challenging some notable characters that can use Mega Evolution_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

The wind howled and sand flew across the endless landscape. Any being with a pair of eyes could only see fifteen feet ahead, and even that was generous. Nothing lived in these parts, at least, nothing normal. With each passing second spent in the desert, one felt there sanity being swept away. The only thing for miles on end was sand, and the only sound other than stepping into the sand was the howling wind, or someone cursing because of the sand getting in their eyes.

Lucky for him, Xerosic, a burly man who was surprisingly fit, had a pair of goggles covering his eyes, preventing him from being hurt by the pesky sand that seemed to plague all other travelers. Even the Pokemon that he had seen near the entrances to both Nimbasa and Castelia weren't to be found so deep in the desert. Only a lunatic would go out as far as he was. Or, perhaps, only a man smart enough to search for the strongest Pokemon. A smile stretched across Xerosic's face and he rubbed his gloved hands against each other mischievously.

 _"Once I find that castle, Volcarona's as good as Team Flare's! Then Lysandre will promote me to be the head of the admins, so I'll be his right-hand man! Or maybe that's Alain. No way. That kid's too in the dark to be that."_

Suddenly, Xerosic's phone rang and he answered the video chat request as quickly as he could, causing Lysandre's stern face to appear on the screen of the phone. When he did, Xerosic straightened his posture and returned the stoneless expression.

"Did you find Relic Castle yet?" the redhead interrogated, the harshness of his voice causing Xerosic to flinch, which answered his question. "Of course you didn't. Look, we need to find something with power levels high enough to-"

As Lysandre continued speaking, Xerosic noticed a meteor of sorts crashing towards the ground, and when it did, a massive explosion occurred, causing him to drop his phone. Once it was picked up, Xerosic saw that Lysandre was giving him a strange look, making the pale man sweat.

"Whatever that noise was, I want you to investigate it. That sounded extremely powerful, so if it's a Pokemon, don't let it get away."

With that, Lysandre ended the call and Xerosic trudged through what must've been two miles of sand before stopping at the top of a hill. Looking down below, he saw a strange vessel emitting smoke.

"Malamar, back me up," the Flare admin whispered as he released his strongest Pokemon from its Pokeball. "Hey, we're going to check that out down there, so keep an eye out for anything that comest our way."

The psychic and dark type nodded at her trainer's words and followed the pale man down towards the crash site. After reaching the contraption releasing the thick cloud of smoke, Xerosic inspected it before rubbing his head in confusion and calling Malamar for help.

"Hey, do you know what any of this equipment is? It almost seems like it's from a different planet," the man quizzed as he rubbed the back of his head, perplexed by the tiny spacecraft that looked like a personal UFO.

The metal of the transportation device was sleek and had green lines running along it, similar to that of a computer chip, and Malamar looked over it with a look that mirrored her trainer's. After both stepped back a couple of feet, they rubbed their heads and tried to not overthink the situation. What they didn't realize was a tiny figure in the distance, to their right, crawling in hopes of finding someone, or something that would help.

As the unidentified figure continued doing so, it turned and realized that, even though it crawled at least ten feet and was at the top of a hill, it'd be spotted if Xerosic or Malamar were to turn even the slightest bit.

"Hm. Maybe I'll check what kind of energy this thing's packing," Xerosic mumbled as he flipped the settings of his goggles so that he could see what the power of the aircraft was. "Holy crap!" he screamed, making Malamar and the fleeing creature flinch violently. "There's no way this is from Earth. All of this energy, it's insane!"

Throwing his hands up towards the sky, Xerosic turned to his right with the intention of looking at Malamar. However, due to the fact that his goggles were still on the power-reading setting, he was stunned, no, awed when the meter turned all the way to the max and was trying to go past it. A body of aura the size of Prism Tower was moving ever so slightly, and he immediately ran towards it.

The owner of the power, the creature that had been crawling away from the crash site, began to crawl as quickly as it could, knowing full well that when it was spotted, nothing good would follow. As its heart raced, the creature attempted burrowing a whole underground, but stopped when it heard Xerosic gasp. Turning, the creature locked eyes with the man dressed in all red, and his Malamar shot forwards as quickly as it could.

"Malamar, use Night Slash!"

Doing just as she was told, Malamar threw her right suddenly black flipper towards the unfamiliar Pokemon, and a black crescent of energy sliced through the air. Upon contact with the injured creature, it was thrown through the air and slammed into the sand about fifteen feet away, drawing a wicked smirk from Xerosic as Malamar floated back to his side and glanced at the Pokedex that had been used to scan the creature.

"Elgyem, the Cerebral Pokemon. It uses its strong psychic power to squeeze its opponent's brain, causing unendurable headaches."

While the two numskulls celebrated their alleged victory, the creature lying on the ground lifted its head and stared into the bright blue sky hopelessly, eventually closing its eyes. Then, as Xerosic and Malamar made their way over to the downed target, they were shocked when Elgyem's eyes shot open and an insane blast of blue energy struck and hurled them at least five hundred yards away, providing the psychic type with enough time to escape.

As it rose to its feet, the strange Pokemon looked around and noticed a few buildings painted in obnoxious colors. Raising its hands to judge something, Elgyem's eyes shot open in shock, and it began to run towards the city. Then, after taking one final step, the creature was enveloped in a blinding white light and disappeared.

Elgyem found a hero.

* * *

 **Didn't expect that (except _you_ ) did ya? Well, it's safe to say things are going to be a lot more hectic, especially when Elgyem, who I will call a girl just to make things easier, meets up with the gang in Nimbasa City. She'll be a huge part of the plot moving forward, though not everything will center around her throughout the story. Next chapter will be about Gray, White, and Noah meeting Elgyem, and we'll see where things go from there. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Advena Appears!"**_

 ** _Preparing for the Mega Evolution Tournament in Hoenn, Gray is shocked when she finds an injured Elgyem on the street! While Gray takes it to the Pokemon Center, Flare begins their search for Elgyem. Why, exactly is this Pokemon so important to their plans?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 41: Cosmic Power Activated!**  
 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	40. Advena Appears!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Bellator uses Synchro Evolution and collides with Mega Charizard X while everyone else watches)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(Elgyem** **teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's going on, folks? Last chapter was a bit odd in that it focused on Xerosic trying to find Volcarona, but he ended up finding an Elgyem with insane power that he had never seen before. Then, it managed to escape after destroying Xerosic and his Malamar before teleporting because it "found a hero" in Nimbasa. This chapter will be the meeting between Gray and Elgyem, and there will be some more stuff. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Loool. I think you've read almost everything I have written (for the future), so at this point it's safe to bet that you have._ _Advena's badassness is going to be really weird too. Like, at times she'll be so freakishly OP, but then others, let's just say she'll suck. No one can be as badass as Bellator, tho. That's just a given :P_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Hahaha. I'm pretty sure I asked you whether or not I should do this idea (Advena, I mean), but maybe... wait, no, I am crazy XD Flare's still going to have a few targets, but Advena will be at the top of the list because 1) She'll be tracked thanks to Alain putting a tracking device on Gray's Pokedex, and 2) She's weaker than the Legendaries_

 **Defender31415:** _It is Advena and (I'm just picking a gender b/c it's easier to write) her name was picked specifically because she is an alien. Thanks!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Honestly, I just went on to google and looked up "most forgettable/underused Pokemon from Gen 5" and I didn't even remember Elgyem existed XD And now that you mention it, I think Xerosic will be the goofy one of the Flare admins, so thanks for the idea!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Great! Only two people knew it was coming, and since this subplot was added last second (after being scrapped last second, ironically), so I'd be confused if anyone, other than those two, would have been able to find out what Advena was. Gray's last Pokemon will be caught in Driftveil City, and I think Xerosic was only battled once. He was the only male "scientist" for Flare_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Oui. Opening a review with a pun; bold move XD Elgyem/Advena is incredibly powerful, and she'll unleash her full power later on down the road whenever things escalate to the point of her having to. Thanks!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _It's (calling it her, for the most part) going to have a pretty significant role, and the last second inclusion is actually going to have a ton of effects on how things play out these next few arcs. I'll elaborate on that when the time comes, but for now you'll have to remain in the dark ;)_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Stepping out of her room, Gray yawned and stretched her arms over her head along with Unicus, making the brunette smile and chuckle. The Sandslash cracked a grin and followed her trainer down the hallway and they entered the lobby of the Pokemon Center, where Noah and White were waiting along with Hugh, Bianca, and Cheren.

Unicus joined Ferus, Arcanine, Frogadier, Servine, and Pignite, immediately starting a conversation with the fairly large group of Pokemon while Gray noticed her three rivals looking at her oddly before Hugh finally spoke up.

"So, Gray," he started, "White told us you got invited to compete in a Mega Evolution Tournament in Hoenn. Congratulations," the powerful trainer commended, prompting Gray to bow thankfully.

"What Pokemon do you plan on using? Can any of your others Mega Evolve?" Cheren asked as Ferus walked over to his trainer's side and sat down with a proud look on his face.

"Nope. Ferus is the only one that can," Gray answered, placing her hand on the fire and dark type's head, causing him to smile. "I'm sure I can use other Pokemon to battle, though. At least, I hope I'm allowed to."

The group nodded and Frogadier eyed Gray intently, looking her over before focusing on her Mega Bracelet. He didn't say anything, however, as he hated talking. Sitting near Hugh's side, Frogadier shot off the ground when he noticed his trainer move to get up.

"Are you heading out, Hugh?" White asked, drawing a nod from the blue haired teen.

"Well, I'm going to go out and buy some more supplies for the trip, so I'll be back in a little bit," Gray announced, rising from her chair just like Hugh had done, making Ferus and Unicus get up and walk over to her.

Noah got up and followed after his friend, causing her to turn around and eye him in confusion while Hugh exited the building.

"I figured you'd need some help carrying all of the stuff back here," he fibbed, twiddling his thumbs as Arcanine shook his head along with Ferus. "Is that cool?" he quizzed, drawing a laugh from Gray.

Nodding, the girl motioned for him to follow, and they walked out of the Pokemon Center with their three Pokemon, leaving Bianca, Cheren, and White at the table in the middle of the lobby.

Upon stepping outside, both Gray and Noah glanced back to see their Pokemon were following and they began the trek to the store, where they were planning on buying anything, really. While the two eighteen year olds walked side by side, Unicus walked in-between Ferus and Arcanine, confused by their laughter and pointing at Noah.

"What's so funny? I don't get it," she whispered, drawing the attention of both fire types.

"Seriously?" Ferus asked.

Unicus nodded.

"Noah likes Gray. It's so obvious, but I don't think anyone other than us knows," Arcanine informed Unicus, who shook her head in disbelief. "Even Gray doesn't know. Well, probably."

Both Ferus and Arcanine resumed their mocking of Noah, and Unicus rolled her eyes at the childish acts of the quadrupeds but refrained from interjecting when she saw a strange flash of light to her left near a patch of grass, which was off to the side of the road. Walking over to the area, Unicus readied herself for a fight, but when she pushed her way through the bushes, she saw an injured creature lying on its face, struggling to turn itself over.

When it did, the creature let out a shocked cry and threw its arms forward, unleashing a wicked blast of blue energy that sent Unicus flying. After hitting the ground, Unicus rolled around in pain and Ferus sprinted over to her side while Arcanine looked around angrily.

"Arcanine? What's going on?" Noah asked aloud as he turned around to check out what all the commotion was about. "Unicus!" he shouted, pointing at the Sandslash before running over to her. Gray followed and knelt down by her starter's side worriedly and scooped her into her arms.

"Hey, what happened? Did someone hurt you?" the concerned trainer asked.

"Yeah," Unicus muttered weakly, gripping her chest. "Something's in those bushes, but it's hurt. I think it was trying to protect itself," the ground type hypothesized.

Noah noticed the expression on Gray's face and walked over to Arcanine, who he ordered to attack the bush.

"Use Flamethrower to lure them out!" he commanded.

Arcanine did just as he was told and shot a wave of orange flames from his mouth, and it looked as if the bushes were about to be engulfed in flames. Surprisingly, a blast of blue energy slammed into the fire and sent it right back at Arcanine, who cried out in pain after being hit by his own attack.

"Arcanine, are you okay?" Gray and Noah asked in unison as the fire type rolled around and continued whimpering.

Ferus then stepped forwards and looked ready to crush his enemy, but he eased up when he watched a strange creature stumble out of the bushes. It's large green eyes scanned the area and immediately locked onto Gray, who threw a Pokeball from her belt.

"Ferus, keep an eye on Unicus. Bellator and I can take it from here," Gray stated as her strongest Unova Pokemon materialized from his capsule and glared at the strange creature that had injured both Arcanine and Unicus.

Nodding, Ferus galloped over to Unicus' side and kept a close eye on her while Bellator drew both of his scalchops, which instantly released blades of water.

Before he or Gray could do anything, the creature released several strange grunts and seemed to be reaching out to them only to collapse face first. As soon as it did, Gray sprinted over to the the creature and picked it up.

"Noah, I'm taking this to the Pokemon Center!" she told him while withdrawing Unicus to her Pokeball.

Noah nodded and did the same with Arcanine, and the two sprinted towards the Pokemon Center with Bellator and Ferus following close behind.

000

After five minutes of nonstop running, Gray and Noah arrived at the Pokemon Center and dashed through the automatic doors. Gray then skidded to a halt in front of Nurse Joy's desk and she handed the Pokemon that had defeated Unicus and Arcanine over to the pink haired woman.

"Please, Nurse Joy, this Pokemon needs help!"

The caretaker nodded and immediately grabbed the unidentified Pokemon, and as she did, Alain walked into the lobby, confused by the screaming and panting. As he walked over to Gray's side, he watched Nurse Joy put the Pokemon in intensive care, and he eyed it for a few seconds before turning to the eighteen year olds.

"What happened? Did Team Plasma do that?" he asked, almost growling at the mere mentioning of Plasma's name.

Ferus and Bellator shook their heads, grabbing the Kalosian's attention along with that of his Charizard, and they waited for either one of the Pokemon to speak, as did Gray and Noah.

"That thing just appeared in the bushes off to the side of the road and when Unicus went to check on it, it attacked," Ferus explained as he watched Alain and Charizard turn to look at the strange Pokemon. "She said that it was defending itself or something, and it also redirected Arcanine's Flamethrower."

"Sounds like a strong Pokemon, if you ask me," Charizard said, rubbing his chin while trying to picture such a tiny combatant dominating a battle. "Are you sure it wasn't just a wild Pokemon?"

Ferus shrugged, but Bellator nodded.

"It tried reaching out to Gray and me. It needed help," he concurred solemnly. "Something had to have attacked it too, because it fainted without even being hit by an attack."

Alain muttered something under his breath and stared at the Pokemon that was being tended too, and he turned away from Noah and Gray while Cheren, Bianca, and White walked over, wanting to know what was going on.

"Let us know if anything changes with its condition, Gray," he ordered, making the girl nod as she watched Alain and Charizard disappear down the hall that held all of the bedrooms.

Once they reached their room, both trainer and Pokemon walked inside, the former looking down at his phone to see several messages from Lysandre and the five Flare admins. Before he could respond, Alain received a video chat request, and he accepted it. When he did, he saw Lysandre, Xerosic, Bryony, Mable, Celosia, and Aliana were all talking, but they stopped as soon as Alain joined.

"What's up?" the nineteen year old asked, trying to sound cool.

The five admins closed their mouths and waited for Lysandre to answer the question, which he did after sighing deeply and rubbing his head.

"While Xerosic was looking for Volcarona in the desert, he came across an Elgyem that managed to defeat both him and his Malamar with one attack, even while it was nearly unconscious. Isn't that right, Xerosic?"

The pale man remained silent and slowly nodded his head, eliciting a series of expletives from Lysandre.

"I called to inform you all that if you do come across an Elgyem that doesn't have a trainer, capture it. It is absolutely crucial to our plans."

Alain turned away from the screen and shot Charizard a look, alerting the fire type of the situation. He turned back to the screen, however, and nodded at Lysandre's announcement.

"I think I may have already found it," the Kalosian announced all of a sudden. "It's here in Nimbasa City at the Pokemon Center. That girl, Gray Plain, is getting it healed."

"Oh, that's the one with the Houndoom, isn't it?" Aliana asked, prompting Alain to nod. "Good. I need to get revenge for our last battle."

"So do we," Celosia and Mable stated in unison.

"And I have to finish her off," Bryony announced.

After hearing the responses from each of the four admins, Lysandre began to laugh heartily. The five admins and Alain waited for their boss to finish, and when he did, a wicked smirk spread across his face as he leaned towards the camera.

"I want you all to go to Nimbasa City to capture that Elgyem, and I'll be there."

"Yes, sir!"

000

Meanwhile, back in the Pokemon Center, the group waited and waited for Elgyem to snap out of its poor condition, though no one really spoke. Instead, they focused on the ailing Pokemon lying on the bed in the intensive care unit, and Gray couldn't help but feel awful.

"If I ever run into the person that hurt Elgyem, I'm going to crush them," she muttered under her breath, grabbing the attention of Noah and White, who were shocked to hear such a bloodthirsty vow from their friend. "Anyone who does something like that too a Pokemon is the scum of the Earth," she continued, drawing nods from Ferus and Bellator while Unicus rolled over and looked on worriedly.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the strange psychic type rose from its slumber and looked around before spotting Gray, White, and Noah pressed up against the window. Elgyem jumped in fear before placing its hand over its chest, and the teens, along with their Pokemon, poured into the room with relieved smiles.

"Hey, Elgyem, are you feeling better?" Gray inquired, keeping a distance as a means of showing Elgyem she meant no harm. "You've been out cold for about four hours, just so you know."

The alien looked around at Gray, her friends, and the Pokemon standing around her bed until she locked her eyes onto Bellator. The water starter kept the gaze until Elgyem broke it and turned to Potens, sharing a similar stare-down that ended the same way as the previous. Both Potens and Bellator glanced at each other in confusion, the former shaking her head at Elgyem's strange antics.

"So, are you okay? What happened to you?" Noah quizzed as he reached into his backpack to grab a translator.

"A man attacked me," the psychic type replied as its eyes flashed light blue, making White scream at the top of her lungs and nearly faint. However, Noah managed to catch her just in time, and the brunette sweat dropped in embarrassment before remembering Elgyem had spoken. "He wore red, like what you humans would compare to a tomato."

Gray giggled at the alien's robotic speech pattern while Noah and White stared with their jaws on the ground. All of the Pokemon, excluding Ferus, were in utter shock and showed it, thought the fire hound didn't, as he mirrored Gray's demeanor.

"Wait, you said he wore all red?" Bellator asked abruptly, drawing a nod from Elgyem, which made the Dewott rub his chin as he walked over to the foot of the bed, hopped up, and sat down on it, drawing the attention of everyone. "That sounds exactly like Team Flare's uniforms, if you ask me. Say, was he wearing goggles of sorts? Did you get a chance to see?"

Elgyem nodded, and a sudden pressure funneled into the room and planted itself on top of everyone in it. Bellator scowled at the thought of Flare, and as he was about to speak, he was cut off by Hugh, Bianca, and Cheren entering the room while Alain and Charizard trailed behind, clearly uncomfortable with the amount of people in the room.

What caught their gaze was Elgyem floating around Gray, who was laughing, and they narrowed their eyes. What neither of the two realized was Bellator camped out in the corner watching them intently, analyzing their posture and fierce stares.

 _"Those two,"_ Bellator thought to himself, remaining as still as a statue in order to evade receiving any attention. _"There's something off about them."_

However, much to his frustration, Bellator was unable to get a read on where Alain and Charizard stood in his mind.

A war was coming, and though no one knew it, Bellator and Charizard were on opposing sides. It was only a matter of time before they dueled, and Caitlin's prediction was going to come true.

 _"...you and Bellator are destined to achieve power the world has never seen before..."_

* * *

 **Nimbasa City just can't catch a break. First, Plasma comes and blows up a couple of buildings, and then Flare stops by the next day and they're going to try and overwhelm Gray in hopes of capturing Elgyem. And it turns out Alain's a rat. Also, I know Elgyem wasn't nicknamed this chapter, but it'll happen in the following update. Anyways, next chapter will be the clash between the group and Team Flare, and that's going to be intense as hell. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) I don't know how to phrase this, but here goes; What match-ups would you like to see next chapter? (Ex: White vs Bryony, or White vs Mable)  
2) Are Alain and Charizard enemies of Bellator (and the group, for that matter)?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Cosmic Power Activated!"**_

 ** _Facing another clash with Team Flare, Gray, White, Noah, and Gray's rivals must protect Elgyem at all costs! However, the group is overwhelmed by the power of the five Flare admins! When the group finds the battle in Team Flare's favor, the emergence of an unexpected ally evens the playing-field! Will Gray and the others protect Elgyem?_**

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 42:** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!  
** **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!** **  
**


	41. Cosmic Power Activated!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Bellator uses Synchro Evolution and collides with Mega Charizard X while everyone else watches)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(Elgyem** **teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Back to back cliffhangers, my bad. Well, this chapter will, sadly, have another one (I really need to stop with those), but it's going to be a badass one. Anyways, last chapter featured Gray and Noah meeting Elgyem (soon to be named Advena), and when Alain found out about it, he told Lysandre and the Flare admins, who were sent to Nimbasa to retrieve Advena. This chapter will be five battles, hence why it took me so long to post, so hopefully it's worth the wait. Now let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Pun game too strong. Must... laugh XD Alain is a sneaky snake, if you ask me, and he's going to be stirring up some drama. And I really can't wait for you to see how these battles unfold! White's efforts will continue, too XD_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _That she is, haha. And it's great to know that people are comfortable enough to put their ideas in reviews. It makes writing a lot more fun, especially when I really like the ideas! The matchups got cut off, but with the ones I saw, those looked really hype! And I'm probably going to explode with updates when Winter Break starts up for me, so get pumped_

 **Defender31415:** _Oh yeah it does :D Alain is a little weasel, and he's going to be a worthy adversary, to say the least. The unexpected ally shall make quite the hype entrance too_

 **dragonplayer18:** _I don't know who you're referring to with the double battle, and I agree that Ghetsis vs Lysandre would be awesome, but it won't be happening because a common enemy is going to unite them. And I think Xerosic made you push the button, but I don't remember XD Potens won't stand up to Furcifer or Unicus, but there will be something that causes them to unite. Thanks!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Gray vs Bryony will happen eventually, and I really want it this chapter, but I think you'll be satisfied with who gets to battle her. Alain and Charizard being the neutral third party that kicks everyone's asses would be hilarious, and I'm strongly considering that now XD Hype flows through the veins, not blood, btw :P And hopefully Bellator can hang with Charizard, otherwise Gray's screwed (and Advena, too)_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Thanks! That will be the new "evolution" for Bellator, and it'll be on par with Mega Evolution. Alain and the dark side seems like such a natural fit for me, and he's the perfect counter to Gray, in my opinion. Those matchups would be awesome, by the way!_

 **FinLay Real:** _I have too, ever since I watched Naruto. There are going to be at least six battles, with one or two being held off for next chapter, but I'm hoping they're all really good!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Roaming about aimlessly, White turned to Snivy and smiled. Gray and Noah had opted to not go outside with her, as they were keeping an eye Elgyem along with their Pokemon. White, Hugh, Bianca, and Cheren, however, had decided they didn't want to be there and instead chose to enjoy their day.

"Does anyone think Gray's going to catch Elgyem? I've got a feeling she will," White questioned, looking around at her friends with a smirk.

Each of them looked up to the sky inquisitively, pondering their answers before coming to a unanimous decision.

"Definitely," each of Gray's rivals replied with nods.

"There's no way she would just send that thing back out into the wild if it got hurt as badly as she thinks it did. Plus, if it's as strong as she and Noah were saying, it could turn into her strongest Pokemon," Cheren opined with the utmost confidence in his answer.

"That's saying something, considering she has Bellator, too," Hugh told Cheren, drawing a nod from the teen in skinny jeans. "Speaking of Bellator, we need to have a rematch with Gray sometime soon, Frogadier," the blue haired trainer continued.

Frogadier grunted in response as he flicked his translator off, hating the device that turned his speech into English.

Snivy laughed at the water starter's mute-like tendencies and remembered how powerful Frogadier was, silencing her laughter almost immediately as pictures of Bellator being clobbered flashed in her mind.

"White, you're phone's ringing," Bianca informed her friend, prompting White to take the device out of her pant pocket and answer.

"Gray? What's up?" the brunette asked. "Why can't you pack my bags? No! It's not gross!"

Hugh, Bianca, and Cheren laugh at White as she complained like a child, stomping on the ground repeatedly until finally admitting defeat. Once she closed her phone, the rookie trainer sighed and turned to her friends with an annoyed look on her face.

"I have to head back to pack up for the trip to Hoenn."

"We'll come with you," Cheren answered immediately, drawing suspicious looks from Bianca, Hugh, Frogadier, and Snivy. "I mean, we should probably check on Elgyem, right?"

The suspicious four shook their heads and chuckled at Cheren's poor excuse, though they did follow him and White back to the Pokemon Center. Upon entering the building, the four trainers saw Unicus and Furcifer talking with Elgyem while Gray, Noah, Ferus, and Arcanine were over by the windows, sitting and talking.

"Gray, how's Elgyem? It looks like it's doing a lot better," Bianca questioned as she glanced at the psychic type, who was conversing with both Unicus and Furcifer.

"She's great, thanks. Nurse Joy said she'll need a few days of rest before she can do anything related to battling or going back home, so it looks like we'll be here in Nimbasa for a little while longer," the eighteen year old replied before taking a sip of coffee.

Bianca nodded and sat down at the table along with Cheren, Hugh, and their starters while White went off to her room in order to pack for the trip to Hoenn.

"When do you guys think you're heading out?" Noah quizzed, looking at his friend's rivals.

Cheren and Bianca shrugged, but Hugh and Frogadier looked at one another before nodding, confusing Noah slightly.

"Well, we planned on leaving today, but I'd really like to have a battle, if you don't mind, Gray," Hugh stated.

The aforementioned trainer immediately cracked a smile and put her coffee on the table, a tell Ferus recognized all too well. With that, he rose to his feet and made his way over to Unicus, Furcifer, and Elgyem in order to inform them of the news.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Let's do it. I've been itching for a rematch ever these past two months."

Hugh smirked and nodded, and the group walked to the back of the Pokemon Center while Ferus and the three females followed several dozen feet behind.

"What is the reason for such a large crowd assembling?" Elgyem inquired robotically, not understanding what was about to happen.

"Gray and Hugh are going to have a battle, so we're all going to go outside and watch it," Unicus explained with a smile, though that didn't help clear Elgyem's confusion.

"I do not comprehend why humans enjoy fighting each other. Do you?"

Unicus and Furcifer glanced at one another and sweat dropped, unable to respond to the deep, yet simple question. Ferus, meanwhile, laughed to himself as he watched the reaction of the younger Pokemon before stepping in to help them.

"Pokemon battles between trainers like Gray and Hugh aren't about the typical 'fight for respect' stigma that wild Pokemon like to give it. Whenever they battle, all of the Pokemon on both sides feel like they're strengthening their relationships with their trainer."

Elgyem nodded and attempted to speak, but she stopped when Ferus continued after taking a breath.

"Of course, there are trainers out there that battle for the sake of obtaining power. There are always going to be people like that, and, sadly, there's nothing that can be done to prevent it."

With each word being spoken, Elgyem immediately thought of Xerosic and Malamar when they had attacked her in the desert. Why? She didn't know, but the scenes played in her head over and over again, until she saw a flash of light deep within her mind.

"Elgyem? Are you okay?" Furcifer asked as the alien suddenly sat down and remained as still as a statue.

The psychic type didn't answer and continued sitting just two feet away from the perimeter of the battlefield, grabbing the attention of all the other Pokemon, who stared at Elgyem as if she had four heads.

Deep within Elgyem's mind, a strange series of events were playing. The odd thing was, they hadn't happened, nor did she understand why they were.

The same man that had attacked her in the desert was battling Gray and Ferus, the latter of whom was in some different form. Then, a green haired woman and her Pokemon were snickering at White, who was on the ground in tears. Similar scenes appeared with each of the trainers present battling people dressed in red suits, but there was one thing that stood out to Elgyem.

While she saw nothing but darkness, a strange, ghostly figure appeared in the distance. Unable to see what it was, Elgyem was caught by surprise when it was engulfed in a geyser of water that shot straight into the air.

"Hey," Bellator said, snapping Elgyem out of her trance, "you okay?"

The psychic type nodded and stood up, turning to float away. She stopped, however, when Potens landed right in front of her and pointed towards Gray, who was standing in her trainer box, motioning for Elgyem to join her.

"Come on. Until you leave, if you even do, we're teammates, and teammates watch each other battle."

Elgyem looked around to see Unicus, Celsus, and Bellator nodding while Furcifer scraped her claws along the ground as she stood in front of Gray. Slowly, the alien nodded and followed her teammates over to the side of the battlefield nearest Gray, and the brunette smiled at her Pokemon before turning back to Furcifer, who she gave a thumbs up. The ice type smiled at her trainer's confidence and turned back to Hugh.

"So you're going with your Sneasel, huh? Well, I guess I'll go with a Pokemon you haven't battled, either! Drilbur, let's go!" Hugh shouted, tossing a Pokeball forwards.

Hopping out of the device was a strange mole, which had enormous white claws, ones much larger than Furcifer's. However, the ground type looked to be lacking speed, given its hefty gut.

To the right of Gray's Pokemon were Noah, Arcanine, White and her Pokemon, Bianca, and Cheren, all of whom were watching with intrigue.

"Same rules as last time?" Hugh inquired, drawing a nod from his rival. "Okay. You can have the first move!"

Gray nodded and threw her hand forwards while Elgyem stared intently.

Gray was the hero she sensed.

000

Meanwhile, by the outskirts of Nimbasa City were the five Flare admins. For whatever reason, they were arguing about something while trying to fit into the view of the video chat, enraging Lysandre, who snapped.

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

The five adults immediately quieted down and their boss took a deep breath before speaking once again.

"I'm going to go over the plan one more time so you idiots won't forget," the wealthy man announced, making his five admins sweat drop. "Your target is the Elgyem Xerosic couldn't capture. Alain will be helping you, but do _not_ say anything about him siding with us. He told me he has the trust of the trainers Elgyem is with, so all you have to do is beat one or two of them, and you can be on your way. Now get to it!"

With that, Lysandre ended the call, and Bryony looked around at the others before clearing her throat to speak up.

"We all know how crucial this is to the plans, so here's how we're going to to do this, assuming we do have to battle that Gray girl again. Mable and Celosia, you two are going to stick together and deal with her friends. Aliana, you'll either be back-up for Xerosic, or those two. Xerosic, you'll distract them until Bisharp and I can finish things off. Then, we'll take the Elgyem and be on our way. Now let's go!"

000

"Hang tough, Furcifer!" Gray shouted to her Sneasel as she and Hugh's Drilbur traded blows with their claws in the middle of the battlefield. "Slow him down with Icy Wind!"

"Get away from it by using Dig!" Hugh countered right away.

As soon as Furcifer released a freezing blast of wind from her mouth, Drilbur burrowed a hole in the ground and dodged the powerful attack. Then, he resurfaced right beneath Furcifer and delivered a wicked uppercut, launching her into the air. Somehow, Furcifer landed on her feet and stumbled a few feet backwards before regaining her balance and glaring at Drilbur.

"You can do this, Furcifer!" Unicus cheered wildly, jumping up and down while rooting for her friend. "Show 'em who's boss!"

"Yeah! Keep it going!" Celsus shouted as he stomped repeatedly.

Potens and Bellator remained silent, though for completely different reasons. The former couldn't stand Furcifer, ever since she heard what the ice type and Unicus had said about her back in Castelia City. Bellator, meanwhile, just didn't like getting caught up in such a wave of emotions.

Elgyem turned to them and laughed at the polar opposite reactions between Gray's four spectating Pokemon, but stopped when Furcifer suddenly collapsed.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Ferus, who was acting as the referee in place of Noah, ordered while looking at his trainer.

The Kantonian ran over to her Pokemon's side and smiled as she helped Furcifer off the ground, surprising Elgyem.

"That was a great effort, Furcifer. If I did as good a job as you, there's no way we would've lost. Sorry," Gray said, spraying the trickster with a Full Restore.

"Don't blame yourself," the dark type replied. "It's my fault. You made the right moves, and I didn't execute."

Elgyem continued to stare in disbelief as Gray walked back into her trainer box, smiling the entire time, and she motioned for Celsus to battle. The response was an emphatic one, as the quadruped leaned back and stood on his hind legs, whinnying like a horse. Then, he galloped onto the battlefield and squared off with Drilbur while Hugh grinned and narrowed his eyes, examining the unfamiliar Pokemon closely.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Drilbur! Be-"

"Pin Missile!"

Everyone gasped in shock as what appeared to be a dozen white arrows crashed into the ground and exploded, creating a cloud of smoke, blinding the group.

"Potens, clear it with Gust!" Gray ordered with her hand over her mouth.

After screeching at the top of her lungs, Potens whipped her glowing white wings as quickly as she could, creating a gale force burst of wind that immediately cleared the smoke and allowed everyone to see once again. Gray, White, and Noah were met with shock, however, when they saw a pair of familiar women.

The on the left, who was standing behind a Drapion, had purple hair and psychotically licked her lips while the woman to her right had blue hair and was adjusting her goggles.

"Fancy seeing you here, isn't it?" Celosia joked while looking at Gray as the others ran to her side and lined up so that they could battle the Flare admin. "I see you've been training your Pokemon a little bit, what, with your Sandshrew evolving. I expected more, though."

Gray glared at Celosia and subtly motioned for Ferus to attack, which he picked up on. Then, the fire type crept forwards while being hidden by the wall of trainers, and he sprung forwards.

"Flamethrower!"

"Cross Poison!"

As Ferus unleashed a wave of fire from his mouth, Drapion threw his arms forwards and over each other so that a purple 'X' cut through the air. It crashed into Ferus' Flamethrower attack and an explosion occurred, making Celosia and Mable smirk while the group of teenagers remained angry.

"Who are you people, and what do you want?" Hugh interrogated, stepping forwards with Frogadier right by his side.

Both Flare admins looked at each other and they cackled, making Hugh uneasy until they finally stopped and decided to answer.

"That Elgyem is our property, and we want it back," Mable announced, pointing at Elgyem, who quickly hid behind Bellator and trembled, making the water type narrow his eyes and reach for one of his scalchops.

He stopped, however, when Cheren scoffed at the remark, catching both Mable and Celosia by surprise.

"Do you two really think you can come here and demand that we _six_ hand over a Pokemon that doesn't even belong to you? I don't think I've ever heard something so dumb in my life," he taunted.

Despite the numbers not being in their favor, the women shook their heads at Cheren, rattling his confidence as they both grabbed a Pokeball from their belts.

"Drapion, come back. Manectric, go!"

"Houndoom, you too!"

In two flashes of light, the familiar duo of Mable's Houndoom and Celosia's Manectric appeared. Ferus, Potens, and Bellator looked ready to attack them, recalling their confrontation in Pinwheel Forest that ended in the Flare admins fleeing.

"Now give us the Elgyem, or else."

Gray slowly withdrew all of her Pokemon except for Unicus and Ferus, the latter of whom looked ready to engage in combat. Despite his desire to attack, he was stopped when Arcanine and Noah opposed Manectric. Bianca then stepped forwards, released Servine from his Pokeball, and they faced off with Mable and her Houndoom.

"You guys go get Caitlin. We'll take care of these two," Noah ordered, drawing reluctant nods from Hugh and Gray while Cheren and White took off as fast as they could. The first pair then attempted to run, but Celosia was intent on stopping them, as Elgyem was sticking close by their sides.

"Manectric, use Thunderbolt!"

"Arcanine, block it with Flamethrower!" Noah screamed.

The two Pokemon unleashed their attacks and they collided before canceling each other out, allowing Gray and Hugh to escape with Frogadier, Ferus, Unicus, and Elgyem. As they disappeared to the vacant streets of Nimbasa - which had been cleared due to the damage Team Plasma had done - Gray turned back and nodded at Noah, who returned the gesture with a confident grin.

"You're going to regret staying here! Houndoom, use Dark Pulse on Servine!"

"Not a chance! You'll be the ones with regret!" Bianca retorted. "Servine, use Leaf Storm!"

Houndoom bounded across the battlefield and jumped into the air right above Servine, catching the grass snake off guard. Then, the dog opened his mouth and fired a spiraling beam of black and purple energy. Servine, however, countered by throwing his stubby hands forwards and sending a massive wave of leaves at the powerful dark type attack. Much to his and Bianca's dismay, the dark type attack shredded the leaves and exploded on contact with Servine.

"Arcanine, help them out by hitting Houndoom with Extreme Speed!"

Doing just as he was told, Arcanine shot into the air like a rocket and, while shrouded in white light, slammed into Houndoom before crashing into the ground and using his enemy as a cushion. Due to the force of impact, Houndoom let out a loud cry and rolled onto his side, writhing in pain until Mable's voice forced him back onto his feet.

"Manectric, don't hold anything back! Use Thunder Fang on Arcanine!"

The neon blue dog type charged at his target while his mouth was engulfed with electricity. Lunging at Arcanine as he returned to Noah's side, Manectric chomped down on the fire type's neck, making him howl in pain and thrash wildly. By moving so violently, Arcanine was able to hurl Manectric across the battlefield, but he couldn't capitalize on the opportunity because of how much pain he was in.

"Now use Foul Play on Arcanine!"

Houndoom bolted across the battlefield and was engulfed in black energy. Letting out a ferocious roar, the fire type lunged at Arcanine and snickered as he was about to clobber the larger dog, but he was silenced when Bianca spoke up.

"Keep Houndoom away from Arcanine with Vine Whip!"

Two green vines shot out of Servine's neck and he wrapped them around Houndoom's hind legs, causing the fire type to smack against the ground face first. Then, Servine lifted him into the air before slamming him against the ground, irritating Mable and Celosia, who tried thinking of a way to stop Bianca.

"Now use Flamethrower on their half of the battlefield, Arcanine!"

Arcanine reared his head back and shot a blast of fire. The flames spread across the battlefield immediately and prevented Manectric from helping his teammate, stumping the Flare admins while Servine continued smashing Houndoom against the ground as if he were a toy. Suddenly, Celosia snapped her fingers and knew just what to do, grabbing Mable's attention.

"Manectric, jump and use Flamethrower on Servine!"

Without hesitation, Manectric obeyed his command and unleashed a wicked wave of fire that scorched Servine, and the grass snake let out a loud shriek in pain, making Bianca flinch while Noah and Arcanine cursed under their breath. The two then watched as Servine lost his grip on Houndoom, and the fire type fell right towards the grass starter.

"Crush that snake with Flame Charge!"

Houndoom let out a bloodthirsty howl and covered himself in flames before slamming into Servine so harshly a burst of flames shot into the air for a second or two. After getting on his feet, Houndoom sprinted back to Mable's side and nodded at Manectric thankfully before he and his teammate focused on Arcanine.

"Servine!" Bianca screamed as she ran over to her Pokemon's side, tears running down her eyes as the grass snake looked to be on the verge of death.

Noah and Arcanine stared for a few seconds before realizing they were still battling, so they forced their emotions into the back of their minds.

"Hit Houndoom with Extreme Speed again!" the eighteen year old commanded.

Arcanine used his incredible speed to his advantage and sprinted across the battlefield while he was cloaked in white light. Despite closing in on his opponents in the blink of an eye, Arcanine was shocked when Celosia countered almost immediately.

"Heh, pathetic. Zap Cannon!"

Manectric hopped to his left so that he was in front of Houndoom, and he shot a ball of lightning at Arcanine. The fire type was unable to dodge because of how quickly he was moving, resulting in him being struck by the devastating move, which exploded and hurled him back to Noah. Both Celosia and Mable shook their heads at the condition both of their opponents were in, and they sighed.

"You're right about that, Celosia," Mable said loudly, taunting both Noah and Bianca. "The fact that you two are allowed to be trainers is nothing short of disgusting. I'd love to kill you both right here, but we have more important business to attend to. Let's go."

"No way," Noah shot back, stopping both women in their tracks. "Neither of us are giving up! Right, Bianca?"

The blonde, though sniffling, rose to her feet and nodded after giving Servine a Max Revive.

"If that's how you want to be, I guess I won't mind crushing you under my boot. Manectric, finish them!"

000

As they continued running, hoping to find Caitlin's house, Gray looked around wildly. She didn't want to spot Mable or Celosia for several reasons, the main one being that meant both Noah and Bianca, best case scenario, were defeated. Of course, that was the least likely outcome of them losing. The most likely? Death.

The brunette shuddered at the thought and nearly turned around to help Noah, but she didn't after seeing the panicked state Elgyem was in. Hugh, Cheren, and White were way ahead of Gray, but Ferus and Unicus kept stride with their trainer to assure she was safe.

"Don't you guys think we should go back to check on Bianca and Noah? What if they lost?" Gray asked aloud, cursing at herself after realizing she hadn't kept the thought to herself.

Cheren, Hugh, and White stopped immediately and turned to stare at Gray, who stopped once she caught up to them, panting wildly. Each of the teens had an expression that terrified Gray, one that gave off the impression that they hadn't taken that idea into account.

"I mean, one of us could, but the rest need to keep going," White opined.

"But if they could beat Noah and Arcanine, then sending only one of us would almost be volunteering to lose. It just doesn't make sense," Cheren announced, shaking his head.

Gray bit her lip and turned back around again in the direction of the Pokemon Center and stared until she felt a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to spin and face Hugh, who had a solemn expression on his face.

"I get that you're worried, we all do, but the smartest thing to do is keep going. Noah and Bianca would do the same if the roles were reversed, because that would be the best chance at saving us, or, in this case, us saving them."

Gray reluctantly nodded and she, along with the others, attempted to run. Suddenly, a bipedal, assassin-like creature landed in front of them all, causing Ferus to jump in front of the group and snarl wickedly. Then, a green haired woman emerged from the corner up ahead, and she laughed to herself while waltzing towards her Bisharp, which continued glaring at the group.

"Did you really think you could get away from us?" Bryony taunted, wagging her finger at Gray and Elgyem, in particular. "Not a chance. And Bisharp and I aren't going to let you escape death again, Gray," the Flare admin proclaimed, sending chills down Gray's spine.

Glancing at her rivals, Gray noticed Hugh didn't seem fazed by the threat, though Cheren clearly was. Surprisingly, White stepped forwards and Snivy hopped off her shoulder. Hugh, Cheren, Gray, and even Bryony didn't expect the brunette to do what she had done, which made White grin.

"You're not going to do anything until you can get past me," the rookie announced, pointing at Bryony and her Bisharp. "Gray, Hugh, Cheren, keep going. I can do this."

"No way, White," Hugh interjected. "Let me or Cheren get this. These guys are way too strong, even for us, but-"

"Then it doesn't matter if I battle, right?" the sixteen year old fired back, silencing Hugh, who reluctantly nodded and ran away with Cheren and Elgyem while Gray, . "Snivy, now's our time to shine. We're not going to keep sitting back and letting everyone protect us. No, we're going to be the ones protecting them!"

"I'm right with you!" Snivy shouted excitedly, making White nod.

"White," Gray started, making the younger girl turn. "Be careful."

Slowly, White lifted her right arm and eventually gave Gray a thumbs up while smiling, easing the older girl's nerves.

"Don't worry about us. We can take it from here!"

With that, Gray and her two Pokemon bolted after her rivals and Elgyem while White slowly squared her shoulder so that she was facing Bryony and Bisharp, her confidence refusing to wane.

"Being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be, little girl. Sometimes, it's a death sentence," Bryony stated in an attempt to intimidate White. The sixteen year old refused to back down, causing a maniacal grin to stretch across the green haired woman's face. "This is gonna be fun. Bisharp, X-Scissor!"

"Snivy, charge right at Bisharp and counter with Leaf Blade!" White shouted, punching her right fist straight forwards, mimicking Gray's motions when she battled.

Both Bisharp and Snivy charged at one another and charged their attacks. While Bisharp's arms were glowing light blue, Snivy's tail was glowing bright green, and she jumped into the air as Bisharp crossed his arms over each other. Springing after her, the steel type prepared to crush his tiny opponent, but Snivy spun like a wheel and smashed her tail against Bisharp's arms, blocking his attack.

"Grab her tail and use Guillotine!"

Bisharp quickly grabbed a hold of Snivy's tail with his right hand and then he loaded his left arm back. His left hand began to glow crimson and the energy surrounding it took the shape of blades, which he attempted to snap on Snivy's neck while they fell to the ground.

"Snivy, keep his hand from closing with Vine Whip!"

With her two green vines shooting out of her neck, Snivy attempted to prevent Bisharp from using his guaranteed knockout move. Wrapping them both around the upper and lower blades of crimson energy, Snivy fought her hardest but was overpowered. Bisharp landed the devastating attack as soon as he and Snivy smashed into the ground, and White gasped in horror as her starter was sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

"Return, Snivy!" the rookie called, zapping her fainted Pokemon back inside its Pokeball while Bryony cackled psychotically. "Don't think this is over; I'm just getting started!" White shouted, silencing the older woman. "Boldore, Palpitoad, I choose you!"

000

"How do we get to Caitlin's house from here, Gray?" Hugh quizzed as he, Cheren, and Gray stopped and looked around to determine where in Nimbasa City they were.

The brunette panted in an attempt to regain her breath, and when she was finally able to talk, she stood up straight and looked Hugh in the eyes.

"I don't know. I've never been over here before," she muttered as her face twisted. "I... I let White battle by herself," she continued on the verge of tears.

Neither of her rivals understood the severity of their decision, and they continued looking at Gray, waiting for to elaborate on why she was so distraught. Ferus and Unicus recognized Gray wasn't going to talk, so the former began speaking while Unicus walked away with Gray and talked to her, leaving Elgyem dumbfounded. Since when did Pokemon care about their trainer?

"When we were in Castelia City, Gray battled that same woman and barely held her off with Bellator," Ferus announced, making both Cheren and Hugh's jaws drop.

"What!?" the latter screamed. "Why the hell did we let her do that!?" Hugh continued screaming, only to be silenced by Frogadier slapping him across the face.

Ferus shook his head and stared at the ground for a second before taking a deep breath.

"One of us has to go back there and-"

Before Ferus could finish speaking, Hugh and Frogadier bolted down the road at the speed of light, catching Gray by surprise. Even as Hugh and Frogadier topped twenty miles and hour, they were nearly struck by an attack which came from nowhere. Instead of turning around to see what was happening, the two continued sprinting.

Gray and Cheren were both frightened when a massive figure fell from the sky and slammed against the ground with the same force of a building. The creature then let out a terrifying roar and a red haired woman hopped off its back, looking at both of the teens in front of her.

"Aliana," Gray growled while Ferus snarled at her new Pokemon.

"Gray," the Flare admin responded, glaring right back at her enemy. "Hand over the Elgyem, or else I'll kill you."

Before Gray could even open her mouth to retort, Cheren hurled a Pokeball forwards and released his Pignite, which released embers from its nostrils.

"We don't have time to play around, Gray. I'm going to stall her so you can find Caitlin. Pignite and I can give you five minutes, so make the most of it," Cheren announced, leaving Gray speechless. "Pignite, use Arm Thrust!"

"Druddigon, counter with Dragon Claw!"

As soon as the two Pokemon swung at each other, Gray took off with Ferus, Unicus, and Elgyem, making Aliana curse wildly as Druddigon easily overpowered Pignite and slashed the bulky fire type across the chest, sending him rolling into Cheren. Despite the pain surging through his body, Pignite hopped back onto his feet, knowing he had to stall Druddigon as long as he possibly could.

"Keep a distance, Pignite. Use Flamethrower!" Cheren barked.

Pignite held nothing back and unleashed the most powerful Flamethrower attack he could. As the flames closed in on his dragon type opponent, Aliana shook her head and smirked, causing Cheren to become nervous.

"That won't do anything for you! Druddigon, use Focus Blast!"

Druddigon wasted no time in hurling an enormous ball of yellow light with his right hand. Despite Pignite using all of his strength, and Druddigon not, the Focus Blast attack prevailed due to the discrepancy in levels between the two combatants. After it blew through Flamethrower, Focus Blast exploded on contact with Pignite and launched him twenty feet behind Cheren, who sprinted over to his starter's side and helped him back up, albeit reluctantly after seeing the condition he was in.

"Please keep giving this your all, Pignite. Flame Charge!"

Pignite obeyed and started to stomp on the ground, causing a coat of fire to appear around his body. Then, he took off at a slightly faster speed than usual and slammed into Druddigon, knocking the dragon back a few feet. Cheren pumped his fist in the air victoriously after Pignite returned to his side, and his starter looked just as excited until they both saw the enraged look in the dragon's eyes.

"We're done playing around. Druddigon, Earthquake!"

Druddigon slammed both of his hands against the ground as hard as he could, causing Pignite and Cheren to lose their balance. Because of that, Pignite was unable to evade a column of dirt that shot out of the ground and struck him in the chin. The force of the attack launched Pignite into the air, but Cheren smirked and stomped excitedly.

"Use gravity to your advantage! Heat Crash!"

"Don't hold anything back! Dragon Claw!"

While Pignite was engulfed in white fire, he cannonballed and let out a determined roar while Druddigon shot into the air with both of his claws glowing light green. Then, swinging them, Druddigon stopped Pignite dead in his tracks, and the two battled back and forth until the fire pig and gravity prevailed. Both Pokemon crashed into the ground and an enormous explosion ensued, hurling Pignite towards Cheren, who looked down at his starter worriedly, realizing he had no energy left.

"Pignite, are you okay?" Cheren asked, genuinely concerned.

Nodding in response, Pignite eased Cheren's nerves, but not for long, as Aliana and Druddigon emerged from the smoke and walked towards them.

"Play time's over, kid. Druddigon, finish him!" the Flare admin shrieked.

Druddigon nodded and lunged at Cheren, who closed his eyes and waited for the attack to strike.

"Block it!" an unfamiliar voice commanded, making Cheren open his eyes.

When he did, the teen was shocked to see a trainer and his Pokemon standing before him and Pignite, and the Pokemon had grabbed a hold of Druddigon. Then, it effortlessly hurled the dragon against the ground, leaving Aliana speechless. The red haired woman stared at her new challenger, not knowing what to say, which allowed the trainer to speak.

"Now now, I don't think that's fair. Attacking your opponent while they're down is cheap, wouldn't you agree?" the trainer inquired sarcastically with a smile, angering the woman he was looking at.

"Who're you?" Aliana interrogated, wanting to know the name of her new challenger.

Cheren watched in awe as he too wanted to know the identity of the trainer that had just saved his life.

The unnamed trainer looked down at the ground and laughed a bit while his Pokemon, who looked vaguely similar to him, snarled at Aliana, intimidating the woman. Then, the trainer lifted his head and put his hands in his pockets.

"My name is N."

000

"Finish them both with Iron Head, Bisharp!"

"Palpitoad, use Muddy Water to stop him! Follow that up with Rock Smash, Boldore!" White shouted hurriedly.

Bisharp took off without hesitation and was enveloped in a thick coat of silver energy, but Palpitoad and Boldore were quick to counter, despite the various cuts and bruises covering their bodies. The water type stomped on the ground, causing a tidal wave of brown water to crash along the road, stopping Bisharp dead in his tracks. Boldore then charged while his front right leg was glowing orange, and he swung at Bisharp.

"Perfect! Duck and use Shadow Claw!"

As Boldore swung at Bisharp, the steel type ducked and evaded the super effective attack, making White gasp in shock. Then, with two pairs of black arms glowing around his arms, Bisharp slashed Boldore across the face with his right, and then charged at Palpitoad. Springing into the air while extending both of his arms out to his sides, Bisharp then descended and prepared to deliver one final blow to his last opponent.

"Block it with Cut!" a familiar voice shouted, making White turn around.

As she did, she watched Frogadier appear right in front of Palpitoad while his arms turned into blades, and he swung at Bisharp. The two Pokemon battled back and forth for a few seconds before Frogadier used his left arm to slash Bisharp across the face.

After the dark type skidded back to Bryony's side, White quickly withdrew Boldore, who had fainted, and Palpitoad, who was nearly unconscious. She then smiled and turned as Hugh placed his hand on her shoulder, and Bryony looked at Frogadier in shock. Only one other Pokemon had been able to match Bisharp's strength, and that was Bellator.

"Leave this to us," Hugh stated, stepping in front of the brunette protectively while Frogadier took a ninja pose. "We're going to end this right here," he vowed, making White's eyes turn into hearts.

"Bold words for a rookie," Bryony shot back, only to realize her words didn't provoke Hugh or Frogadier, their facial expressions remaining stone cold. "Bisharp, strike with X-Scissor!"

Bisharp obeyed his command and sprinted towards Frogadier after crossing his arms over each other while they were glowing light blue. As Bisharp closed in on his target, he noticed both Hugh and Frogadier nodding at each other, confusing the steel type.

"Not on our watch! Frogadier, use Double Team!" Hugh countered.

Frogadier nodded and created several clones of himself just as Bisharp prepared to lunge. The powerful dark type stopped dead in his tracks and looked around, finding himself circled by ten Frogadier. Even though her Pokemon was overwhelmed, Bryony wasn't and stomped on the ground in frustration.

"Stop being an idiot, Bisharp! Metal Sound!"

"That's not going to happen! Hit Bisharp with Water Pulse!"

Bisharp snapped out of his overwhelmed state and attempted to let out a deafening scream, but all of the Frogadier hurled enormous spheres of water at him, all of which struck their target. Bisharp grunted in pain and dropped to one knee, but shot up when he saw Frogadier and Hugh nod at each other, presenting him the perfect opening to strike.

"Finish the kid with Guillotine!" Bryony demanded.

Bisharp loaded his left arm back and his hand was coated in crimson energy, which took the shape of two blades. He then jumped and dove towards Hugh, which White noticed while her crush didn't.

"Hugh, look out!" the brunette screamed at the top of her lungs as she pointed at Bisharp, making Hugh and Frogadier turn their attention to the steel type.

Frogadier sprinted back to his trainer in hopes of protecting him from the fatal attack, but he watched Bisharp land right in front of Hugh and turn to throw his arm forwards. Frogadier closed his eyes and let out a scream of desperation before taking off at mach speed. When the water starter intercepted the attack, Hugh, White, Bisharp, and Bryony gasped in shock.

While Frogadier held Bisharp's claws apart, he was engulfed in a blinding light and let out an enraged cry. A blast of water sent Bisharp flying back to Bryony's side, and he landed on his feet with his eyes wide open. Everyone stared as Frogadier began to transform into a completely different Pokemon, and when the light faded, White took out her Pokedex and scanned the newly evolved creature.

"Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon, and the evolved form of Frogadier. It appears and vanishes with a ninja's grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water. New move learned: Water Shuriken."

"Greninja," Hugh muttered to himself, prompting the aforementioned Pokemon to turn and nod at his trainer. Hugh chuckled to himself as he hung his head, and Greninja continued staring until Hugh looked up and extended his fist. "Let's win this thing!"

Nodding, Greninja bumped Hugh's fist and turned around, locking his eyes onto Bisharp.

"Charge!"

Bolting towards his target, Greninja narrowed his eyes and sprung into the air, mimicking Bisharp's movements from earlier in the battle, which Bryony noticed. The woman then smirked and countered confidently, not knowing Hugh and Greninja wanted her to do just that.

"Bisharp, blast it with Dark Pulse!"

Bisharp fired a spiraling ray of black and purple energy from his mouth, but Hugh and Greninja smirked at the same time, rattling Bryony's nerves. All of a sudden, Hugh snapped his fingers and Greninja disappeared from sight. Bryony's jaw hit the ground and she watched as Greninja reappeared right in front of Bisharp, who had no chance of countering.

"Hold nothing back and use Acrobatics!"

Doing just as he was told, Greninja began punching Bisharp and then followed it up with a series of kicks. Unrelenting with his assault, Greninja unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks before ultimately finishing with a ferocious kick to the chin, sending Bisharp straight into the air. However, Bryony wasn't able to counter, as Hugh continued with another order.

"Now wrap it up with Water Shuriken!"

Greninja placed both of his hands within a few inches of each other by his right side, and he bent his knees. An enormous shuriken of water began spinning at the same speed as a propeller, and he hurled it at Bisharp, who was unable to dodge. As soon as the attack struck, Bisharp was knocked unconscious, and he fell to the ground limply, leaving Bryony speechless as she scanned Greninja with her glasses.

"Listen up, lady," Hugh ordered as he, Greninja, and White walked over to Bryony threateningly. "You're going to tell me who you work for, and what you plan on doing, or else Greninja's going to battle you. Got it?"

"That's not going to happen."

The trio looked around in confusion, not knowing where the voice had come from. No one was outside other than them and Bryony, but the voice didn't belong to any of them. When Hugh and White turned back around to face Bryony, they were shocked to see a larger, pale man in the same red suit as her standing thirty feet back with Bryony by his side. A large penguin was in front of them and it motioned for Greninja to charge, but he refused to.

"You see, boy, we're not ones to be trifled with, and I'll make sure you find it out firsthand."

000

Gray continued sprinting down an empty street, not knowing where to go, and she continually glanced at Elgyem, wanting to make sure the psychic type was with her. Ferus and Unicus did the same thing, and they also looked back to see if any of their friends would magically reappear. Every time they did, they were crushed to find out no one was coming.

"Gray, are you sure we're going the right way?" Unicus asked, making her trainer stop running.

Gray attempted to answer the question, but stopped when she became overwhelmed by the thought of failing everyone, making Unicus curse at herself while Ferus looked around for any enemies.

"If I can't find Caitlin, there's no telling what's going to happen to everyone," the brunette wailed, covering her face with her hands. "It's all my fault."

"Would you stop?" Ferus asked rhetorically, silencing his trainer. "I'm tired of this, Gray! This isn't you! You're not the kind of person that crumbles in the face of adversity! Get your ass in gear and let's find Caitlin!" Ferus bellowed, shooting a blast of fire into the air to emphasize his rage.

Everyone went silent until Elgyem spoke up.

"I side with Ferus. Get your gluteus maximus into a gear," the alien instructed, making Gray laugh.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate that," she said before resuming her trek down the street. Upon reaching the end, Gray and the three Pokemon attempted to turn to the left, but they were shocked when a speeding blur swooped down and nearly plowed into them.

"What the hell was that?" Unicus shouted in frustration while looking at Ferus and Gray, only to realize Elgyem was missing. "Hey, where's Elgyem?"

Gray nearly screamed when she realized the psychic type was gone, but she stopped when the speeding blur began flying away, holding Elgyem.

The girl immediately sprinted after it, and Ferus and Unicus followed without saying a word.

Sprinting all the way to the edge the city, Gray kept her eyes locked on the flying object and it descended, disappearing behind the trees. Gray didn't hesitate, and she sprinted through the thick brush, cutting up her body. After bowling through, she tripped and hit the ground, finding herself in an open field with trees around in the shape of a circle.

After getting close to the creature that had grabbed Elgyem, she stared in horror when a familiar person appeared from behind the winged beast.

"Alain? What're you doing with Elgyem?" Gray interrogated as Ferus stepped forwards and snarled, preparing to attack. Unicus mirrored the fire type's actions and showed her claws, though Charizard wasn't intimidated by either of them.

The nineteen year old didn't answer after being scared by Gray's voice suddenly appearing. Instead, he walked over to Elgyem and analyzed the creature before turning to Gray with a cold look in his eyes, which made her recoil. The silence was all she needed to hear.

"You're one of them?" she asked in disbelief.

Again, Alain answered by not answering.

"Just let me take the Elgyem and we won't have to fight. Please," Alain said to Gray, who glared daggers at him. "We don't want to do this, Gray. But in order to help further the research of Mega Evolution, we must."

"That's a load of shit, and you know it!" Gray shot back, stepping towards the powerful Mega Trainer. "Team Flare's trying to destroy the world! How are you that blind?"

"I'm not blind! You don't know anything about Team Flare!" Alain snapped. "You think that just because they want a Pokemon and battled you for it means they're evil, right?"

Gray shook her head, as did Ferus.

"Alain, Gray's right. Team Flare tried killing us more than once," Unicus stated, making the black haired trainer shake his head.

"Elgyem can't even Mega Evolve!" Ferus screamed in rage. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"No one knows what Pokemon can't Mega Evolve," Charizard interjected, glaring at Ferus as Elgyem struggled to escape his grasp. "For all we know, it could!"

Suddenly, Elgyem's eyes flashed blue and it teleported from Charizard's hand to Gray's side, where she trembled and hid from Alain and Charizard.

"I don't care what you say, Alain; we're not letting you take Elgyem!" Gray declared.

Silence fell over the area and Alain clenched both of his fists tightly before finally snapping.

"If you don't listen to reason, then you'll have to listen to force! Charizard, Flamethrower!" the Kalosian commanded, pointing at Gray, whose eyes went wide in shock.

Before the fire type attack could scorch her, Ferus stepped in front of Gray and took it head-on, howling in pain before Charizard punched him in the ribs as hard as he could. The dark type shrieked in pain as Charizard continued his assault, prompting Unicus to latch onto Charizard's back and stab him with her claws.

"Leave him alone!" she screamed at Charizard before being grabbed and hurled twenty feet past Gray.

Obeying Unicus' wishes, Charizard flew away from Ferus and landed by Alain.

Gray, meanwhile, grabbed a Pokeball from her belt and hurled it.

"Bellator, I choose you!" she screamed as the Dewott materialized and landed on the grass. He locked eyes with Charizard immediately, and the fire type recoiled, grabbing everyone's attention, though they didn't know why.

("Cavendish Music: Last Exit [New]" begins to play)

"I'm not going to hold anything back, Gray. You're trying to keep Team Flare from completing its goal, and I won't let you do that! Charizard, Flamethrower again!"

Charizard unleashed another wave of flames, but this time, instead of Ferus intercepting it, Bellator grabbed his scalchops and stepped in front of Gray.

The water starter managed to block the intense flames with the blades of his scalchops, protecting not only himself, but his trainer as well. Elgyem, who was about ten feet behind the duo, stared in shock as Bellator nonchalantly placed his weapons back on his thighs once Charizard's Flamethrower ceased.

"You don't want to do this," Bellator forewarned as he bent his knees and took a battling pose, causing Charizard to narrow his eyes uneasily.

"This is a battle you can't win. I guarantee it!" both Gray and Bellator shouted in unison as they punched their right fists straight forwards.

Suddenly, Charizard smirked and Alain shook his head, knowing the only outcome was a battle between himself and Gray. The brunette continued glaring at Alain as Ferus stumbled over to her side, prompting Gray to withdraw the injured Pokemon.

"No matter what it takes, we won't let you stop Flare's plans!" Charizard roared, drawing a nod from Alain.

"I never thought we'd be battling under these circumstances. Not in a million years," Gray announced, causing her opponent to recoil slightly and return the glare she had been giving him. "But if you're siding with them..." the girl paused and stared at the ground for a few seconds in silence, adding even more tension to the looming battle. "I guess that means we're enemies from here on out."

The words sliced through the air, and the wind began to howl as soon as Gray closed her mouth. The two trainers standing behind their Pokemon shifted their weight, and Gray immediately threw her hand forwards.

"Bellator, use Aqua Jet!"

* * *

 **So it's finally here: Bellator vs Charizard! "But wait, Torro, what about Hugh's and N's battles?" Relax, dear readers, they will be concluded next chapter, too. Yeah, that's right, three insane battles, which will be longer than the one's in this, is happening. Get ready for the hype train. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Who will be the winner of each battle?  
2) Are you hyped?  
3) How were the battles in this chapter? Would you like to see something like this happen again? If so, how many times?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "** **Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!** **"**_

 _ **Everything finally comes to a head, with Hugh battling Xerosic, N facing Aliana, and Gray dueling Alain! During the showdown with Alain, something happens to Bellator and Gray, unlocking an unseen power! What's happening with Bellator? Will he defeat Charizard? Will Hugh and N defeat their opponents?**_

* * *

 **Nimbasa City Arc**

 **Chapter 43: Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!**


	42. Mega Battle 5: The Bond Awakens!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Bellator uses Synchro Evolution and collides with Mega Charizard X while everyone else watches)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(Elgyem** **teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, readers? Last chapter was a bunch of battles between the group (plus Cheren, Bianca, and Hugh) and the Team Flare admins. Overall, the group did horribly, with Noah and Bianca losing to Celosia and Mable, Cheren losing to Aliana, and White losing to Bryony. Despite the overall result, things ended well for the group with Hugh's Frogadier evolving to defeat Bryony's Bisharp and N saving Cheren from Aliana. Lastly, Alain was revealed to be affiliated with Flare, and he's trying to take Elgyem! However, he and Charizard will have to go through Gray and Bellator. Now that everything's covered, let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Gracias. I used cheat codes XD And thanks a bunch! It was really tough trying to not go all over the place but still try to keep everyone from getting booted out of the picture (sorry, Noah and Bianca), but I'm glad you liked it! Elgyem will make a lot of weird comments like that in the future, assuming she isn't taken by Alain, too. Speaking of which, Bellator vs Charizard hype!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Hahaha, I'm glad you liked it. Medals aren't needed, just lots and lots of eye drops. Seven straight hours of writing is never a good idea XD The predictions are solid, Xerosic is really a nub, lol. No hype at all, tho XD_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Too many place, sir. Too many XD HughxWhite's going to be a lot more intense this chapter, especially when Cheren rears his ugly head, and Greninja becoming, well, Greninja (lol) is definitely some big news for Bellator, but he's got his own trick up his sleeve to keep pace. And I just realized that Greninja's evolved both times when he's with the group, lol. Nice predictions with the outcomes (Xerosic was the best of them in-game, in my opinion), and I thought 7 hours was a long time :/ I never realized that XD_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Haha, thanks! In serious situations like in this chapter and the last, White's going to be very serious and won't just get lovestruck every time she sees Hugh, and I'm glad you mentioned that. Bellator's only going to amplify his badassery this chapter, and I didn't even realize that with Potens XD To be honest, Gray was actually supposed to battle Xerosic with Potens against his Crobat, but I decided to go against that. Hopefully this chapter's as hype as the last, and I like the idea of having last chapter's format during the Plasma/Flare arc!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Tackle, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Bellator, use Aqua Jet!"

"Strike him down with Dragon Claw!"

The combatants obeyed their commands and Bellator let out a fierce roar as he was enveloped in a body of spinning water. Taking off like a bullet, Bellator crashed down towards Charizard while the winged lizard's claws were enveloped in neon green energy. With a mighty swing of both his arms, Charizard dealt a wicked blow to Bellator and sent him bouncing along the grass, though the Dewott somehow planted his feet on the ground and skidded to Gray's side.

Elgyem looked on in fear, as she was able to tell the colossal discrepancy between the strength of Charizard and Bellator. Turning to focus on the water starter, The psychic type flinched slightly after narrowing her eyes to see the levels of Bellator's remaining strength. Somehow, it was on par with that of Charizard's, but the craziest part was a similar blue aura surrounding Gray's body. As the alien turned to look at Alain, she saw that he didn't have any bit of aura, which was perplexing, to say the least.

"Steel Wing, let's go!" Alain shouted, catching Gray and Bellator by surprise.

Charizard took off like a rocket and wasted no time in reaching mach speed. When he did, the fire type started spinning like a drill, and a ring of silver light appeared around his head. Crashing into Bellator as viciously as he could, Charizard roared upon impact while Bellator let out a scream of pain after being hurled straight into the air.

"Stay strong, Bellator! Spin and use Razor Shell!" Gray commanded.

As soon as his trainer's words reached his ears, Bellator's eyes shot wide open and he began spinning as he fell towards Charizard. Grabbing a scalchop with his right hand, the Dewott let out a warrior cry as a blade of water trailed, and he swung at his opponent.

"Grab Bellator's scalchops and then hit him with Brick Break!"

Without hesitation, Charizard grabbed the blade of water with one hand, stopping the attack dead in its tracks. Then, with his right hand glowing white, Charizard punched Bellator square in the face, launching Bellator through the air. After hitting the ground and rolling back to his trainer's side, Bellator slowly rose to his feet and spat blood.

"Let's keep going, Bellator! Water Pulse!"

Bellator nodded at the command and hurled a large ball of water with all of his might. Charizard, however, took off and flew right at the water type attack, causing Gray and Unicus to gasp in shock while Elgyem remained silent, knowing exactly what the winged lizard was about to do.

"Dragon Claw, let's go!" Alain countered, throwing his open left hand down.

Charizard roared, spun, and slashed the Water Pulse attack in half. The fire type let out another roar of pride as he closed in on Bellator and delivered another wicked blow to the smaller starting Pokemon. As a result of the ferocious attack, Bellator slammed into Unicus, and he was slow to get up.

Both Charizard and Alain saw the condition their opponent was in - his body was covered with lacerations, bruises, and blood - and the nineteen year old shook his head, not wanting to do any more damage.

"Gray, that's enough. Charizard and I don't want to hurt Bellator any more," he stated, making Gray turn to look at her powerhouse, noticing the awful shape he was in. "Just do everyone a favor and hand over Elgyem. You can't win."

As soon as they heard the last bit of Alain's speech, Gray and Bellator narrowed their eyes in anger. Then, as Bellator rose to his feet, he glanced at Elgyem, who had been staring at him. She was trembling in fear. With that, Bellator slowly walked forwards and stood in front of Gray, slouching while his arms hung limply.

"Don't do this to yourself, Bellator," Charizard said as he locked eyes with the water starter. "Just give up."

The last three words made the younger duo's eyes shoot wide open.

"We're never giving up!" Gray and Bellator screamed in unison, throwing Alain and Charizard off their game. "We'll protect Elgyem," they continued, mirroring each other's movements, capturing the attention of everyone around them. "And there's no way... you'll... BEAT US!"

When Gray and Bellator roared, Elgyem switched her eyesight back to the aura-viewing ability, and she stared in shock when two bodies of aura, which were the exact same shapes as Gray and Bellator, merged. Going back to her normal eyesight, the alien gasped along with Unicus, Gray, Alain, and Charizard as Bellator was encapsulated in a geyser of water.

The Unova starter continued roaring while a pair of gray eyes shone through the water, as did a streak of blue light, which was above and in-between both eyes.

"What's happening to him? Is Bellator evolving?" Unicus whispered to Elgyem, whose jaw was on the ground and showed no signs of closing. "I've never seen anything like that," the ground type continued whispering while staring at Bellator.

Alain and Charizard, meanwhile, remained silent, and their eyes were wide open. Neither was aware of Bellator's power, and to say they were shocked would've been a massive understatement. As both of the gray eyes pierced through the spinning body of water surrounding Bellator, Charizard began to shake ever so slightly while Alain took a few steps back, only to stop when he looked down at his Mega Bracelet.

"Two can play at that game! Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

Charizard let out the loudest roar he could and was engulfed in a massive, pink egg. Suddenly, the egg exploded and Charizard, with his skin black and blue, unleashed another deafening roar only to be drowned out by Bellator roaring. Then, as Gray began rearing her arm back, Bellator did the same, though they were stopped when Alain suddenly spoke up.

"No matter what you do, Gray, you have no chance at defeating Mega Evolution!" the nineteen year old proclaimed, angering Gray and Bellator, the latter of whom threw his hands out to his sides, causing the geyser of spinning water to transform into two sword holsters on his back.

With his fur completely gray, save for a lone streak of blue, which looked like water, running down his forehead, Bellator's colorless eyes pierced through Charizard and Alain, as did Gray's.

"We'll just see about that! Bellator, let's go!"

000

"Greninja, get out of the way!"

The water frog just barely managed to evade a devastating Thunderbolt attack by performing a backflip. The result of the attack hitting the ground was an explosion that destroyed the pavement. As Greninja ran back to Hugh's side with a cautious look on his face, the water and dark type kept Malamar in his peripheral vision so that he wouldn't be caught off guard in the event of another attack.

"Hugh, we have to go find some more help. There's no way Greninja has enough energy to take on another opponent," White whispered to the powerful teen standing next to her.

Despite the sound reasoning, both Hugh and Greninja shook their heads adamantly, causing White to scowl. She stopped, however, when Hugh handed her a Max Revive, confusing White.

"You're going to be the extra help then," Hugh stated, making White blush slightly before nodding and grabbing Snivy's Pokeball. "Good, now let's kick this guy's ass."

White nodded and handed Snivy the strange medicine, which she ingested without hesitation. Immediately afterwards, the grass snake looked to be fully healed and she nodded at Greninja before both starting Pokemon charged at Malamar.

"Snivy, use Leaf Blade!"

"Greninja, Acrobatics!"

The two Pokemon nodded and obeyed their commands, with Snivy skying into the air before spinning like a wheel as her tail turned bright green. While she spun like a wheel, Greninja made a hand sign and disappeared before reappearing right in front of the large penguin, taking Malamar and Xerosic by surprise. Then, as Greninja unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, Snivy ended the assault by smashing her tail over Malamar's head, spiking the creature into the ground.

"Hurry and use Psycho Cut on Snivy!" Xerosic commanded.

Malamar shot off the ground and threw her glowing flipper towards Snivy, causing a crescent of pink energy to cut through the air and explode on contact with Snivy. While the grass snake flew through the air, Greninja quickly scampered over to her and grabbed her just before Snivy could hit the ground, leading to the smaller creature thanking her teammate.

"White, I want you and Snivy to lay back for a little bit. Greninja and I will charge and try to distract them, okay?" Hugh proposed, drawing a nod from his rival's protege. "Good. Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

After putting his hands a few inches away from each other, the fully evolved starter grunted. Then, a massive shuriken made of water began spinning furiously before Greninja jumped and hurled it with one hand, though Xerosic was ready to counter. What he wasn't ready for, however, was White lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack.

"Destroy it with Dark Pulse, Malamar!"

The large penguin opened her beak and fired a spiraling ray of black and purple energy, which collided with the shuriken. Somehow, the shuriken sliced through the powerful dark type attack, but Malamar shot into the air and dodged it just in the nick of time.

"Grab Malamar with Vine Whip and slam her against the ground!" White shrieked, catching the dark type and Xerosic by surprise.

Snivy smirked and fired two vines from her neck, which wrapped around Malamar's lower body. Then, with all of her might, Snivy yanked her opponent downwards and hit her against the ground so hard it cracked. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Malamar got back up, looking as if she hadn't taken any damage, which caused Hugh and White's jaws to drop while Xerosic cackled.

"You two don't know what you're in for. Malamar, no more playing around. It's time we show them our true power."

000

N stared at Aliana, who had no reaction to the revealing of his name. Still, she felt like there was something about the green haired trainer that she should've known. Nonetheless, she shook her head and looked at Druddigon, who nodded and charged towards Zoroark.

"Hit that thing with Dragon Claw!" Aliana shouted, prompting Druddigon to roar powerfully.

When the dragon type did, his claws were enveloped in neon green energy and he loaded both of his arms back. Then, throwing them forwards, he attempted to slash Zoroark as violently as he could, but the speedy dark type wasn't keen on letting that happen, nor was N.

"Dodge it and use Night Daze!" N shouted.

Zoroark effortlessly hopped away from the first swing and then she continued to evade each and every one of Druddigon's attempted attacks, enraging the dragon. Then, the bipedal dark type threw both of her arms forwards and created a gust of black wind that slammed into Druddigon and sent the bulky creature rolling along the ground.

"Druddigon, get up and retaliate with Earthquake!"

The dragon did just as he was told and punched the ground as hard as he could with both hands, causing N and Zoroark to lose their balance. Despite the effects of Earthquake, N and his Pokemon were able to overcome the situation, and the pale nineteen year old spoke up.

"Zoroark, jump!" N countered.

With no time to waste, Zoroark leaped as high as she could, avoiding the column of dirt just before it shot out of the ground. Aliana stomped like a child, as did Druddigon, and Cheren stared at N in awe. The older trainer's nonchalant attitude was so... cool, and the rookie couldn't help but smile enviously with Pignite by his side.

"Now use Feint Attack!"

Zoroark nodded and disappeared from the sky, making Aliana gasp. Druddigon mimicked his trainer's reaction when Zoroark was suddenly right in front of him, and the dark type slammed into him while enveloped in black energy, dealing a massive amount of damage. With Druddigon rolling along the ground once again, Aliana cursed under her breath when she realized how strong N was, and she prepared to grab another Pokeball. She stopped, however, when Druddigon rose to his feet and charged at Zoroark.

"Use Superpower!" Aliana demanded.

Druddigon stomped and roared, causing a wave of red aura to surround his body. Then, taking off at a much faster speed than usual, the dragon type let out another roar and prepared to crush Zoroark. Due to the sudden speed increase, N was unable to counter and Zoroark was sent flying past her friend, though she got back up in the blink of an eye, and N issued an attack just as quickly.

"Hang tough, Zoroark! Counter with Foul Play!"

The bipedal creature howled as she was enveloped in a coat of black energy, and she bolted towards Druddigon. Despite watching her Pokemon slouch in exhaustion, Aliana refused to back down, and she issued a final command to her fatigued Pokemon.

"Go again! Superpower!"

Before Druddigon could do anything, Zoroark slammed into him and used Druddigon's massive attack stat to her advantage, reversing it and inflicting a colossal amount of damage. The dragon type was knocked out cold instantly, and Aliana withdrew him to his Pokeball. N, meanwhile, turned to Cheren and helped him back onto his feet while Zoroark did the same with Pignite.

The foursome looked back at Aliana and the redhead snickered while shaking her head, piquing N's interest.

"What's so funny? You lost," Cheren stated harshly.

"You don't know what you've got yourself into," she retorted before throwing a smoke bomb against the ground.

Once the smoke dissipated, Aliana was gone, and N cursed under his breath before turning to Cheren and smiling. Cheren bowed thankfully along with Pignite, prompting N and Zoroark to do the same.

"Thanks for saving us. I feel really bad asking this, but I think there are others that need help too," Cheren stated, drawing a nod from Zoroark, who lifted her head and began sniffing the air. Suddenly, she took off, sprinting down the street Hugh had earlier when he went to protect White.

"Why don't you stick with Zoroark and me? That way you won't have to deal with those people by yourself," N offered, drawing a nod from Cheren and Pignite, who sprinted after Zoroark.

N, however, stayed back and looked towards the northwest exit of the city. What made him look that way was unknown, but he had a bad feeling about it.

000

"What are you going to do?" Bryony whispered to Xerosic, who snickered and grabbed a different Pokeball from his belt. "Xerosic, wait. Don't do that," the green haired woman continued.

Xerosic continued snickering and withdrew Malamar to her Pokeball, making Bryony deadpan while Hugh and White continued looking on in confusion. The two were shocked, all of a sudden, when the large male tossed two spherical devices, which opened and revealed a Crobat and the same Malamar from before, which made no sense.

"Crobat, Air Cutter! Malamar, Psycho Cut!"

Both creatures obeyed their commands and fired several crescents of energy at their opponents, catching both Snivy and Greninja off guard. However, while Snivy wasn't able to to recover, Greninja was, showing just how powerful he was.

"Block those with Cut, Greninja! Then use Acrobatics on Malamar!" Hugh countered.

Greninja quickly jumped in front of Snivy and with large blades of blue light forming in his hands, he sliced through all of the incoming attacks with ease. Then, he sprinted towards Malamar with the intent of knocking the dark and psychic type out cold.

"Help out by using Leaf Tornado on Crobat, Snivy!" White added, throwing her left arm out to her side.

Snivy nodded and pointed her tail at the winged creature flying around. Despite her incredible aiming ability, Snivy couldn't have missed any more horribly, as Crobat flew around the grass type attack and closed in on his opponent within nanoseconds.

"Don't hold anything back, Crobat! Use Poison Fang on Snivy! Malamar, use Superpower on Greninja!" Xerosic retorted.

Crobat, with his mouth oozing poison, chomped down on Snivy's neck, making her cry in pain. Then, the bat continued biting Snivy as he took off straight into the air, making White cover her mouth with her hands in horror. Greninja, meanwhile, attempted to strike Malamar, but was absolutely clobbered when the large penguin dodged each of the attacks and countered with a punch to the face while she was glowing red. Greninja let out a grunt of pain and bounced along the ground before coming to a stop just in front of Hugh.

"Snivy, use Vine Whip and yank on Crobat's wings as hard as you can!"

Fighting through the pain, Snivy wrapped her vines around Crobat's four wings. Then, she pulled them away from his body as hard as she could, making Crobat scream and lose his grip on Snivy, who fell to the ground, though her vines were still around Crobat. While falling, Snivy began spinning like a wheel and slammed Crobat against the ground as hard as she could, dealing even more damage to her opponent. Afterwards, she scampered over to White and Hugh, the latter of whom knelt by Greninja's side and checked on him.

"Greninja, are you okay?" he asked in concern.

Greninja tried rising to his feet but was unable to, prompting white and Snivy to step forwards, grabbing Hugh's attention.

"We can take it from here," the brunette said, her back facing Hugh, who smiled and laughed to himself, realizing White had quoted him. "Snivy, it's up to us for now. We're going to protect Greninja for as long as we can. Got it?

"No problem. I've got this."

White nodded and released Palpitoad from his Pokeball, and the water type seemed to be reenergized by his long break.

"Well, the girl's got spunk, Bryony said to Xerosic, who sneered at the comment.

"Doesn't matter. It's time we end this," Xerosic said to his two Pokemon. "Crobat, Sludge Bomb on Snivy! Malamar, use Dark Pulse on Palpitoad!"

"That's not happening," White replied. "Palpitoad, use Muddy Water to block both of those! Snivy, hit Malamar with Leaf Blade!"

Palpitoad quickly stomped on the ground and a massive tidal wave of brown water crashed along the street, destroying all of the bullets of poison and the spiraling ray of black and purple energy. It then slammed into both of Xerosic's Pokemon, and Snivy took advantage of the opportunity, slamming her tail over Malamar's head.

"Now use Aerial Ace, Crobat! Malamar, Psycho Cut!"

Due to the speed of the commands and attacks, White was unable to counter. Crobat quickly zipped through the air while white streaks of light flew off his face, and he slammed into Snivy, launching her into the air. Then, Malamar threw both of her flippers towards Palpitoad, sending two crescents of pink energy at the water and ground type. Unable to evade, Palpitoad was crushed by both attacks and slammed into White with his eyes shut, forcing the brunette to withdraw him.

"Snivy, please keep going," White begged after realizing her starter was laying on the ground, trying to push herself up.

Xerosic snickered at his lame opponent, as did his Pokemon, and he ruthlessly issued another attack.

"Malamar, use Superpower!"

The large penguin shot forwards while shrouded in crimson light, and she reared her right flipper back. Hugh and White watched in horror as Malamar threw her flipper at Snivy, but Greninja, who had been unable to get up, suddenly shot forwards and took the attack head-on. As soon as he did, the water type was thrown past Hugh and he crashed into the ground limply. Hugh immediately ran over to the downed ninja frog, but he stopped when Greninja pushed himself back up. The two then locked eyes and they watched as Malamar raised another flipper to punch Snivy.

"No!" Greninja and Hugh shrieked, stopping Malamar's attack and grabbing everyone's attention.

In the blink of an eye, Greninja was encapsulated in a geyser of water. Several strange, navy blue spikes appeared from his head, and it looked almost exactly like Hugh's hair. His eyes were also glowing bright red, and seemed as if he had evolved beyond his current form.

"This is where the battle ends!" Hugh screamed, throwing his right hand forwards. "Greninja, use Cut on both of them!"

At the speed of a rocket, Greninja sprinted towards Malamar and, with a blade of water in his hand, slashed the penguin repeatedly before punching her in the face, knocking the creature out immediately. Then, he closed in on Crobat and slashed him several times, only to finish the barrage with a spinning kick, smashing his heel over Crobat's head. Upon hitting the ground, Crobat was out cold along with Malamar, and Greninja returned to Hugh's side and his strange transformation ceased.

Xerosic and Bryony gaped at the water type, but suddenly sprinted away, with the former zapping both of his Pokemon back into their capsules.

Remaining still due to the sequence of events they just witnessed, White and Hugh turned to Greninja, who nodded at both of them.

000

"Dragon Claw, let's go!"

"Intercept it with Razor Shell!"

Charizard and Bellator flew at one another with reckless abandon, not thinking about the possible repercussions for their blind charges. At the same time, both Pokemon spun after the latter of the two landed on the ground, and the attacks collided. Sparks of energy shot into the air and captured the attention of Unicus and Elgyem, leaving them flabbergasted. Much to Alain's shock, Charizard was unable to overpower his smaller foe, and Bellator let out a fierce cry as the two sword holsters suddenly formed back into a massive geyser of spiraling water.

All of a sudden, an explosion occurred and launched both parties backwards, though Bellator recovered with little effort while Charizard skidded across the ground and grimaced in pain.

Everyone locked their eyes onto Gray and Bellator, who were radiating the same power, unlike Alain and Charizard, and remained silent. It almost seemed as if the two had truly become one, though it was impossible to say so with certainty, considering the fact that they hadn't physically merged.

"Let's finish this right here, right now!" Gray screamed, her rage reaching unprecedented levels.

Mirroring his trainer's emotions, Bellator's neck snapped back and he let out a ghostly scream, unnerving the spectators while Alain and Charizard rushed to think and act out a counterattack.

"End him with Aqua Jet!"

Bellator wasted no time in shooting into the air, taking the shape of a water bullet. As he zipped through the air at the speed of a fighter-jet, Bellator let out a bloodthirsty roar at the same time as Gray, and when the brunette punched her fist forwards, her Dewott flew towards Charizard.

"Spin and use Steel Wing!"

Charizard began to spin like a drill and his wings grew exponentially while also glowing silver. Then, when he started to spin, a ring of silver light appeared around winged lizard's head and he slammed into Bellator. The force of impact was so great, nearly the entire opening in the forest transformed into an enormous crater. Each of the two Pokemon spiraled into the ground and were unable to cushion their falls, causing Gray, Alain, Elgyem, and Unicus to flinch before both combatants rose to their feet and locked eyes at the same time as their trainers.

"Show them our power, Charizard!"

"Do the same, Bellator!"

Obeying their commands, both Pokemon stared up to the sky and unleashed all of their energy, causing two towers of fire and water to shoot five hundred feet into the towers eventually faded, though both Charizard and Bellator were enveloped in fire and water, respectively, reaching power that had never been seen.

Elgyem eyed the combatting Pokemon uneasily, trembling at the power radiating from both sides. Unicus also backed away from the crater, not wanting to be too close to the battle, but Gray and Alain both stood on the very edge of the ground.

"Flamethrower, let's go!" Alain roared.

Charizard roared and unleashed a devastating wave of blue flames towards Bellator, who narrowed his colorless eyes and took off at the speed of light, evading his opponent's attack, which actually melted part of the ground.

"Get in close and use Water Gun!"

Bellator continued speeding through the air and landed at the bottom of the crater before looking up and shooting a high-pressured blast of water at Charizard. Despite the speed of the water, Charizard successfully dodged it, which made Alain sigh in relief after he watched the Water Gun create a hole in the wall of the crater. Slowly, Charizard descended and landed at the very bottom of the pit he and Bellator had created, and the two Pokemon locked eyes.

"Charizard, Thunder Punch!" Alain commanded.

Nodding at his trainer's words, Charizard hurled his fist at Bellator while it was covered in yellow electricity, but Gray and Bellator were quick to react, catching their enemies by surprise.

"Block it and answer right back with Revenge!"

Using the water around his body to his advantage, Bellator blocked the super effective attack and countered without hesitation. Flexing as his body flashed red, Bellator punched Charizard in the nose, knocking the fire and dragon type onto his back. Due to the force with which he was hit, Charizard skidded all the way to the top of the crater right by Alain, and he rose to his feet, flapped his wings as hard as he could, and shot into the air.

"Engulf the crater with Flamethrower!"

Charizard wasted no time and unleashed another blast of blue flames, which Bellator was unable to dodge. As a result, the entire pit was filled with fire, and Gray, Unicus, and Elgyem watched in horror as the flames continued to rise, and it almost seemed as if they were scraping the stars. Charizard then landed by Alain's side and let out a victorious roar while Gray dropped to her knees, distraught.

"I told you, Gray. There was no chance you'd be able to beat us!" Alain shouted over the howling flames as he began to walk over to the brunette. "Now, give us the Elgy-"

"AAAGGHHH!"

Suddenly, the flames were ousted and water shot straight into the air. Standing in the middle of the crater was Bellator, who was screaming straight up to the sky. When he stopped, the water fell like rain and pelted Charizard, angering the fire type.

"I'm not done yet!" Bellator screeched as he pointed at both Alain and Charizard, causing the two to flinch. "You're not taking Elgyem anywhere!"

With that, Bellator used the water spiraling around his body as a launchpad, allowing him to fly out of the crater and slam headfirst into Charizard's stomach, knocking the wind out of the fully evolved fire type. As a result of the impact, Charizard was sent crashing through dozens of trees, destroying the forest. Alain, Gray, Unicus, and Elgyem stared at the downed trees, not knowing what to think of the other-worldly power Bellator was displaying.

Surprisingly, Charizard slammed into Bellator before anyone could blink, and as he flew straight into the air with Bellator on his wing, the water type repeatedly punched his opponent in the face. He was stopped, however, when Charizard grabbed a hold of Bellator's head and flew straight towards the ground.

"Finish this!" Alain screamed, his attention snapping back to the battle.

Hearing the older trainer's words, Gray loaded her fist back and mustered up all of her energy. What no one realized was that Bellator was doing the same thing.

"Bellator, break his grip! I know you can do it!" the brunette bellowed, punching her fist into the air upon finishing her proclamation.

Mirroring his trainer's movement, Bellator hurled his fist at Charizard while it was shrouded in light blue energy, and he punched Charizard in the jaw, making the dragon type roar in pain and lose his grip. However, neither of the Pokemon were able to recover in time because of the speed at which they were traveling, and they crashed into the bottom of the crater while Gray thought about the move her Pokemon had just used, recognizing it as Ice Punch.

"Oh my god! Bellator!" Unicus screamed as she looked down the crater and saw her teammate laying on his face along with Charizard. "Gray, you have to do something! This battle needs to stop!"

Gray stared at her downed Pokemon, not knowing what to do.

 _"I know I can't let Bellator battle, but there's no way anyone else can keep up with Charizard, even if he's this tired!"_ the brunette thought to herself. _"I don't know what to do. I..."_

Before she could continue thinking, her four other Pokemon broke out of their capsules and looked around, locking their eyes on Alain. Instead of greeting him, they saw the crater in the middle of the forest, and they were in shock. That was nothing compared to their reaction to Bellator, though.

"Is that... Bellator?" Ferus whispered as he turned to Unicus and Elgyem, prompting the others to do the same.

"Yeah," Unicus replied just as quietly, shuddering. "It happened after you were withdrawn."

Ferus and the others turned just in time to see Bellator and Charizard rise to their feet. The two then disappeared in the blink of an eye, only to reappear by their respective trainers, who were shocked for different reasons.

 _"No one's ever pushed me and Charizard so far before. Even Caitlin wasn't this strong,"_ Alain thought to himself as he stared at Bellator and Gray, who were looking right back. _"She was right. I've never seen power like this!"_

 _"Whatever's happening with Bellator, I don't know how long it can last. How did it even happen? What's happening to him?"_ Gray asked herself. _"How the hell is he this strong now!? He's stronger than Ferus!"_

"What's wrong with him?" Potens whispered, prompting Ferus to slap her in the back of the head. "Hey! I didn't mean it like that!"

"I get it," Celsus told the tiny bat by his side. "Is that some kind of evolution?" he inquired.

Ferus shook his head while eyeing Bellator, dumbfounded by the otter's hair being completely gray.

"Enough waiting around, it's time we finish this!" Alain announced, unintentionally drawing a nod from Gray. "Don't hold anything back! Use Thunder Punch, Charizard!"

"Bellator, we'll do the same! Ice Punch!"

The absurdly powerful Pokemon flew towards one another and let out ferocious cries. As Bellator swung at Charizard, the winged creature dodged and attempted to punch back. However, Bellator was able to fly away thanks to the water surrounding him. Charizard quickly flew after Bellator, and the two eventually landed in the pit and engaged in a boxing match.

With each punch that was about to land, the target would block it with their elemental punch attack, causing electricity and ice to shoot into the air. Despite Charizard being significantly larger than Bellator, he evaded every attack just as easily. After several minutes of punching, Bellator and Charizard threw their left and right fists forwards, respectively, and the attacks collided.

Battling back and forth for a few seconds, the two Pokemon were eventually encased in a spiraling tornado of blue and yellow energy that filled the entire crater. Gray and her Pokemon, plus Elgyem, dove away from the insane power while Alain didn't move a muscle, showing just how confident he was, not only in Charizard, but himself too.

Then, as the tornado began to spiral out of control, it turned into a gigantic sphere and exploded, launching Bellator and Charizard into the trees that were at least two hundred feet away. Somehow, the two returned to their trainers and looked as if they could keep going for another week, making Gray smirk confidently while Alain threw his arm out to his side.

"Get in close and use Steel Wing!"

Flapping his wings as hard as he could, Charizard took off and locked his eyes onto Bellator, who stepped in front of his teammates and looked ready to charge. However, he was thrown in for a loop when Charizard reached a speed he hadn't shown, and his wings grew exponentially while turning silver. Thanks to his speed, Charizard was able to clothesline Bellator with his right wing, catching the water starter on it. Gray watched as Bellator grabbed a hold of Charizard's wing and looked back down at his trainer, who nodded.

"Retaliate with Water Pulse!" she screamed.

Bellator grinned and formed a massive ball of water in his right hand, only to slam it against Charizard's face. The attack exploded and a wave of force sent Charizard crashing into the crater until he managed to regain control of his flight. Still, he zipped down to the ground and Bellator sped after him, smashing his feet into the ground. What he didn't realize, however, was that he had fallen right into Alain's trap.

"Now use Blast Burn!"

Charizard flexed before punching the ground as hard as he could, making Gray gasp while Bellator stood his ground. Much to his trainer's dismay, Bellator was engulfed in a pillar of flames, and he was sent flying out of the arena-like pit, though he landed on his feet and it didn't seem as if he had taken any damage.

"We're not backing down! Bellator, use Water Pulse, and then spin and use Aqua Jet!"

The bipedal otter hurled a ball of water against the ground, but quickly encapsulated it within his Aqua Jet attack, making it even more lethal than before. The blistering speed allowed Bellator to ram Charizard straight into the curve below Alain, and it cracked right away. Instead of moving away from his enemy, Bellator gloated and stood over Charizard, which turned out to be a horrible mistake.

"Crush him with Thunder Punch!" Alain yelled furiously.

Charizard, just as enraged as his trainer, hurled his fist at a blinding speed. Bellator was unable to dodge, and somehow, Charizard's fist broke through the water surrounding Bellator, and he was punched in the face. Gray, her Pokemon, and Elgyem gasped as Bellator flipped through the air and slammed into the side of the crater beneath them, forcing the eighteen year old to peer down, only to find Bellator was back on his feet. However, the water that had been surrounding his body was no longer present, confusing Gray and her Pokemon.

"What's happening to Bellator? Why is he changing back?" Furcifer shouted, looking around at the others as they all shrugged.

Meanwhile, Alain and Charizard smirked at the same time, and the winged lizard zipped over to Bellator and grabbed him by his throat. The strange thing, however, was that Bellator wasn't moving. His eyes were closed, and the line of moving water on his forehead was beginning to dim.

"You've been a worthy adversary, Gray. No one's pushed us like this before," Alain commended as Charizard's fist suddenly surged with electricity, making Gray's eyes go wide. "But it's over. Charizard, Thunder Punch!"

Obeying his command, Charizard kept a tight grip on Bellator's throat with his right hand and threw his left at the otter's face.

"NO!" Gray screamed, leaning over the crater and staring down as everything seemed to happen in a flash.

Gray and her Pokemon turned away in horror, not wanting to see what happened to Bellator, and Alain remained silent. Then, slowly turning back to the crater, Gray reluctantly looked down and gasped, making all of her Pokemon and Elgyem hurry towards the side.

Bellator's right hand was wrapped around Charizard's left wrist, and the Thunder Punch attack was stopped just millimeters away from the water type's face.

 _"What the hell? How did he stop that!?"_ Alain thought to himself, awed by Bellator's insane power.

Suddenly, Charizard began screaming in pain, and he let go of Bellator's throat. Everyone stared as Bellator made the grip on Charizard's wrist even tighter, and the fire type thrashed violently in an attempt to escape. Eventually, after a few seconds, Bellator let go and slouched over, staring at the ground while his arms hung limply.

"What's happening? Why is Bellator just standing there?" Unicus asked everyone, drawing shrugs and silence.

Alain and Charizard simply stood in place and stared. The Kalosian, however, spoke up.

"It's over Gray. We're taking Elgyem and leaving. Charizard, go-"

Just as Alain was about to finish speaking, he was silenced by a geyser of water shooting up around Bellator. However, instead of just cloaking the bipedal otter, the water began to turn into a strange figure.

Bellator then dropped to all fours and Gray stared in shock as she realized the water had transformed into the shape of a fox. From the claws at the end of all four paws, to the tail and two ears protruding back from the head, it was almost as if Bellator was developing the actual characteristics of a fox. Much to everyone's shock, Bellator, who had two small fangs sticking out of his mouth, cleared his throat.

"I don't care what you say, you're not taking Elgyem!" he screamed while glaring at Alain and Charizard. "I'll break every bone in your bodies if that's what it takes to stop you! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

* * *

 **Wow! Things are going way differently than I expected, so apologies for not finishing the battles this chapter. To recap everything that happened... N crushed Aliana, Hugh managed to beat Xerosic after Greninja went in to some weird transformation, and Bellator has gone out of his way to shatter all logic! The next chapter will be the conclusion of this arc, and then we'll get on to the Mega Evolution Tournament. Till next time, peace out.**

 **1) What the hell happened with Bellator?  
2) Thoughts on each of the battles?  
3) Gray vs Lysandre hype?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!"**_

 _ **While in the middle of her duel with Alain, Gray is confronted by Lysandre, who's intent on capturing Elgyem for unknown reasons. However, she refuses to back down and finds herself fighting the leader of Team Flare! Aided by Bellator's strange transformation, will Gray be able to protect Elgyem?**_

* * *

 **Mega Evolution Tournament Arc**

 **Chapter 44: A Year Long Wait  
** **Chapter 45: Fire Fight: Ferus vs Blaziken  
** **Chapter 46: Synchro Startup! Bellator Takes Over  
** **Chapter 47: Mega Battle 6: Charizard vs Ferus!  
** **Chapter 48: Mega Battle 7: X vs X!**


	43. Battle of Beasts: Bellator vs Pyroar!

**Theme Song**

 **Rock and roll, it's time to go (Gray throws six Pokeballs)  
Trust in both a friend and foe (Screen splits in half and shows one side of N's face with light, and another in darkness)  
Follow the wind, two tree leaves dance (Bellator uses Synchro Evolution and collides with Mega Charizard X while everyone else watches)  
Don't be afraid to take a chance ****(Elgyem** **teleports away from Flare and appears by Gray's side** **)  
** **Dream on (2x)! It's not my swan song! (Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and another Pokemon appear side by side)  
** **Chin up (2x)! The road is long! (Boldore uses Power Gem, Palpitoad uses Muddy Water, and Snivy uses Leaf Tornado before they appear alongside White)  
** **Are you ready for the ride? (Lysandre and Ghetsis meet and shake hands** **)  
** **Three roads set to collide...** **(Gray and two boys stand side by side with** **silhouettes of Bellator, a Blaziken, and a Greninja behind them, respectively** **)** **  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey hey hey! What's up, readers? Last chapter, N defeated Aliana, Hugh and Greninja (who turned into Hugh-Ninja) defeated Xerosic, and Gray and Alain's duel reached unprecedented levels of hype with Bellator transforming not once, but twice. The second transformation, as most of you pointed out, is the exact same thing as the Nine-Tails from Naruto (one-tail, specifically), and he's going to show off insane power. This chapter, Gray will finally come face-to-face with Lysandre, and they'll battle over Elgyem. Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! Kyuubi-mode, and I can't wait for Hugh-ninja to get a shot at battling him. So much hype, so far away T-T Let's hope Gray can beat Lysandre, too!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Nine-Tails for the win! He and Pyroar are going to have a really even match, and thanks for answering the questions. Also, I've never actually thought of having Gray vs Red, so I'm going to have to think that over_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _The phone crash is real XD And so is the hype!_

 **Guest:** _Wooh! White's going to be featured a lot whenever Flare and/or Plasma are up to their scheming ways, and you shouldn't trust Lysandre, haha. He's, in my opinion, the main antagonist, and in Alain's defense, it's not like he's seen Flare do anything evil, so it's not him being blind. Thanks for the compliments!_

 **SinnohBlaze (guest):** _Lololol, this really is turning into the Bellator show, though that's going to stop once we get to the Driftveil Arc, which will turn more towards Gray's rivals, Potens, Plasma, and Flare. And I really don't know anything about gen 5, so I can't confirm whether or not he had a Beheeyem, which is actually pretty cool. Gray-Bellator (the fox stage) will only be used against really strong opponents like Lysandre and Alain, though not every time. His first form, while OP the past chapter, will be weakened for reasons that'll be explained later. Ash-Greninja I'm pretty sure is a form change, but as powerful as Mega Evo, and thanks!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Gracias! I stopped watching Naruto after the Sasuke-Retrieval arc ended since it just never felt the same (even though it's good, from what I've heard), so the One-Tails may be the full extent of his power. If it is, he'll learn to control it. It'll only be activated during battles with opponents similar to Lysandre and Ghetsis, though_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"I'll break every bone in your bodies if that's what it takes to stop you! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

The words sent chills down everyone's spines, and nothing but silence followed. Gray, Alain, Charizard, and the brunette's Pokemon were too frightened by the sudden change in Bellator's appearance. The water around his body appeared to have transformed him into a bloodthirsty monster.

"AAAHH!"

Suddenly, Bellator rose to his legs and threw his right arm forwards. The water around his body allowed the arm to extend nearly twenty feet and he punched Charizard right in the face, launching the fire and dragon type out of the crater and past Alain, who spun and watched his first Pokemon crash into the ground. Once he hit the ground, Charizard slowly rose to his feet and stared in horror as Bellator, dropping to all fours, sprinted out of the crater and charged at him.

"Thunder Punch, let's go!"

Charizard obeyed and flew towards Bellator while both of his fists were surging with electricity. Throwing both of his hands at his target, the fire type attempted to hit Bellator, but the water type evaded each of the punches and retaliated with a vicious swing of his left arm, leading to the claw of water slashing Charizard across the face, sending him tumbling along the grass while Alain looked on in fear.

"Bellator, jump and use Water Pulse!" Gray commanded, prompting her Pokemon to do just that.

Without hesitation, the water type launched himself into the air while a massive ball of water formed in his right hand, and he hurled it at Charizard. The winged lizard managed to evade the wicked attack, however, and Alain was quick to issue a counterattack.

"Spin and use Steel Wing!" the black haired trainer barked.

After letting out a roar, Charizard began to spin like a drill as his wings extended and started to glow silver. The fire type then slammed into Bellator and sent him straight into the ground, though he managed to recover just in time and land on his tail made of water, cushioning the force of impact. Enraged by the fact that he had just been hit by his opponent, Bellator let out a deafening shriek, causing everyone to cover their ears. Then, a massive tower of water shot into the air, much larger than the one he had created earlier in the battle.

000

"What happened to Greninja?" White whispered to Hugh, who shrugged and sat down after the girl had received texts from Cheren and Bianca to wait where they were. "Like, the transformation was so weird. I can't imagine what it was."

Hugh nodded, still not knowing what had happened to his starter. Everything seemed to fly by before he could blink, and just like that, it was over. He remember he was battling Xerosic, and that Snivy was about to be attacked, but that was really it. Greninja screamed, and then he shot forwards and knocked out Crobat and Malamar in one hit each.

"Hugh!"

The aforementioned teen snapped out of his trance and turned, spotting White, Cheren, Bianca, and an unfamiliar trainer with a Zoroark. Noah and Arcanine were also with the group, but they were talking with Greninja about something.

"Come on! We're going to find Gray!" White yelled once again, drawing a nod from Hugh, who rose to his feet and ran after the group. "Cheren, which way did Gray go?" White asked, making everyone turn to the black haired trainer.

Stroking his imaginary beard, Cheren's eyes suddenly lit up, along with everyone else's, when two massive towers of fire and water shot into the sky and pierced the clouds.

"That has to be Ferus' energy! Gray's got to be over there!" Noah shouted, hopping onto Arcanine's back. "Arcanine, we need to go as fast as possible!"

While the others attempted to run with their Pokemon, Noah and Arcanine took off at mach speed and left them in the dust, making White sweat drop before she turned to Greninja and Zoroark, who were looking at Hugh and N, respectively.

"You go, too, Zoroark," N said, nodding at his friend.

"Yeah, Greninja. Back Zoroark up," Hugh added, drawing a nod from Greninja.

With that, both Zoroark and Greninja sprinted after Arcanine and managed to keep pace with the insanely fast fire type. Before the trainers knew it, their Pokemon disappeared into the distance, and they chased after, worried about their friend.

Several minutes after taking off for Gray, Noah and Arcanine, along with Greninja and Zoroark, made their way to the outer-edge of Nimbasa City and looked around, not knowing where to go. Suddenly, a massive tower of water, one that was exponentially taller than the previous one, shot into the air and looked to escape the atmosphere.

"Holy crap. Did Ferus lose?" Arcanine asked aloud, making Noah grunt worriedly while Zoroark didn't seem to believe so.

"I doubt it," she started. "How many of those admins were there, anyway?"

Noah stayed silent for a few seconds and bit his lower lip, not knowing the answer.

"There were two that Noah battled and two that Hugh, White, and I battled," Greninja answered, speaking for only the second time.

"N and I battled one with Cheren, so that's five. I doubt there'd be any more," Zoroark concluded, drawing nods from Noah, Arcanine, and Greninja. "Now let's hurry," she ordered as the tower of water began to die down a bit.

000

"Sir, there they are!" Xerosic shouted, pointing out at the water tower that everyone seemed to have seen. "It must be that girl and Alain!"

Lysandre nodded and continued walking through the woods, making his way towards the fight. Standing by his side was none other than Pyroar, who chomped each branch that was in his way.

"So, would you like the rest of our help?" Xerosic inquired, only to receive a vicious backhand to the face that knocked him onto his back. The rest of the admins stared in silence, trying not to laugh as the large man struggled to his feet.

"Mable, Celosia, because you two were the only ones that could actually follow through with my goals, you can come with me. Bryony, Aliana, Xerosic, you're going to make a very important call to a very important person," Lysandre stated, handing the green haired woman a slip that had someone's number on it. "Make sure you tell them that _I_ want him to join us, and that he will be paid handsomely. Got it?"

"Right away, sir!"

With that, the three admins disappeared and left Lysandre with the lone successful duo.

"Get your Pokemon ready. We're going to get that Elgyem."

000

"AGH!" Bellator screamed at the top of his lungs, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, he reappeared right in front of Charizard and the coat of water around his body was used to choke the winged creature. Bellator then slammed Charizard against the ground and placed all of his weight against his opponent's throat, making it impossible for Charizard to breathe.

"Bellator, stop!" Gray shrieked as her Pokemon licked his lips, ready to kill Charizard. "The battle's over! STOP!"

Refusing to listen, Bellator loaded his right arm back and the claws of water extended fully.

"Not yet. The battle's over when one side can't continue!" he shot back demonically. "And I'm going to make sure you'll never continue! Elgyem will NEVER fall into Flare's hands! Goodbye!"

"Flamethrower!"

Just as Bellator threw his right hand down towards Charizard, he was crushed by a devastating blast of fire that hurled him back to Gray and her Pokemon. Once he got back on all fours, Bellator peered through the woods and spotted a strange man walking out while a lion was stationed right next to Charizard, snarling wildly. Ferus immediately stepped forwards and stood by Bellator's side, mimicking the Pyroar's actions.

 _"That can't be his Pyroar, can it?"_ Alain asked himself, only to feel a hand fall on his shoulder.

Turning, the nineteen year old was taken back when he saw Lysandre standing right by his side imposingly. Glaring right at Gray and her Pokemon, the man's sight was fixated on Bellator and his strange transformation, which piqued his interest.

"That Pokemon was about to defeat Charizard?" he asked, prompting Alain to nod as he saw Mable and Celosia appear from the woods, lurking behind their boss. "Do you know why there's water around its body? Why does it look like a fox?"

Alain shrugged at the questions, causing Lysandre to crack a smile as he began walking forwards. Bellator looked ready to lunge at the man, but Gray stepped in front of him and began walking towards the wealthy businessman.

"I apologize for the confusion caused by my employee, ma'am," Lysandre stated, shaking Gray's hand with a sincere look on his face. "Please, forgive me if he did anything to injure either yourself or your Pokemon."

Lysandre bowed repeatedly, hiding a wicked smirk as he realized the girl and her Pokemon, excluding Bellator had fallen for his trick.

"No worries," Gray answered, hiding her doubts. "I couldn't help but realize you said he was your worker, though," the brunette continued once Lysandre stood upright, drawing a nod. "So that means you're his boss, and because he works for Team Flare, you also want Elgyem."

Impressed by Gray's ability to see through his peace offering, Lysandre nodded, keeping up his act.

"Yes, but I'm sure Alain - that's his name, in case you were wondering - didn't exactly ease your worries about us conducting studies on that Pokemon, did he?"

Gray shook her head.

"Of course not," Lysandre spat, making Gray and her Pokemon laugh, excluding Bellator and Elgyem, who narrowed their eyes as they scanned Lysandre and analyzed his movements. "Please, allow me to explain this whole, Team Flare conundrum, if I may."

"Go ahead."

"You see, Team Flare is just a name we go by in order to intimidate anyone that wouldn't want to see the progression of Mega Evolution, namely from those who protest battling," Lysandre started, pacing back and forth as he looked up at the sky and occasionally glanced at Gray and her Pokemon. "Our real goals are to help researchers understand why Mega Evolution happens, which Pokemon are capable of performing it, and why some aren't able to. It's cost me hundreds of millions of dollars, but I'm dedicated to the cause."

"Wow, that's a lot of money," Celsus announced, making Lysandre release a fake laugh.

"It is, but I'm very passionate about helping science progress. I may not have the most eloquent workers helping the cause, and that's why we have such a negative image, but-"

Lysandre was caught off guard by Elgyem floating forwards and shaking her head, grabbing Gray's attention.

"What's wrong, Elgyem?"

"He's lying."

Gray quickly turned back to Lysandre, who smiled at the accusation, and shook his head in response. Ferus, however, seemed to pick up on what the alien and Bellator had been reading, and he stepped in front of Gray protectively.

"Yeah, he definitely is. Think about it, Gray," the Houndoom started, locking eyes with his trainer. "Aliana tried killing you, those two women in Pinwheel Forest did too, and so did that one with the green hair! They're not trying to help science, they're evil!"

Ferus then snarled at Lysandre, who motioned for his Pyroar subtly.

"Well, I see we have quite the detectives here," the redhead joked. "I guess I won't be able to change your mind."

Ferus shook his head adamantly while Potens, who recalled her interaction with the Flare grunts in Castelia City, joined in and glared daggers at the extremely tall man.

"Pyroar, go!"

Leaping over his trainer and lunging at Gray, Pyroar let out a ferocious roar. Everyone gasped in shock, but he was stopped dead in his tracks when an enormous hand of water punched him in the face, launching the normal and fire type. Lysandre looked back at his Pokemon and then turned to see Bellator launching himself after the fire type.

"Pyroar, dodge it and use Flamethrower to keep a distance!" Lysandre ordered, running away from Gray and her Pokemon and to the opposite part of the crater.

Somehow, Pyroar rolled away from Bellator, who crashed against the ground his target had been laying on, and he unleashed another wicked blast of flames. Once again, Bellator was hit by the powerful fire type attack and was sent skidding along the ground, though he maintained his balance and looked back at Gray, ready to retaliate.

"Don't hold anything back, Bellator! Razor Shell!"

Letting out a deafening scream, Bellator bounded across the grass and his front right arm began to turn into a blade. Throwing it forwards, he attempted to slash Pyroar across the face, but the lion was, somehow, faster, evading the attack with little effort.

"Now retaliate with Hyper Voice!" Lysandre demanded, throwing his right hand forwards while Alain gave Charizard a Full Restore.

Once Pyroar landed, he ran at Bellator and let out an explosive roar, which struck Bellator and sent him flying past Gray and through dozens of trees, knocking each of them down like a bowling pin. However, the Dewott got back on his four legs and sprinted all the way back to the opening and sprung into the air.

"Use Water Gun at full power!"

"Flamethrower!"

Both Pokemon unleashed their attacks and put everything behind them. When they collided, Bellator quickly overpowered Pyroar and soaked the lion, who was thrown into the bottom of the crater as a result of the impact. Bellator landed and then lunged after Pyroar, eager to continue his assault, which Gray picked up on immediately.

"Keep it up! Hit him with Aqua Jet!"

Bellator smirked and the fox-cloak quickly transformed so that it was almost like he had turned into a bullet of water. Pyroar, shocked by the otherworldly speed of his opponent, couldn't get out of the way in time and was clobbered by the super effective attack, causing an explosion to occur. A massive cloud of smoke followed afterwards, and Gray turned back to her Pokemon worriedly, only to see reassuring looks on each of their faces.

000

"Noah, why aren't you with Gray!?" Bianca screamed as she and the others found the eighteen year old standing in the forest blankly along with Zoroark, Greninja, and Arcanine.

The foursome turned with shocked expressions plastered on each of their faces, making White, Bianca, Cheren, Hugh, and N worried. As they attempted to run forwards, they stopped and saw Gray standing with each of her Pokemon in front of a crater that took up nearly the entire opening.

"What... what happened there?" White asked, horrified by the damage that had been done to the area. "Is Gray okay?"

"She's fine," Arcanine answered swiftly. "But none of us can tell who she's battling."

"So why don't we go out there and check?" Zoroark questioned as if Noah were an idiot, making the eighteen year old shake his head. "What? Why not?"

Still shaking his head, Noah looked back out at the area and stared at Gray, not wanting to interfere with her ongoing battle.

"Okay, let's go," Cheren ordered, prompting everyone to run past Noah and they reached Gray's side, shocking her and her Pokemon until Bellator shot out of the crater and landed in-between his teammates and Gray's friends, glaring at each of them.

"What is that!?" Bianca shrieked, making Bellator roar and glare at her while Zoroark and Greninja appeared ready to defend the blonde.

"Pyroar, Iron Tail!" Lysandre screamed, forcing Bellator to turn his attention back to the battle along with Gray.

"Block it with Ice Punch!"

Shooting into the air, Bellator launched his right fist forwards, making the water around his body reach about ten feet further while it was engulfed in light blue energy. The attacks collided and battled back and forth for a few seconds until another explosion occurred and sent both Pokemon spiraling into the crater.

"So, is anyone going to answer?" White asked aloud, referring to Bianca's question.

"We don't know what's happening to him, but Bellator transformed twice," Unicus responded, confusing everyone. "Like, the first transformation was his fur turning gray, and then the next one was the water around his body transforming into the shape of a fox. That's all we know," she announced, making the others stare in shock until Bellator rose to his feet and roared.

Lysandre, meanwhile, turned to Alain and spoke to the Kalosian.

"Don't just sit there! Help Pyroar and I kill this thing!" he ordered, prompting the nineteen year old to turn to Charizard and bite his lower lip, not knowing whether they should join the battle. Surprisingly, Charizard stepped forwards and kept patting on the necklace containing his Charizardite X.

"Okay. Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

Charizard closed his eyes and immediately transformed into his Mega Evolved state. Then, he jumped into the crater and landed next to Pyroar, who nodded.

Seeing the sudden disadvantage Gray and Bellator were at, Hugh attempted to spring into action along with Greninja, but they stopped when Noah ran to Gray's side and Arcanine slid into the crater, standing right by Bellator's side. The odd transformation his teammate had undergone took Arcanine's breath away, but he regained his composure and exchanged nods of respect with Bellator.

"Let's beat these chumps, Gray!" Noah exclaimed.

"Right!" the brunette answered. "You and Arcanine take Pyroar. Bellator and I can handle Charizard."

With that, Noah nodded and threw his right hand forwards, just like Gray would always do with an important command, and he spoke up.

"Arcanine, hit Pyroar with Extremespeed!"

Without hesitation, Arcanine bolted across the crater at the speed of light and attempted to throw himself into Pyroar. However, Lysandre's impeccable reaction time allowed him to counter the lightning-quick attacker.

"Uppercut Arcanine with Iron Tail!"

Pyroar swiftly spun around and threw his glowing tail upwards, striking Arcanine in the chin. As a result, the dog was nearly launched out of the crater, though the attention suddenly shifted to Bellator and Gray.

"Bellator, use Water Gun on Charizard!" the brunette commanded.

Rising to his hind legs, Bellator reared his head back and unleashed a devastating blast of water, which was, without a doubt, stronger than a Hydro Pump attack. Still, Alain and Charizard were more than capable of evading the wicked attack.

"Fly out of the way and use Thunder Punch on Arcanine!"

Charizard grunted and shot into the air, just barely dodging the Water Gun, which slammed into the wall of the crater and created a gigantic hole. While Gray and Bellator stared at it, they were shocked to see Charizard traveling at such an incredible speed, allowing him to punch Arcanine in the nose as hard as he could, which made the quadruped yelp in pain as he was slammed against the wall so hard it cracked.

"Arcanine!" Noah screamed as he watched his starter weakly slide to the base of the crater, struggling to his feet. "Can you keep going?" he questioned, drawing a weak nod.

"You have to withdraw him, Noah," N demanded, causing the younger teen to turn around and glare. "Pyroar and Charizard are too strong, and he's still hurt from the previous battle you had. He has to be withdrawn."

Turning back to look at his starter, Noah muttered something under his breath and reluctantly withdrew Arcanine back to his Pokeball. As soon as the eighteen year old did so, Hugh and Greninja leaped into action, with the water starter landing right beside Bellator.

"Now, use Water Shuriken on Pyroar!" Hugh shouted.

Greninja obeyed and put both of his hands a few inches apart before a massive, spiraling shuriken to form. He then hurled it at Pyroar and struck the lion, who grunted in pain before angrily eyeing his new opponent.

"Bellator, use Aqua Jet on Charizard!"

Doing just as he was told, Bellator pursued his winged opponent and slammed into him, knocking Charizard towards the ground. Bellator then pursued and slammed into Charizard once again, making Alain curse under his breath before turning to Lysandre and glancing at the man. Elgyem was the only one to see that, and she took note of his body language.

"Charizard, Dragon Claw!"

"Match him with Ice Punch!"

Taking to the sky while his opponent descended, Charizard narrowed his eyes while his hands were enveloped in neon green energy. Then, swinging his arm at Bellator, the Dewott mimicked his opponent and thew his right hand, which was glowing light blue, and the attacks collided. However, the combatants swung at each other for a second time, and they were both hit by the other attack.

"Greninja, catch Bellator!" Hugh ordered.

The ninja frog nodded and ran towards his teammate, who was falling towards the ground, but he was surprised when Lysandre's voice echoed through the air.

"Hit Greninja with Wild Charge, Pyroar!"

Before he could do anything to brace for impact, Greninja was clobbered by the super effective attack. Hugh gasped in shock when he watched his starter slam into the wall of the crater beneath him, and he landed on his face limply. Shortly afterwards, Bellator slammed into the ground next to his teammate, but quickly got back up and glared at Pyroar and Charizard, who stood next to each other and walked towards Greninja intimidatingly.

"It's time we end this! Elgyem will be ours!" Lysandre screamed, making Alain look away shamefully, which, once again, Elgyem noticed. Deciding she had nothing to lose, the psychic type sat down and closed her eyes.

 _"Alain, is it?"_ a voice asked inside Alain's head, catching the teen by surprise. However, he maintained his composure and answered.

 _"Yes. Who's this?"_

 _"Elgyem,"_ the voice replied. _"I know you don't want to do this. Please, join us."_

Alain remained silent on his end of the telepathic conversation, staring at Elgyem, whose eyes were closed. Slowly, he took a deep breath and saw Charizard inching towards Bellator, who was on all fours and letting out the most terrifying roars he had ever heard.

 _"Can't you see? Your boss seeks nothing but power! Gray, though..."_ the voice trailed off, and Alain remained silent. _"Her bond with Bellator is unlike anything I've ever seen before. She truly cares about not only her Pokemon, but others, as well! Take me, for example."_

Alain turned away slightly, grabbing Lysandre's attention for a nanosecond until he turned back to Pyroar and Charizard, laughing maniacally as he did so.

 _"I know it's a difficult thing to do, but please, help us. If you can't trust me, listen to your heart."_

With that, Elgyem ended the conversation and rose to her feet, immediately turning to Alain and nodding. The Kalosian scowled at the looming decision, not wanting to pick one side over the other. However, he listened to Elgyem's advice and closed his eyes, thinking about what he thought was the morally right choice.

All of a sudden, he knew what he was supposed to do.

"Charizard, let's finish this! Use Thunder Punch!" the nineteen year old screamed, prompting his Pokemon to nod and obey. "On Pyroar!"

Everyone, including Lysandre, gasped in shock as Charizard spun around and punched his teammate right in the face so hard he was thrown out of the crater and landed on his side. Turning to the trainer working for him, Lysandre gaped and nearly lunged at him, but Charizard landed right by his trainer's side and roared at Lysandre, forcing the man to back away.

"You're a traitor," Lysandre stated, pointing at Alain.

"No," the nineteen year old shot back. "You're the one that's a traitor: a traitor to humanity."

Everyone remained silent as Lysandre backpedaled over to Pyroar and grabbed a smoke bomb from his belt.

"I promise you'll regret this decision, Alain. You could've been on the winning side, but now we're coming after you, and don't forget that."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lysandre hurled his smoke bomb against the ground and disappeared, leaving everyone staring in silence until Bellator suddenly reverted back to his usual self and collapsed on the ground face first. Gray hurriedly ran to the bottom of the crater and scooped her Pokemon into her arms, staring at him in awe while he was unconscious.

 _"Was this what Caitlin was talking about? The unseen power?"_

"Gray, is he okay?" Alain inquired as he made his way over to the brunette with Charizard by his side, drawing a nod from the trainer. "Look," he started, shifting to one side uneasily while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I know this is going to sound weird and all, but sorry for that whole mess."

Along with her friends and Pokemon, Gray shot Alain a look of suspicion until Elgyem floated to her side and nodded at the Kalosian.

"He is sincere," the alien announced, making Gray flinch slightly as she turned her attention back to Alain, who extended his hand. "I can tell."

"How?" White interrogated.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you," Elgyem retorted, causing everyone to sweat drop nervously while Alain nodded at her subtly, prompting the alien to return the nod.

"That's the truth, though," Alain stated, much to Gray's shock. "I know it's hard to believe that I've had a change of heart so quickly, but seeing the way Bellator was willing to protect not only Elgyem, but you and your Pokemon made me realize that you truly cared about your Pokemon, which is something Lysandre and everyone else in Team Flare lacked."

Once again, silence fell over the group, and Alain sighed, realizing his apology wasn't going to be accepted.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around," he stated while hopping on Charizard's back. "Let's go, Charizard."

"Wait!" Elgyem ordered, keeping Charizard from flying away. "Alain, you can't go on your own, Team Flare will kill you," Elgyem announced, making the black haired trainer scowl. "And Gray, they'll come after you again, whether I'm with you or not."

The brunette shared a similar reaction to Alain, knowing the psychic type was right.

"You two need to join forces. You share a common enemy now, and the only chance you have at living is by sticking together."

While Alain and Gray looked at each other, as did Charizard and all of the Kantonian's Pokemon, Noah and White stepped forwards and interjected almost immediately, grabbing the attention of the group.

"So you just expect us to forget the fact that he sided with Flare? That's ridiculous!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," N retorted, drawing a thankful nod from Elgyem. "Alain's a powerful trainer, so it wouldn't hurt to have him by your side in a time of need."

Noah and White exchanged glances and remained silent, knowing N was right. They were shocked, though, when Gray walked over to Alain and extended a hand.

"An enemy of my enemy is a friend," she stated, making Alain crack a slight smile.

Hopping off Charizard's back, he shook hands with Gray and nodded, making the younger girl grin confidently.

"We'll defeat Flare together, no matter what."

000

Meanwhile, in the forest, Lysandre was on his phone, conversing with an unfamiliar man.

"Your goons told me that you wanted help with a problem," he stated, drawing a nod from Lysandre. "It's gonna cost you a pretty penny, and I want to make sure you don't have any of those idiots interfere. Got it?" the man demanded.

"Of course. That won't be a problem at all," Lysandre replied, making the man on the other end of the call grunt. "However, I would like to add another target, and I'm sure they'll be sticking together."

"Alright. Give me the names and where you last saw them, and I'll get right to it."

"I last saw them near the northwest exit of Nimbasa City, in the woods, and their names are Gray and Alain. I want them dead."

The man on the other end of the call cackled at Lysandre's words, making the redhead glare at the ground.

"Not a problem. I'll have their heads."

* * *

 **So, there's the end to the whole Flare fiasco. Alain has joined the group and a new character will fill his Alain's old role with Flare. He/She will not be making an appearance in the next arc, but don't fret.  
Speaking of the next arc, it's time for a game-changer! That's right, we're bringing back the Crossover Arc! I only put up the Mega Tourney Arc so no one would expect this coming, and hopefully my plan worked. This will be a mini story of its own, in a way, almost like a movie, with Gray and some other people having to take down a sinister organization looking to destroy the world, so get hyped! Till next time, peace out.**

 **1) Are you surprised Alain joined the group? What do you think will happen the next time he interacts with Lysandre?  
2) Now that Alain's traveling with the group, should "Mega Battle" chapters continue?  
3) Thoughts on the character at the end?  
4) Crossover hype?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Vision"**_

 ** _Chapter Preview Not Found_**

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 45: Mega Battle 6: X vs X!  
** **Chapter 46: A Hoenn Bout: Pyro vs Bellator!  
Chapter 47: The Heroes' Demise  
** **Chapter 48: Foe from the Future: Team Temporal Rises!  
** **Chapter 49: The Three Musketeers  
** **Chapter 50: Commence the Countdown** **  
** **Chapter 51: Save the Future!  
** **Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: Two of a Kind  
** **Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	44. The Vision

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Salutations, everyone, and a belated Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! 'Tis the first chapter of the day, and there will be more to come later! Last chapter, Gray battled Lysandre, and Alain joined in to aide his boss. However, Elgyem eventually convinced him to turn on Flare, and he was then declared an enemy by Lysandre, which led to Alain joining the group. This chapter will be a bit odd, with the beginning focusing on the group heading for Hoenn, and the second half will be focusing on Bellator. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Yes, it finally has. After a brief delay with the Advena introduction (for reasons only a select few know, XD) the legendary crossover has finally appeared! Alain was an ass-head (or ass-hat, as I like to call it for reasons I can explain if you'd like) but he finally came to realize Flare's evil, so his badassery will be used for good! Mega Battles will continue based on the positive responses, so that's good, and get on the damn hype train! Merry Christmas!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Haha, thanks! He won't battle in that form all too often, since I don't want to go overkill, but I'm thinking it'll happen two-five more times, maybe. The first transformation will be pretty common, though, for Mega Battles. And Alain's switch was supposed to be a lot later down the line (Mistralton, I believe) but Elgyem's mini-arc kind of threw that out of whack. Merry Christmas!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Thank you! Sadly, I think that'll be the last time Bellator will take on Pyroar, or at least be the star taking him on. Mega Battles will also continue, and there's one coming that I don't think anyone will expect, so I can't wait to get to that. Also, crossover hype! (and Merry Christmas!)_

 **dragonplayer18:** _What name do you like? Alain? The Mega Tournament also won't be happening, though if it does it will be wayyyy later in the story, so there's no need to be unsure of that, at the moment. This is really just like any movie from cartoons/anime that you've watched, so it has little to no implication on the actual plot :D Thanks for the compliment, and Merry Christmas!_

 **Defender31415:** _Lol, that was hilarious. Glad to see last chapter was so enjoyable for you. Alain's changing of sides was supposed to be later, but the Elgyem (Advena) arc came up at the last second, so that's why. Alain does want to beat all Megas, so he'll still be doing those. This chapter's preview wasn't shown for the sole reason of me not knowing what exactly was going to happen XD_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Really? That's good! The next confrontation they have with Flare won't be nearly as epic if you're talking about Bellator's transformation (which is based on Naruto and the Nine-Tails). There will be a really intense battle, though, and the character from the end of last chapter will be appearing (and stealing Alain's role, more or less), so there should be some hype there. Speaking of hype, the crossover is with Warrior of Hope and Blaze Falcon, and one of ShadowDragon9000's OC's will also appear, so check their stuff out if you haven't already!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Come on out, everyone!" Gray shouted, tossing four Pokeballs - excluding those belonging to Ferus and Unicus - into the air.

"Palpitoad, Boldore, you too!" White yelled right after, releasing her two other Pokemon.

In six flashes of light, the girls' Pokemon appeared and cheered as soon as they felt the breeze coming from the speed at which the boat was traveling. They had departed about an hour earlier and had unpacked in their rooms. Currently, they were standing outside near the back of the boat where two battlefields were, along with dozens of trainers waiting for their turn to battle.

"Alain, do you have any Pokemon other than Charizard? Maybe ones you got from competing in leagues?" Noah inquired, prompting the older boy to shake his head sternly.

"I never bothered competing in those," he stated, sitting in his chair that looked out at the sea. "I only had one goal, and that was to master Mega Evolution with Charizard," Alain concluded, drawing a nod from Charizard while the rest of Gray's Pokemon looked on in awe. "But while we're on the topic of catching Pokemon, Gray, you might want to catch Elgyem so Flare can't."

The girl face-palmed immediately and grabbed a Pokeball from her belt, which she showed to Elgyem. The alien nodded and as simply as that, Gray tapped the spherical device against Elgyem's head. Surprisingly, the device didn't even shake, and the capture was immediate, prompting her to release her newest Pokemon.

"So what kind of nickname are you going to give Elgyem?" Arcanine quizzed, resulting in Gray pulling out her book of latin words.

"Advena. It means alien," she said, drawing a bunch of laughs from all of the Pokemon and Noah.

"Sounds fitting," Ferus joked. "What do you think, Elgyem? Does that sound good to you?"

The psychic type shrugged, indifferent to the nickname.

"Whatever you call me does not matter. It is but a name."

Everyone quieted down after the response, but it was broken in a matter of seconds by Gray turning to the battlefields and grinning. She then turned back to her Pokemon and looked at each of them before settling on Ferus.

"Hey, Alain, what do you say about a rematch? Ferus versus Charizard?" Gray quizzed, drawing unenthused responses from both of her potential opponents, which answered her question. "Noah? Ferus versus Arcanine?"

The boy shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back in his chair next to White, making Gray scowl.

"Sorry, Gray, but I kind of want to take a break from anything related to battling," he stated as his crush stomped her way over to the battlefield and looked around for someone with a Pokemon that could possibly match Ferus' strength.

"Does anyone here have a Pokemon that can Mega Evolve?" she asked the spectators, all of whom shook their heads and began whispering about Gray and her Mega Bracelet.

One trainer, however, stepped out from the crowd and pointed towards an area of the ship where no one was.

"There was some guy that beat every single one of us, but he didn't have Mega Evolution, though I don't think he'd need it," the boy opined, drawing a thankful bow from Gray and Ferus, who headed in the direction the boy had pointed towards.

Meanwhile, back by White, Noah, and Alain, Gray's Pokemon sat around lazily and talked about the events that occurred during their time in Nimbasa City, except for Bellator, who was off on his own meditating.

"So that Team Flare doesn't have any association with Plasma?" Celsus inquired, looking at Unicus, who shook her head.

"Not that I can tell," she replied. "Just judging by their names and the ways they dressed, I doubt they're related in the slightest. Who knows? Maybe they could be enemies."

The four others, which included Advena, nodded and muttered about the possibility of Flare battling Plasma.

"They were super tough, though. There's no way any of us could've taken on any of their Pokemon," Unicus opined, angering Potens and Celsus while Furcifer seemed to agree with her.

"No way! I guarantee you that all of us could've taken down a Pokemon each!" Potens proclaimed, making Unicus and Furcifer shake their heads so adamantly they were lucky they didn't fly off. "Look, Bellator nearly managed to do it... _twice_ , so why couldn't any of us?" the Noibat hollered, glaring through the duo she hatted so passionately.

Unicus and Furcifer looked at each other for a second before laughing. Even Celsus seemed to think Potens' thinking was irrational at best, and he shook his head disappointedly.

"What!? How am I wrong!?"

"Bellator's so much stronger than y'all it's not even funny," Charizard answered without even turning. "Sure, he may be at a level similar to all of you, but when he underwent that first transformation, it was like I was battling a completely different Pokemon. One that was, at worst, equal to me," the winged lizard concluded, leaving Potens in a state of anger while her teammates continued laughing at her

Alain glanced back at all of the creatures that were mocking Potens and shook his head, especially after seeing a look in Potens' eyes that was absent in the others'.

"Guys, shouldn't you be training or something?" White asked, annoyed that she wasn't able to relax without hearing all of the arguing.

Meanwhile, Gray and Ferus continued searching for the man that allegedly defeated everyone without Mega Evolution before finally finding a young man with a Typhlosion. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties, a little over six feet, and he had short, dark hair that was cut similar to anyone who was in the military.

"Excuse me," Gray called, prompting him to turn, revealing a scar along his right cheek, which grabbed the brunette's attention. Ferus immediately stepped up and spoke for his trainer, noticing she was at a loss for words.

"Sorry to bother you sir, but a few of the trainers over by the battlefields told us that you were really strong, and my trainer and I wanted to have a battle with you."

The man glanced at his Typhlosion and rose to his feet, his enormous build making Gray and Ferus feel like ants. They both noticed he was wearing black combat boots and couldn't help but assume he was actually in the military. After adjusting his black jacket, which he wore over a red shirt, the man examined both Gray and Ferus closely before seeing the Mega Bracelet on Gray's wrist.

"I guess so," he muttered, taking a Pokeball out of his cargo pants. "Sit this one out, Typhlosion," the man ordered, drawing a nod from the Johto starter.

With that, the man walked with Gray and Ferus over to the battlefield. While the latter two waited for a spot on the battlefield, the man simply pushed his way through the crowd and stepped into one of the trainer boxes, shoving a kid out of the outlined area.

"Let's go," he ordered, prompting Gray and Ferus to obey and step forwards, replacing a trainer who looked on hatefully.

"Ferus, let's win this thing!"

"Right!" Ferus replied, pumping Gray up.

The man, meanwhile, smirked and shook his head before throwing the Pokeball forwards, which snapped open and revealed a strange fighting type, one Gray had become all too familiar with during the first few days of her journey through Kanto.

"A Primeape, huh?" Gray asked under her breath, smirking at the powerful fighting type. "This is gonna be good. Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

Throwing his head straight up, Ferus let out a fearsome roar while the stone encased in the metal sleeve on his neck began illuminating. Everyone watching gasped in shock as Ferus was engulfed in a pink egg of energy before it shattered and a rainbow colored double helix appeared over the fire type's head.

"So, a Mega Houndoom's the opponent," the man whispered to himself, glancing back and forth between Gray and Ferus. "Primeape, we're going hard for this," he concluded, drawing a nod from the fighting type that sent chills down Gray's spine as she remembered being attacked by a group of Mankey during her travels across Kanto.

"What are your names?" a random trainer asked as he stepped into the referee box.

"Gray Plain," the brunette replied, drawing a nod.

"Dominic Jackson," the powerful-looking man answered.

After hearing both names, the random trainer cleared his throat and raised his arms in the air.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Gray and her Houndoom, and Dominic and his Primeape! Dominic can get the first move because he hasn't been defeated! Begin!"

"Okay. Primeape, use Dual Chop!" Dominic commanded, throwing his arms forwards.

Primeape took off at an unmatched speed and before either Gray or Ferus could react, the fighting type, whose arms were glowing light blue, slammed them over Ferus' head and spiked the fire type into the ground. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Ferus got back on his feet with little effort and glared, ready to retaliate.

"Chase after him and use Fire Fang!" Gray ordered.

Ferus obeyed and bolted after Primeape, who turned and quickly evaded the initial bite. However, when he took to the air, Primeape was left defenseless. Seizing the opportunity to deal significant damage to his opponent, Ferus sprung after the fighting type and chomped down on his leg as hard as he could as fire escaped his mouth and caused an explosion. He then threw Primeape at the ground, but the incredibly strong Pokemon managed to land on his feet.

"Hit back with Close Combat!"

Without hesitation, Primeape lunged at Ferus as he was falling and unleashed a wicked barrage of punches and kicks. Finally, he finished with a ferocious punch to the face, which made Ferus yelp in pain as he rolled along the ground, stopping right at Gray's feet. Even with the power of Mega Evolution, Ferus struggled to his feet, and everyone watching seemed to realize, leaving them in awe of Primeape's strength. Gray, however, didn't pay any attention to the condition of her Pokemon.

"Charge and use Play Rough, Ferus!"

While enveloped in pink aura, Ferus let out a roar and lunged at Primeape. However, much to his and Gray's dismay, Ferus was caught by his opponent. The Kantonian gasped in shock while Dominic shook his head disappointedly and snapped his fingers, though he was in for quite a surprise as Ferus and his trainer smirked at the same time.

"Now!"

Suddenly, Ferus disappeared and reappeared about twenty feet in the air, spinning like a wheel while his tail was glowing silver. Dominic wasn't fazed by the sudden turn of events. He wasn't quick enough to issue a counterattack, as Ferus slammed his tail over Primeape's head and clobbered the fighting type Pokemon before retreating to Gray's side.

"End this with Focus Blast, Primeape!" Dominic shouted, enraged by the damage done to his Pokemon.

"We're not backing down!" Gray screamed, drawing a roar from Ferus. "Use Flamethrower!"

As soon as Primeape hurled a massive ball of yellow energy, Ferus reared his head back and shot a blast of white fire. The attacks collided and, taking Gray by shock, Focus Blast crashed through and exploded on contact with the dark type. Due to the force of the explosion, Ferus was thrown past Gray and rolled into the crowd of spectators.

Meanwhile, back by Gray's Pokemon, Alain yawned and turned to his right, glancing at White's Pokemon. Upon doing so, he saw a massive explosion in the distance, which made Noah and White shoot out of their chairs and spin around. The Pokemon, however, sweat dropped, drawing Charizard's attention.

"What's wrong with you guys?" the powerful starter inquired as he continued glancing back at the smoke that was a direct cause of Primeape's Focus Blast.

"That's definitely from Gray's battle," Furcifer said aloud, prompting everyone other than Bellator to nod. "It's not that hard to tell once you've been traveling with her for a few months. You'll get the hang of it eventually," the Sneasel continued, making Alain and Charizard glance at each other.

With that, the two got up and walked towards the site of the explosion, though they were stopped when Snivy, Palpitoad, Boldore, and White stepped in front of them, shooting suspicious looks.

"What?" Alain asked harshly.

"Why are you going over there?" White interrogated, making Alain shake his head while Gray's Pokemon, except for Bellator, who walked off on his own and sat down by his lonesome.

Surprisingly, each of White's Pokemon immediately stepped out of the way after seeing a fierce look in Charizard's eyes, prompting their trainer to do the same, despite not knowing why. Alain nodded at the sixteen year old and made his way over to the battlefield Gray was occupying with Charizard by his side and Unicus, Potens, Celsus, and Advena following close behind.

Staying back to talk to Bellator, Furcifer waltzed over to him and smiled as she sat down on the chair Alain had been occupying. Bellator, meanwhile, was meditating on the one belonging to Charizard.

"Hey. Everything okay?" she quizzed only to receive a sigh of frustration, which made her sweat drop. "Sorry, am I interrupting?"

Bellator nodded and slowly opened his right eye. He was met by Furcifer smiling sheepishly, and he sighed once again before breaking out of his mediation pose to turn to her.

"Is there something you need?" the Dewott asked.

Furcifer, not knowing what to say, remained as still as a statue, confusing Bellator until she suddenly nodded.

"So, that weird transformation that you underwent a few days ago when you battled Alain and Charizard..." she paused, not knowing where to go with the question. "Uh, did you, like, know you could do that?"

Bellator immediately turned away from her and went back into his meditation pose, confusing not only Furcifer, but Noah and Arcanine, too. The latter two immediately looked at each other and kept an ear out for the conversation, wanting to hear Bellator's response.

"No."

The water starter closed his eyes as soon as he spoke and expected Furcifer to leave. She didn't, however, as she couldn't pick up on the hint.

"Unicus told me you went through a different transformation before that. Is that true?"

Again, Bellator sighed in annoyance. He still continued meditating and attempted to clear his mind in hopes of having Furcifer leave.

"No. Can I please just be left alone for a little while?" the Dewott asked harshly, making Furcifer recoil slightly, which Bellator could sense, even with his eyes closed. "I'll answer all of your questions later, but I need to decompress right now."

Furcifer smiled immediately and walked away from Bellator, beaming like she never had before. Bellator shook his head, sensing his teammate's sudden euphoric state. Arcanine and Noah didn't seem to catch on to the emotions Furcifer was exuding, and Bellator went back to meditating.

Back by the battlefield, Alain and Charizard's ears perked up when they heard the crowd chanting for Gray's opponent, prompting them to both push their way to the front. As soon as they were in front of everyone, the duo, along with Gray's Pokemon, saw an intimidating man and his Primeape staring at Gray and Ferus. The fire type was laying on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Focus Blast," Dominic muttered to Primeape, drawing a nod from the bipedal creature.

While he placed his hands together and formed a large ball of yellow energy, Primeape shrieked and threw his arms forwards. Once the attack was fired, Alain and Charizard intervened immediately, taking everyone back.

"Grab Ferus and dodge!"

Charizard swooped forwards and grabbed his fellow fire type, just barely getting away from Focus Blast before landing lightly. Once his feet hit the ground, Charizard helped Ferus over to Gray's side and turned back to Dominic and his Primeape, enraged by the duo's actions. Alain was equally annoyed, and he glared daggers at the older man, though that didn't intimidate him in the slightest.

"Are you seriously that cheap? No one attacks their opponent when they're down," Alain started, pointing at Dominic. "You're nothing more than the dirt on my shoe."

Dominic sneered at the comment and withdrew his Primeape back into its Pokeball before attempting to walk off the battlefield. He was stopped, though, when Charizard unleashed a Flamethrower attack, which hit the ground a few feet in front of the cocky man.

"Looks like we've got a tough guy over here," Dominic said, mocking Alain and Charizard while Ferus reverted back to his normal form and stood by Gray's side.

The brunette and her younger Pokemon quickly patted Ferus on the back, both literally and figuratively, but they stopped when Alain stepped in front of them all and showed Dominic his Mega Bracelet.

"Tough guy or not, I'm going to kick your ass," the Kalosian declared, creating tension between himself and Dominic, who growled lowly in response. "Charizard, let's go!"

"Raawwrr!" the winged lizard replied, roaring towards the sky.

Dominic immediately turned so that he was facing Alain, and he smirked at his new opponent. Gray noticed immediately and took a few steps forward so that she could talk to her new traveling companion.

"Alain, listen," she started, prompting the nineteen year old to turn slightly. "This guy's really strong, like, even Mega Evolution won't sway the battle in your favor, or even make it even. You need to be really smart, not just powerful."

Taking the advice, Alain nodded and turned back to face Dominic. Once he did, the older trainer looked over at his Typhlosion and motioned for the creature to step onto the battlefield. Obeying Dominic, Typhlosion made his way onto the battlefield and stood in front of his trainer, locking eyes with Charizard immediately. The trainer who had served as the referee during Gray's battle looked towards the girl and pointed at Alain.

"I'm Alain," the nineteen year old answered without turning, making the trainer sweat drop in fear before nodding and clearing his throat.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Alain and Dominic! Because he is on a winning streak, Dominic has the first move!"

The man in his mid-twenties nodded at the referee and turned his attention back to Alain, who stood confidently behind Charizard and in front of Gray, Ferus, and the rest of her Pokemon.

"Typhlosion, use Aerial Ace!" Dominic roared.

Bending his knees slightly, Typhlosion smirked before launching forwards with the speed of a jet. Everyone, including Gray and Ferus, gasped in shock at the unprecedented speed, but Alain and his lone Pokemon kept their composure, having faced dozens of powerful opponents during their travels.

"Match him, Charizard! Dragon Claw!" Alain countered confidently.

Charizard nodded and while his claws were enveloped in neon green energy, he roared and swung both arms forwards. The attacks collided and both Pokemon battled back and forth before Typhlosion prevailed, crushing Charizard against the ground before springing backwards and landing a few feet in front of Dominic, who sneered at Alain while the nineteen year old looked down at Charizard.

"Wow, she wasn't kidding," Unicus muttered to Celsus and Advena, drawing a pair of nods from the psychic types. "That Dominic guy is something else."

"Yeah. I'd love to see Bellator battle him," Celsus stated, which his teammates agreed with right away, especially Furcifer.

"Charizard, stay strong!" Alain yelled, forcing the fire starter to rise to his feet and glare at Typhlosion, who maintained a blank expression until Dominic suddenly spoke up.

"Charge and use Double Team!"

Typhlosion did just as he was told and sprinted towards Charizard while creating several clones of himself. Afterwards, the clones and real Johto starter ran circles around Charizard, who tried keeping his eye on the one he thought was real, only to be overwhelmed by the sheer speed of his opponents. Seeing that, Dominic cracked a wicked smirk, but Alain was quick to think of a way to get out of the sticky situation.

"Take to the sky and use Flamethrower on the ground, Charizard!"

Charizard obeyed and flapped his wings as hard as he could, creating a powerful gust of wind that nearly knocked the spectators onto their backs. Still, it wasn't strong enough to overwhelm Typhlosion or Dominic, which made Alain curse under his breath even as his starter flew towards the sky.

"Grab his tail and throw him against the ground! Then use Double-Edge!"

In the blink of an eye, Typhlosion had grabbed Charizard by the tail and stopped his ascent cold, making everyone gasp. The pure fire type then hurled Charizard into the ground with all his might and pursued once again, only this time he was enveloped in white light. Even as Charizard pushed himself off the ground, his body surging with pain, he locked eyes with Alain and nodded, showing his will to win.

"Charizard, stop him with a spinning Steel Wing!"

The winged beast shot off the ground and spun like a drill, creating a ring of silver light around his head. He then collided with Typhlosion but was overwhelmed instantly due to both gravity and the power behind the Johto starter's attack. The two then slammed into the ground, with Charizard taking all of the damage from the impact while Typhlosion once again hopped back to Dominic's side and kept his eyes locked on Charizard.

"Wow!" Potens screamed in shock as the entire battlefield shattered into hundreds of pieces due to the force of Charizard's impact. "The amount of power it takes to do that is insane," she continued, shaking her head in disbelief while Advena looked over at the dragon type and examined her closely.

"Alain, you've got to stay smart! Don't try and go blow-for-blow with him!" Gray instructed, angering the older trainer, who had defeated her in battle before.

"That's it! We're finishing this right here, right now!" Alain screamed, making Charizard rise to his feet. "Blast Burn!"

Nodding at his command, Charizard let out a menacing roar that silenced everyone watching the battle, and he flexed. Dominic, however, wasn't going to sit by and allow his opponents to get off an incredibly powerful attack, so he spoke quickly to his strongest Pokemon.

"Heh, rookie mistake," Dominic mumbled while shaking his head. "It's time for the real end to the battle. Typhlosion, grab Charizard and use Eruption!"

Typhlosion shot forwards and grabbed Charizard's arms before he could punch the ground, and the Johto starter roared as the fire on his neck began to burn intensely. Alain attempted to call out to his lone Pokemon but was too slow. Typhlosion unleashed a ball of fire that exploded on contact and hurled Charizard past both Alain and Gray. After hitting into the wall behind Gray's Pokemon, Charizard's face hit the ground and his eyes were closed, prompting the referee to raise his arms in the air.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Dominic and Typhlosion are the winners!"

Alain immediately ran over to his Pokemon's side and knelt by him while Gray withdrew all of her Pokemon except for Unicus, Advena, and Ferus, who all checked on Charizard.

"Are you okay, Charizard?" Alain questioned sincerely, placing his hand on the fire type's head.

Charizard nodded slowly and frowned when he saw White, her Pokemon, Noah, and Arcanine running over, staring at him in shock. Hanging his head as he was helped to his feet, Charizard retreated with Unicus and Advena while Ferus and Arcanine remained by their trainers' sides.

"Neither of you should be allowed to have Mega Bracelets," Dominic spat as he walked past both Gray and Alain, who glared at him hatefully. "You're not worth it."

Typhlosion didn't say a word but locked eyes with Ferus and Arcanine before turning away, disgusted with what he saw. The fire starter and his trainer disappeared inside the ship and left Gray in a blind fit of rage. Alain, however, put his hands in his pockets and walked away while hanging his head.

"Alain, hey!" White called, reaching out to the nineteen year old, only for him to walk past her as if he didn't hear a word she had said. "What's wrong with him?" the rookie asked Gray and Noah, the former of whom shrugged after taking a deep breath.

"We should leave him alone for a while. Come on, let's go get something to eat," Noah proposed, drawing nods from the two girls as they all walked towards the dining area of the ship.

000

Meanwhile, Bellator continued meditating all by his lonesome. While most of his meditating was just meant to clear his mind, Bellator had reached an entirely new level of tranquility, unable to open his eyes. As he continued clearing his mind, the water type couldn't help but think back to his battle with Charizard and the transformations he had gone through.

 _"That first one, I didn't even realize what I had done until I looked at myself. But if I think about it, it was almost like I could see Gray and everything she was doing, even when my back was to her,"_ Bellator thought to himself.

Going back to silence, he attempted once again to clear his mind. Again, he thought about the transformation. This time, however, it was the second one.

 _"That time, though... I wasn't in control. I could still listen to Gray, but when she didn't talk..."_ Bellator paused and bit his lower lip, slowly creeping out of his detached mental state. Before he could open his eyes, the water type was shocked when a strange figure appeared in the darkness.

It was in-between two other figures, which were radiating energy.

 _"What... what is that?"_

The figure began glowing blue for a few seconds, almost as if it were trying to let Bellator discover its identity. However, before he could try to do so, it vanished, and his eyes shot open without his control. Turning to look around, Bellator saw he was sitting to the right of Gray and the left of Noah, who smiled when they saw he had finished meditating.

Whatever it was that he saw, it was trying to send a message.

* * *

 **Soooo weird ending, I know, and it's especially weird for being in the first chapter of the arc, but it's important. Basically, Bellator had a vision while meditating, and those visions will become much more vivid and longer throughout the course of the story. Aside from that, a new character, Dominic, was introduced, and he destroyed Gray and Alain in one vs one battles. He'll be appearing quite a bit and will serve as a rival of both Gray and Alain, so he's a very unique character. Next chapter will focus a lot more on action, though, so there's something to look forward to. Till then, peace out.  
** **Also, thanks to Warrior of Hope for the submission of Dominic!**

 **1) What do you think the purpose of the vision was?  
2) Thoughts on Dominic? (I asked this last chapter because this was initially supposed to be 43 and I didn't catch it, lol)  
3) Red vs Alain hype?**

* * *

 ** _Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 6: X vs X!"_**

 ** _Having arrived in Hoenn for the Mega Tournament, Gray and Alain decide to check in for the competition. While doing so, they encounter Red and Owen. Upon meeting them, Alain challenges both Champions to a battle, and the former accepts. Will Alain and Charizard prove to be the superior duo?_**

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 46: A Hoenn Bout: Pyro vs Bellator!  
Chapter 47: The Heroes' Demise  
Chapter 48: Foe from the Future: Team Temporal Rises!  
Chapter 49: The Three Musketeers  
** **Chapter 50: Commence the Countdown** **  
** **Chapter 51: Save the Future!  
** **Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: Two of a Kind  
** **Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	45. Mega Battle 6: X vs X!

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, everyone? I know I said I'd get up multiple chapters yesterday but I didn't, so I shall release two today. Last chapter, Gray and Alain battled a trainer by the name of Dominic, who (was sent in by Warrior of Hope and) defeated them both with ease. This chapter, Alain will get to face Red, and the group will arrive in Hoenn. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Haha, I think you'll come to appreciate Dominic as a character later down the road. For now, you should hate him, but I think people will eventually start to like him_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Definitely. He's one of the more unique characters I've written about, and I really like your answer about Bellator. That would be a really interesting route to take with his new "evolution"_

 **Defender31415:** _He does seem a lot like Paul now that I think about it XD He didn't show off his complete power, though, so the next time he battles Gray and Alain it could be a lot worse for them, especially if he were to use Typhlosion again. And I was actually just thinking that as I was writing. All of the really badass characters (Pokemon or trainer) have some affiliation with fire types XD_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Lolololol. You're on to something with it being about Synchro Evolution, and the trippy visions will continue XD There's one that's a whole lot trippier coming a bit later in this arc, but they'll start to make sense around Driftveil or Nimbasa. Crossover hype!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yeah, I was never a huge fan of abusing Mega Evolution in-game (even though I did, hahaha), and you can thank Warrior of Hope for making it so Dominic's team won't have Megas. Whenever you do battle your friends, I'll be rooting for you and the power of no Megas! Wooh! (Badass Silver is a really good comparison, btw)_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Yes, the hype is only beginning to start, so I can't wait to see how intense everything is when we're done. Dominic is going to be OP for a while, but he may or may not meet his match (or potential match) in either Driftveil or Mistralton. Plus, Charizard didn't use Mega Evolution. Sure, he still would've lost, but that's a pretty big variable. The ideas you had for the first question are really interesting, and I'm strongly considering implementing that_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Haha, there won't be a form in-between the two, but you're right about having control over one but more power with the other. He's just going to have to learn to master those. Dominic's gonna be really scary (power-wise) but Gray and Alain may have a chance at beating him the next time they battle. Hype! And thanks!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Noah rolled his eyes as he chased after both White and Gray, as did Alain, though for other reasons. Both boys lagged far behind their energetic counterparts along with their starter Pokemon, and they walked alongside one another in silence.

The boat had docked in Mauville City after a very long trip, which, for Alain, seemed to last a lifetime. After he had lost to Dominic, he and Charizard seemed to be lost, which was interesting to see, considering they were the two that had beaten down Ferus and pushed Bellator to transforming twice, both of which had been unknown to mankind.

Noah couldn't help but stare at the older boy every once in a while, shocked by the sudden change in his confidence, and then he'd look far down the road and see Gray acting as if nothing had happened. It almost seemed as if Gray's loss seemed to bother Alain more than it did her, which was a bit funny to think about... until Alain would give a death stare.

"So," Noah started awkwardly while Arcanine rolled his eyes. "I know this could be a personal question, but why'd you join Team Flare in the first place? Didn't you know they were evil?" he inquired, receiving nothing but silence as an answer from both Alain and Charizard. "Right. Touchy subject."

The two nodded and Noah dug his hands in his pockets, turning away from the two to look at the concession stands being set up for the tournament, which consisted of trainers from all across the world.

"Do you think you'll be ready for the tournament?" Arcanine inquired.

Charizard nodded immediately while Alain grunted, catching his lone Pokemon by surprise. Arcanine and Noah watched as Charizard recoiled, but he regained his composure and turned back to Arcanine with a burning fire in his eyes.

"We're winning it all. There's not a doubt in my mind," he answered confidently.

With that, the foursome arrived at the Pokemon Center and walked in before spotting Gray and White talking to Nurse Joy. The two turned away from her and waved when they saw Noah and Alain, and Gray tossed a key to Alain, who caught in nonchalantly before placing it in his pocket.

"That's the key to your door. All competitors get suites," White explained, making Alain nod while Charizard cracked a smile and cheered at the fact that he was going to get to live in luxury for the week. "And we get to stay with you, since it's four bedrooms!" the girl continued, cheering along with Snivy while Unicus joined it. Advena and Ferus, on the other hand, weren't excited in the slightest.

"I do not understand. Why is this _suite_ so enjoyable?" Advena inquired, looking over at the Houndoom sitting next to her.

"No clue. Personally, I'm not about living that kind of high-roller lifestyle, but who knows? Maybe you'll like it," Ferus said, making Advena shrug as they followed Gray, White, Noah, and Alain down the hallway and out to the battlefields behind the Pokemon Center, which were, for whatever reason, in incredible shape compared to every other one the group had seen.

Without wasting a moment, Gray hurled several Pokeballs into the air at the same time as White and all of their Pokemon materialized from their capsules, letting out excited cheers before they saw where they were.

"Listen up, guys," Gray started, grabbing the attention of all of her Pokemon, who huddled around her. "I wanted to let you all know you have the week off, so that means training isn't mandatory, and you can do whatever you want... as long as it won't get you in trouble," she concluded, eyeing Potens, who sweat dropped.

"Wait, what are you doing then?" Celsus asked, unaware of the reason for leaving Unova.

Gray chuckled in response and patted the Girafarig on his head while looking around at the others, who also had no clue why they were in Hoenn before, face palming. She hadn't told them.

"I'm such an idiot," the brunette muttered under her breath before looking back up and smiling at the young group of Pokemon. "You see, after Team Plasma attacked Nimbasa, Caitlin talked to Alain and me, and she invited us to _the_ Mega Evolution Tournament!" Gray announced excitedly, throwing her arms up towards the sky.

The six Pokemon, Advena included, didn't share her excitement and instead looked at each other in confusion. Slowly, they all turned back to Gray and Unicus was the one to speak up.

"But none of us can Mega Evolve... kind of," she stated as everyone shot glances at Bellator.

"Ferus can, though," a vaguely familiar voice retorted, prompting Gray to turn around before gasping in shock.

A male around nineteen was standing a few feet behind her and was grinning cheekily as Ferus walked over to him and laughed. While the quadruped and Gray talked to the unfamiliar trainer, the Unova Pokemon looked at one another for a second time before Potens let out a deafening screech, making Gray, Ferus, and the teen look over.

"Who are you?" Furcifer interrogated as she and her teammates moved towards the unfamiliar trainer uneasily, making him laugh.

"Guys, relax," Gray started as she stepped back so that she was standing by the male's side with a smile. "This is my friend-"

"No way!" White screamed at the top of her lungs, cutting Gray off and angering her. "I'm such a big fan! I didn't think Gray was actually telling the truth!" she continued while shaking the trainer's hand, making him sweat drop while laughing sheepishly.

"This is the Champion of Kalos," Ferus announced, ending any potential delay. "His name's Owen Plateau."

Each of the Pokemon scanned Owen closely before nodding, satisfied with the answer. However, it took a few seconds for the teen's occupation to set in, and when it did, Unicus nearly exploded with excitement along with Furcifer. Celsus, on the other hand, clammed up, and Potens tried acting as if it wasn't a big deal to be in the presence of the world's second strongest trainer. Unlike his teammates, Bellator was genuinely unfazed, and he bowed to the nineteen year old, who returned the polite gesture.

"Hey, Noah! Alain! Come here for a second!" Gray shouted to the boys, who rose from their seats at the table near the doors of the Pokemon Center. Somehow, they hadn't seen Owen walk past them, but no one harped on that. "Guys, this is Owen Plateau. Owen, these are my friends, Noah and Alain."

"Nice to meet you," Owen greeted, shaking hands with Noah before turning to Alain, who nodded as he extended his hand. "Alain, right?"

"Yup," the Kalosian answered politely as he shook the Champion's hand. "Charizard, come here for a second, would you?"

Owen's ears immediately perked up at the fire type's name and watched as Alain's Charizard made his way over to his trainer's side and immediately bowed, which made Owen laugh.

"We're actually huge fans-" Charizard was cut off by Alain jabbing him in the ribs with his elbow, drawing a mischievous look from White. "What? It's true!" Alain deadpanned at his starter's idiocy and remained silent as he turned back to Owen and bowed apologetically. "Sorry about that; he doesn't like to seem uncool."

"I get it," Owen replied.

"But as I was saying, we're huge fans. That battle you had with Red for the title of Champion of the Indigo League three years ago was the best one I've ever seen!"

Each of Gray's younger Pokemon looked on with intrigue, having been unaware of the Kantonian's accomplishments. While Charizard continued listing each of Owen's accolades and random facts about his journeys, Potens cleared her throat and drew the attention of everyone else.

"So, uh, why are you here?" she asked, resulting in Gray shooting her a nasty look. "I didn't mean it like that," the Noibat added as she continued eyeing her trainer's friend as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it.

After smoothing out the paper, Owen scanned over it and he deadpanned.

"Is everything okay?" Arcanine inquired.

"Yeah, I don't know how I forgot," the powerful trainer responded after bowing. "Red's supposed to meet me here, and while I have the chance..." Owen paused, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt. "Come on out!"

In a bright burst of light, everyone stared as a large, winged creature materialized from the light and let out a wicked Flamethrower attack. After doing so, the creature looked around and recognized a few of the people around him.

"Fortis!" Gray screamed as she ran over to the dragon type, hugging him immediately. "It's been so long! How are you?" she asked while laughing.

"Great, thanks. It's great to see you again!" he exclaimed.

Noah and Arcanine then ran over to the Flygon while Alain, White, their Pokemon, and all of Gray's Unova team except for Unicus looked on in confusion. Their quizzical looks disappeared, however, when Owen walked over with a smile on his face and motioned to Gray, prompting her to introduce the unfamiliar creature.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Fortis. I caught him as a Trapinch back when I traveled across Kanto a few years ago," Gray explained, drawing nods from those that had never met Fortis. "Fortis, these are my friends, White and Alain. White's a rookie trainer that's been traveling with us since Unicus and I landed in Unova, and Alain's a really strong trainer that we battled a few times."

Fortis bowed to both trainers, and they did the same until White face palmed.

"Now I remember! Fortis is, like, you're strongest Pokemon! Or, at least one of them," the sixteen year old said aloud.

Gray refused to nod, not wanting to disclose her opinion on how Fortis stacked up against her other Pokemon, but Ferus and Owen nodded adamantly, validating the rookie trainer's statement.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Alain said to Gray's powerhouse while Charizard stepped forwards, locking eyes with Fortis immediately. Instead of attacking each other, both winged creatures bowed out of respect for the other's power. "Huh, Fortis really is strong."

"What makes you say that?" Noah joked, tongue in cheek, though Alain didn't seem to pick up on the younger boy's sarcasm.

"Charizard never bows to anyone unless they're older or extremely powerful, and judging by how young Fortis looks, I think it's safe to assume the latter," the Kalosian stated as he took his hands out of his pockets, allowing Owen to see his Mega Bracelet.

"Hey, you can use Mega Evolution?" the Champion of Kalos inquired, drawing a nod from Alain. "Wow, impressive. How many leagues have you competed in?" he asked while checking a text.

"None," Alain answered quickly. "Charizard and I have different goals. Right?"

"That you are," Charizard confirmed.

"Really? What are you hoping to accomplish?"

Alain and Charizard looked at one another while Fortis conversed with Arcanine and Ferus, occasionally glancing at the Unova Pokemon before whispering wildly.

"We want to defeat every Mega Evolution and stand at the summit," Alain proclaimed, making Owen nod while he typed a note of Alain's goal into his phone. "And that includes Mega Fusion," the confident trainer added.

Everyone turned to Owen and watched as the nineteen year old chuckled at Alain's words and closed his phone while looking up and locking eyes with his challenger. Both Alain and Charizard continued staring at Owen, but the Champion sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, but I can't battle you right now. I need to check in on the family and make sure everything with the tournament's ready," he responded, crushing the hopes of his challengers. "But," Owen said, causing Alain and Charizard to lift their heads, "I do know someone that's stronger and would be willing to battle you, though."

"Who is it?" Ferus quizzed, making Owen crack a smile as he opened his phone when it rang.

"Why don't you look for yourself?" he retorted, pointing towards the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center, causing everyone to spin around and stare.

The doors crept open and everyone stared as a trainer who appeared to be a year older than Owen walked out with a baseball cap on his head, covering his black hair. Readjusting the headwear by pulling on the bill of the cap, the trainer looked up and cracked a wide grin while everyone else gasped in awe.

"Is that..." Noah couldn't finish his sentence as he was so starstruck.

Owen nodded.

"Nice to see ya again, Gray," the twenty year old said as he hugged the brunette for a second. "How's everything going in Unova?"

"Could be better, but I'm hanging in there," the eighteen year old joked, making the older trainer laugh. "I'm guessing you're here to battle Alain, right?" she quizzed, drawing a nod from the man. "I guess I'll introduce you then. Alain, this is Red. Red, this is Alain."

000

"Let me get this straight. You're telling me we get to battle the World Champion?" Alain asked Owen and Red, both of whom nodded right away. "But, why? How do you even know Charizard and I are worthy?"

The two strongest trainers in the world glanced at one another before turning and pointing at none other than Gray, who was sitting off to the side of the battlefield with her Pokemon, introducing them to Fortis and vice versa.

"She texted me yesterday asking if I'd be here, and when I said yeah, she told me that I had to battle this really strong trainer," Owen informed Alain and his Charizard, whose jaws hit the ground. "She thinks really highly of you."

"Really? But he's only been traveling with us for the past three days," White countered, causing Owen to shrug.

"I don't know. I'm just telling you what she said to me."

Everyone went silent for a few moments as Red adjusted his baseball cap once again before looking up across the table and grinning at Alain, who had chills run down his spine.

"What do you say, Alain? Are you up for a battle?"

"Are you crazy!?" Charizard shouted before Alain could even process what was happening. "Of course we are!"

Red grinned and nodded at the response. Then, rising from his chair, the twenty year old attempted to walk over to the trainer box furthest away, but he stopped and turned when he heard someone slam their hands on the table. It was Alain.

"On one condition, though," he stated, making Owen laugh to himself while Red nodded. "We use Mega Evolution. My Charizard against yours."

At this, Owen did all he could to hold back his laughter, and he managed to do so. He couldn't suppress an ear-to-ear grin, though.

 _"This guy's got guts. I like that."_

"Fine by me," Red replied, prompting Alain to rise from his chair and make his way over to the closer trainer box. "Just remember, we're not going to go easy on you."

Alain and Charizard nodded while Owen made his way over to the referee box with Gray, White, and Noah. All of the Pokemon remained on the other side of the battlefield and had broken into groups, chatting away while anxiously waiting for the battle to begin.

"This will be a one versus one Mega Battle between Alain and Red! The battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue, and I _will_ intervene if things get out of hand on either side. Understood?"

Both trainers nodded and continued staring at each other.

"Good. Now choose your Pokemon!"

"Charizard, it's all you!" Red shouted, releasing his strongest Pokemon from his Pokeball.

"Charizard, let's go!" Alain yelled, pointing forwards.

Both winged creatures appeared, and Owen decided to follow along as he released his Charizard, who smiled and hugged Gray before introducing himself to White and Noah. After doing so, he looked at both sides and deadpanned when he saw the unfamiliar duo.

"You can't be serious," he whispered to Owen, who nodded in response. "Those two are going to get killed! We can't let them battle Red!"

Owen waved off his starter's concern and cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of his friend and Alain.

"Because Red is, well, Red, Alain may have the first move!" he decreed, drawing laughs from Gray, White, and Noah.

Alain and Charizard, however, took the joke as a slight, using it to fuel their fire. Even though they knew Owen's words had no ill intentions, both trainer and Pokemon knew they had to do everything to psych themselves up if they were to beat the World Champion and his most trusted partner.

Meanwhile, off one the other side of the battlefield, Fortis sat with Ferus and Arcanine, and they examined both lizards.

"Do you think Alain and Charizard have any chance at pulling this off?" Arcanine asked Fortis, who shook his head right away. "What about making it kind of close?" Again, Fortis shook his head adamantly.

"It's not because they're weak. It's far from that, actually," the dragon and ground type started, turning to both quadrupeds. "Red's Charizard... I don't even know what to say. The only Pokemon I've ever seen give him any sort of problems is Owen's Charizard."

"Shit," Ferus muttered as he thought about how badly Alain had beaten him and Gray. "What about you, or any of Owen's other Pokemon?"

Fortis simply shook his head.

"Charizard, this is just another hurdle trying to keep us from beating every Mega Evolution!" Alain shouted to his starter, who grunted in response. Then, taking a deep breath, the black haired trainer closed his eyes and placed his right hand over his Mega Bracelet. "Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

After he was encapsulated in a large, pink egg, Charizard broke out of it and let out a menacing roar. He looked completely different, with his skin being black and blue flames shooting out of his mouth, and a wave of power was radiating from his body. Owen and his Charizard immediately glanced at one another and then turned back to stare at Alain and his Pokemon, impressed by their power.

"Not bad," Red said to himself, grinning at his opponents. "Let's see just how strong your bond is, Alain! Charizard, Mega Evolve!"

Mirroring the transformation Alain's Charizard had gone through, Red's Charizard let out an even more terrifying roar once he broke out of the egg that had appeared around him. The older starter then motioned for his foe to charge, prompting Alain and Charizard to act.

"Dragon Claw, let's go!" Alain roared, throwing his right arm all the way out to his side.

Charizard roared and took off at top speed while his hands were engulfed in neon green energy and took the form of two sets of massive claws. Spinning acrobatically, just like Bellator did with Razor Shell, Charizard swung at his older opponent. Alain smirked, thinking he had caught the strongest trainer in the world by surprise, but he couldn't have been any more wrong.

"Grab it!" Red countered swiftly, prompting his Charizard to throw his arms forwards and grab both of his opponent's claws. "Now use Dragon Rush!"

Smirking, the World Champion's Charizard was enveloped in cobalt energy that took the shape of a dragon, and he slammed into Alain's Charizard. As a result of the super effective attack, the younger fire starter was hurled past his trainer and into the wall all the way at the end of the property, leaving everyone except for Owen staring in shock.

"Charizard, spin and use Steel Wing!"

Despite the insane amount of damage he had taken from the attack, Charizard got up and zipped through the air while spinning like a drill. Then, his wings grew exponentially and started glowing silver. Due to the speed with which he was spinning, it appeared that a ring of silver light had formed around Charizard's body, when it was actually just his wings.

"That's a great move, Alain, but we're not going to be overwhelmed by it," Red informed his challenger, who bit his lower lip in concern. "Meet him head on with Flare Blitz!"

Everyone stared in amazement as Red's Charizard punched his hands together and was shrouded in a coat of blue flames. Then, taking off at the speed of light, he collided with Alain's Charizard in the middle of the battlefield and both Pokemon fought their absolute hardest in an attempt to overpower the other. Surprisingly, Red's Charizard was unable to prevail for quite a while, which made Owen nod at his starter, who nodded back in response. Eventually, the older creature crushed his foe and slammed him into the ground as hard as he could, causing a wave of fire to shoot into the air. After flying back to Red's side, Charizard winced slightly but didn't seem to be fazed by the recoil damage he had taken.

"He's as close to invincible as you can get," Ferus commented in shock before thinking about how badly he'd be beaten by the winged lizard, which made him shudder.

Before Arcanine or Fortis could say a word, they saw Alain's Charizard push himself off the ground, shocking everyone, including Red.

"We're not going to give in that easily! Way to go, Charizard!" Alain cheered, making his starter roar at the top of his lungs. "Now use Flamethrower!"

Charizard obeyed and reared his head back. Locking his eyes onto the older Charizard, he mustered up all of his strength and released the most powerful wave of blue flames he could. Shocked by both the speed and ferocity of the attack, Red was unable to think of a counterattack in time, resulting in his starter being struck by the intense flames. Smiling after watching Red's Charizard grimace, Alain's Charizard nearly fell on his face. Despite being barely conscious, he managed to keep himself upright and let out a roar.

The older duo marveled at the resiliency their opponent was displaying, but when Charizard stopped roaring, his energy was gone, and he slouched dramatically.

"I've got to hand it to you two," Red continued, watching Alain's Charizard pant wildly, showing just how fatigued he was. Reluctantly, the young man cleared his throat before speaking again. "You showed a helluva lot of heart. Really," the twenty year old commended. "But the battle's over. Charizard's not attacking again."

Alain scowled, but he eased up as he knew Red was right. Charizard was too tired to do anything, and taking one more hit could do some serious damage.

"Okay. Charizard and I forfeit," the Kalosian mumbled, drawing a nod from Red.

"Alain and Charizard have withdrawn! That means Red and Charizard are the winners!" Owen decreed as he sprinted onto the battlefield and threw his hands towards the sky.

The aforementioned trainer hurried over to his starter's side and placed a hand on the lizard's back, waiting for him to turn. When Charizard did, a disappointed look was on his face, but it was washed away when he saw Alain smiling warmly.

"Great job, Charizard. We have a lot of work to do, but you were great."

The winged lizard cracked a smile and nodded at his trainer, shifting his attention to Owen as he tossed a Full Restore to Alain.

"I can't believe your Charizard's so strong, Red!" White shrieked, jumping up and down excitedly while Snivy, Boldore, and Palpitoad looked at her like she was an idiot. "Hopefully I can have a Pokemon just like that!"

The World Champion nodded and attempted to speak to Alain, but he was cut off when his phone began ringing along with Owen's. Both of the trainers looked at the texts they had received and sighed, signaling that they were about to leave.

"It was great seeing you again, Gray, and it was nice meeting all of you," Owen started, bowing to everyone at once. "But duty calls. I'l come back later with Fortis though."

Gray nodded as she watched her Flygon walk over to Owen and wave.

"Yeah, I need to go right now. See ya, everyone," Red stated, waving to the traveling quartet before hopping on his Charizard's back. "Let's go."

Charizard took off immediately and disappeared in the blink of an eye, prompting Gray to turn to talk to her Unova team and Ferus about their schedule for the week, and Noah and White decided to train. Alain, meanwhile, began walking towards the Pokemon Center doors with Charizard, only to be stopped by Owen.

"Hey, Alain, can I talk to you in private for a second?" the Kantonian asked.

Alain nodded slowly, not knowing why the powerful trainer wanted to talk to him. As they began walking away from the practice battlefields, Owen began speaking.

"Charizard and I saw a lot of potential in you during that battle," he commended.

"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you," Alain replied. Owen didn't react to that, though, and continued speaking.

"I think I might be able to teach you something."

* * *

 **Whew. That's finally over, and now we can get to the damn CROSSOVERS! To recap, the group arrived in Hoenn and they encounter Owen and Red. Fortis returned for a little, bit Alain lost to Red, and then Owen decided to talk to Alain. Next chapter, as previously mentioned, is the actual start of the crossovers, and boy are you guys in for a treat. Maybe I'll post it tonight, maybe I won't ;) Till next time, peace out.**

 **1) If Gray could battle any Champion, who would you like it to be?  
2) What do you think Owen is willing to teach Alain?  
3) Who'll win next chapter?**

* * *

 ** _Next Chapter: "A Hoenn Bout: Pyro vs Bellator!"_**

 _ **Training with her Pokemon in preparation for the Mega Evolution Tournament, Gray meets a trainer by the name of Will Knight who has an equally powerful group of Pokemon. When the two see their powerhouses are eager to combat, they decide to have a best-of-five battle! Can Gray defeat her new friend, or will she meet her match?**_

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 47: The Heroes' Demise  
Chapter 48: Foe from the Future: Team Temporal Rises!  
Chapter 49: The Three Musketeers  
Chapter 50: Commence the Countdown  
Chapter 51: Save the Future!  
Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: Two of a Kind  
Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	46. A Hoenn Bout: Pyro vs Bellator!

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome, one and all, to the FIRST crossover chapter of PUA:ANG! We have an awesome battle ready for ya right here, and special shoutouts to Warrior of Hope for co-writing this battle. He did all of Will's move and his dialogue, and I did all of Gray's, so I think it's really cool that there are two different styles working off each other. Anyways, his OC, Will, is going to be appearing, and he'll have a battle with Gray. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Censoring for the win! Alain's getting knocked around quite a bit, but he'll start throwing some haymakers and kicking ass soon. Spoiler police are real, just so ya know. They're waiting to jump into action, if need be. Crossover hype!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Indeed, sir. I am the conductor, and we have officially reached our destination. Choo choo! Cynthia could be a really interesting opponent, especially because Owen's a given (probably)_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Yes he did XD And he actually is getting weaker being around her, but he's going to transform into the badass he was earlier in the story (and from a few chapters ago). Gray vs Cynthia could definitely be awesome, and I'm thinking that's the Champ she'll battle randomly XD Crossover hype! (Screw logic. This is FF)_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 31, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Slash* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 33, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 28, Tackle, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"So why are White and Noah looking for souvenirs?" Ferus asked Gray as they sat outside near the practice battlefields of the Pokemon Center.

The brunette shrugged and looked at her younger Pokemon, who had decided to continue training despite being offered a week-long break.

"I don't have a clue. And Alain said he needed to do some training, so I doubt we're going to see much of him," Gray informed her Houndoom, who nodded and looked around.

All of the younger Pokemon, except Advena, who was with White and Noah, were training.

"Remember, Furcifer, you need to stay low to the ground," Celsus stated, eyeing the Sneasel standing before him. "What do you think about that, Bellator?" the Girafarig questioned, turning to his friend, who was busy practicing close combat with Unicus.

Turning to face his teammate, Bellator shrugged and didn't say much, if anything. After picturing the idea in his head, he nodded in agreement and began bending his knees, trying to act out what Celsus had instructed Furcifer to do.

"That's a really good idea. Then you won't get hit by as many attacks and it'll make it more difficult for your opponents to track your movements," he continued, bolting across the battlefield with his arms sticking straight backwards like a ninja as he lowered himself to the ground.

Slamming both of his hands on the ground, Bellator began spinning around before shifting his energy into his arms, making him shoot into the air like a bottle-rocket. When he landed right in front of Furcifer, Bellator was on one knee and his head was hanging. Furcifer stared at the Dewott before he rose to his feet and nodded.

"Thanks for the input," the ice type muttered, shifting her gaze to Celsus while scratching the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Bellator! Come on! We need to keep practicing!" Unicus barked, causing the Dewott to turn around and run back to his training partner while Gray looked on with Ferus and smiled.

The fire and dark type slowly turned to his right and noticed Potens flying around on her own, still refusing to socialize with Unicus or Furcifer. He then shifted his attention to Gray and noticed the brunette shaking her head in frustration.

"I can't believe she's still not talking to either of them," Gray said to her Johto powerhouse, who shrugged. "Sure, they never got along in the first place, but wouldn't you figure one of them would crack eventually?" she asked, turning to Ferus.

"I mean, I'm not entirely sure. They remind me a lot of how Comis and I were, but Potens also isn't as big of a drama queen."

While they continued watching the younger Pokemon train, Ferus shifted his gaze to the left and waited uneasily, sensing a powerful presence looming. Before Gray could say anything, she screamed in shock when Ferus bolted towards the side of the Pokemon Center, snarling as if he had rabies.

"WOW!" a masculine voice screamed, making Gray sweat drop nervously. She turned around to see a boy a little younger than her with brown hair gaping at Ferus. He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a blue shirt, and a bipedal, chicken-like Pokemon was standing next to him.

"Just…" He trailed off, still staring at Ferus. "Wow! Is this your Pokemon? He looks so powerful!"

Gray slowly nodded her head before introducing herself.

"It's nice to meet you," she greeted. "My name is Gray Plain. This is my Pokemon, Ferus. He's a Houndoom."

The boy regained his composure and then introduced himself.

"I'm Will Knight," he greeted, "and this is my friend and partner, Pyro. He's a Combusken."

Gray narrowed her eyes and examined the powerful-looking creature standing by Will's side, impressed with the strength it was radiating. As she did so, her Pokemon walked over to her side, shifting their gaze between Will and his starter.

"Are these the rest of your Pokemon?" Will asked. Gray nodded her head and introduced him to the rest of her Pokemon.

"Uh, yeah! Guys, this is Will and his Combusken, Pyro. Will, these are my Pokemon, Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Potens is over there, and this is Bellator," the brunette stated, pointing to each of the aforementioned Pokemon with a smile.

"Well I may as well show you the rest of my team!" Will cried. He then grabbed his other four Pokeballs and released them all out into the open. Four very different-looking Pokemon then appeared.

"These are my other pals, Shadow, Ella, Mage, and Captain," Will explained as he pointed to each Pokemon, respectively.

Impressed with the group of creatures standing before the unfamiliar boy, Gray's Pokemon bowed to each of them, resulting in the other group returning the gesture. Just as they prepared to speak to their new friends, each of Gray's Pokemon noticed the absence of translators strapped on their bodies, prompting them to turn theirs off so they could communicate effectively. While they did, the group began walking away except for Bellator and Pyro, who continued eyeing each other, smirking the entire time.

Confused as to what her Pokemon had around their necks, Will asked Gray,

"What are your Pokemon wearing?"

Shooting Will a look that made him feel like an idiot, Gray turned to glance at her Pokemon before face palming.

"Oh, those are translators. They're really popular. Aren't they popular here in Hoenn?" Will just shook his head.

"I've never seen one before now."

"Huh, weird," Gray mumbled, the conversation dying immediately. As soon as it did, both she and Will realized the looks on the faces of Pyro and Bellator, piquing their interest.

"What's up, buddy?" Will asked, looking at Pyro.

"Yeah, Bellator, what's going on?" Gray quizzed, causing her powerhouse to turn with an eager grin at the same time as Pyro.

Now Will had the same eager grin on his face.

"I'd recognize that look on Pyro's face from anywhere. They want to battle!"

"Battle? Did someone say battle!?" Unicus screamed, flipping her translator on before rolling to Gray's side. "Oh, I'll battle! Let's go!"

Gray sweat dropped at the anxious response from her starter and sheepishly grinned at Will, bowing to apologize.

"Sorry about that. I don't know what makes them so crazy about fighting people."

"Don't worry," Will chuckled. He paused for a moment. "Would you like to battle then?"

Gray smirked and nodded immediately.

"Let's."

The two teens nodded at one another and made their way to the opposing trainer boxes while their Pokemon followed with Ferus stepping into the referee area.

"So, Will, how about a best of five battle?" Gray inquired, eyeing the Hoenn native.

"That sounds great!" Will cried, extremely excited to battle.

Nodding, Gray turned to Ferus and motioned for him to begin speaking, which he did.

"This will be a best of five battle between Will and Gray, where neither trainer may substitute their Pokemon! The battle will be over when either side reaches three wins! Now, choose your first Pokemon!"

Will looked at his five Pokemon, trying to decide who would battle first. "You're up first, Shadow!" The Bite Pokemon eagerly ran onto the battlefield.

"Mightyena, huh?" Gray asked herself, examining the powerful dark type with a smirk before turning to her Pokemon. "Celsus, let's do this!" she exclaimed, drawing deadpan reactions from her other Pokemon, who were all too aware of the disadvantage Celsus was at.

The Girafarig, however, was far too confident and galloped forwards, squaring off with Shadow while Ferus stood on his hind legs and raised both arms in the air.

"This battle will be between Shadow and Celsus! Begin!"

"Ladies first, Gray." Will smirked.

Curtsying as a joke, Gray then nodded at Celsus, and the psychic type swiped his feet along the ground, eager to square off with a powerful opponent.

"Celsus, let's start off with Agility!" Gray shouted, throwing her right hand forwards.

The tall Pokemon nodded in response before slamming his front two hooves against the ground, and he began appearing in random spots along the battlefield while a ring of blue light began spinning around his body. It finally faded once he reappeared in front of Gray with a confident look on his face. Will, however, wasn't fazed by Celsus' increased speed in the slightest.

"I hope that wasn't supposed to scare me, Gray." Will smiled. "Alright, Shadow, use Snarl!"

The newly evolved Pokemon snarled at Celsus, and a blast of black energy was shot at the psychic type Pokemon. It almost hit the giraffe, but he just managed to dodge the super effective attack just before it hit.

"Nice work, buddy! Now charge and use Stomp!" Gray roared.

Without hesitation, Celsus bounded across the battlefield and lunged at Shadow, throwing his hoof forwards. Despite the speed of the attack, the dark type rolled out of the way with relative ease, causing Gray to gasp slightly.

"Nice one, Shadow!" Will cheered. "Now show Celsus why psychic Pokemon just can't compete with you! Use Bite!"

Shadow instantly darted towards the psychic type and bit down on his leg, making the Girafarig shriek.

"Headbutt 'em and get away!"

Celsus was in too much pain to listen, and he continued to scream and thrash wildly while Shadow refused to relent his assault.

"Let go and then use Snarl from there!" Will ordered.

Shadow, unsure of whether or not Will's idea was a good one, listened to his trainer anyway and let go of Celsus. Before he could use Snarl, though, Celsus got away.

"That's how we do it, Celsus! Now give Shadow a taste of his own medicine! Assurance!"

Celsus smirked and turned around, pointing his creepy tail at Shadow, and it began snapping its jaws. Suddenly, a gigantic purple hand flew through the air and towards the Mightyena, who smirked along with Will as the dark type attack closed in on them.

"Jump over it and hit Celsus with an Ice Fang!"

Shadow tried to hurdle the purple hand but didn't jump high enough. He ended up getting hit, but continued on towards Celsus anyways. As soon as he arrived in front of Celsus, Shadow opened his mouth and bit down on the psychic type, freezing the area he bit.

As soon as he did, Celsus shrieked in pain and his eyes closed while his legs gave out. Smacking against the ground limply, the psychic type was down for the count, prompting Ferus to speak up.

"Celsus is unable to battle! Will and Shadow win the first round!"

"Great job, Shadow!" Will cheered. The Bite Pokemon then happily walked over to his teammates and laid down to rest.

Gray, meanwhile, ran over to Celsus' side and smiled at the Johto Pokemon, placing a hand on his side.

"You were great out there, Celsus. If I wasn't an idiot, then we could've done a lot better," the girl said, blaming herself for the stupid counter. "Will, you may have won the first round, but there's no way we're losing again!" Gray proclaimed, sticking her fist out at the powerful trainer with a smile.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Will teased. "You can choose your Pokemon first this time, if you'd like."

"Right," Gray replied, nodding as she did so after helping Celsus back to her trainer box. "Potens, get out there!" the brunette shouted without hesitation, prompting the dragon type to fly a bit before landing in front of her trainer, eagerly anticipating the reveal of her opponent.

"You're up this time, Captain!" Will announced. Captain happily flew in front of Will and looked straight at Potens, ready to battle.

"This battle will be between Potens and Captain! Will, you have the first move! Begin!" Ferus shouted.

"Well, Captain, we may not have been battling together for long, but I'm sure you can win this!" Will cheered. "Start this with a Wing Attack!"

The small Eaglet Pokemon flew quickly towards Potens then stretched out his wing just before he struck the Sound Wave Pokemon.

"Potens, let's show them what a real Wing Attack looks like!"

Once her eyes shot wide open, Potens regained control of her flight and shot straight up, her wings glowing white as she did so. Both Will and Captain were shocked by the dragon type's quick recovery, which allowed Potens to bash Captain over the head, sending him straight into the ground.

"Potens seems pretty strong, Gray!" Will complimented. "But I don't plan on giving up just yet! Get in close for an Aerial Ace, Captain!" The Eaglet Pokemon nodded his head and shot towards Potens faster than before as his wings glowed white. Just before the hit landed, though, Potens somehow got away.

"Way to go, Potens! Now pursue Captain and use Air Cutter!"

Doing just as she was told, Potens locked her eyes on the Rufflet and tucked her wings into her sides in order to gain even more speed. While the normal and flying type zipped around at mach speed in an attempt to shake the pesky Noibat, he was unable to and Potens eventually found an opening, throwing her glowing blue wings forwards and sending a crescent of energy at him.

"Keep right behind Potens, and as soon as you get close enough, use Fury Attack!" Will ordered.

Captain swooped down to gain some speed then rose back up, and started gaining on Potens. After a few more seconds, Captain had caught up to Potens and began jabbing her. After the first few jabs hit, though, Potens hit Captain, stopping his attack.

"Don't relent, Potens! Bite one of Captain's wings!"

Without hesitation, Potens shot forward and snapped her jaws on the Rufflet's right wing, making him squawk in rage while pain surged throughout his body, making his pain receptors explode.

"You can still do this, buddy!" Will cheered. "Try a Slash attack!"

Captain staggeringly flew towards Potens, but was blocked as soon as he tried to land the Slash attack.

"Nice work! Now finish this up with Wing Attack!"

Potens nodded at her trainer's command as her wings began to glow white, and she wound back before clobbering Captain, spiking him straight into the ground. A cloud of dust shot up briefly but dissipated in a few seconds, revealing Captain, whose eyes were closed.

"Captain is unable to battle! Gray and Potens win the second round!"

"Way to go, Potens! You rocked!" Gray exclaimed, drawing a nod from the dragon type, who flew over to the side of the battlefield so that she could stand with Ferus.

Will then grabbed Captain's Pokeball from his pocket and recalled the Eaglet.

"You did great out there, Captain. Nothing else matters," Will softly said to Captain's Pokeball. He then looked back to Gray. "That was a good move there, but this battle is still far from over," the Hoenn native promised.

"That's the fighting spirit we like to see, Will!" the older girl retorted with a smile while Unicus and Furcifer cheered in support of their trainer's words. "I guess we'll pick first again. Unicus, rock and roll!"

The Sandslash bolted forwards and began stabbing at the air aggressively, eagerly anticipating the reveal of her opponent.

"You're up, Mage!" Will called.

The psychic type Pokemon teleported in front of Will and stared at Unicus, showing no emotion.

Looking at both sides, Ferus cleared his throat and looked into the air.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Mage! Will, you have the first move!"

"Start off with Psybeam!" Will ordered.

Mage held his spoon with both hands as a pink burst of energy was shot at Unicus.

"Unicus, try getting out of the way and use Swift!"

Despite Gray's orders, Unicus was unable to get away from the devastating psychic type attack, which struck and knocked her back about fifteen feet. However, she sprung into the air and threw her arms forwards, sending a flurry of golden stars at the powerful Pokemon.

"Defend with Reflect!"

Mage brought up a pink barrier in between him and Unicus, in an attempt to block the attack. Some of the stars were stopped but most hit the Psy Pokemon.

"Great shot, Unicus! Now follow it up with Gyro Ball!"

Unicus dove forwards and began spinning like a drill as she was engulfed in a body of silver light. Speeding across the battlefield, Unicus let out a high-pitched cry as she closed in on Mage, but the spoon-wielding creature maintained his composure along with Will.

Will waited until Unicus was just in front of Mage before he called out an attack.

"Teleport! Then use Confusion!"

Mage teleported right behind Unicus and then focused his energy through his spoon. He then lifted Unicus with his psychic energy and threw her right in front of Gray.

Watching her Pokemon skid across the ground face first, Gray looked on in concern, but was kept from saying anything when Unicus rose to her face and nodded at Mage, acknowledging his strength.

"You're right, Unicus, this is a great battle. Now let's deal some damage! Magnitude!"

Nodding, Unicus slammed both of her claws into the ground, creating a wave of energy that flew right towards Mage and slammed into him, launching the bipedal creature into the air. However, he performed a flip and landed on his feet elegantly, making Gray bite her lower lip worriedly.

"We're not beaten that easily, Gray." Will chuckled. "Try another Psybeam!"

Mage nodded his head and launched another beam of pink energy at Unicus. This time, though, Unicus dodged the beam.

"Charge and use Crush Claw!"

Unicus, darting across the battlefield, grunted lowly while rearing her right arm back, her claw glowing cobalt.

"Try another Psybeam!" Will said, concerned about the Crush Claw. Mage tried to hit Unicus again, but the Sandslash was too fast for him.

"Do it!" Gray roared, punching her fist straight forwards.

Sharing the same sense of urgency as her trainer, Unicus began rolling towards Mage and suddenly slammed her feet on the ground once she returned to her normal stature. Then, throwing her arm forwards, Unicus stabbed Mage with a burst of energy that was emitted from her claw, and Mage grunted in pain as he bounced along the battlefield, stopping only a few inches in front of Will.

"Mage is unable to battle! Gray and Unicus win the third round!" Ferus announced, looking at his trainer and her starter, who high-fived in jubilation.

"You did your best, Mage," Will smiled, "You made me proud." He then recalled his Pokemon to his Pokeball.

"You were awesome, too, Unicus. Why don't you go take a break?" Gray suggested, drawing a nod from her starter as she walked over to Bellator and Furcifer with a proud smile while Gray spun around to lock eyes with Will. "Well, just one more win and this battle's over. You worried?" the girl asked, taunting her rival playfully.

"In your dreams," Will teased. He then turned towards his two remaining Pokemon, who had been watching the battles.

"It's your time to shine, Ella!" The Evolution Pokemon ran in front of Will, smiling the whole way.

"Furcifer, let's close this thing out right here!" Gray shouted confidently to her Sneasel, who grinned slyly and trotted her way onto the battlefield, locking eyes with Ella, and the two nodded at each other while Ferus spoke up.

"This battle will be between Ella and Furcifer! Begin!"

"We've got to win this one, Ella!" Will told his Pokemon. "I'm sure you can do it! Use Swift!"

Ella stomped her front paw onto the ground, making golden stars appear all around her. She then stomped again and all of the stars flew through the air quickly at Furcifer.

"Furcifer, try slashing through Swift with Metal Claw!" the Kantonian barked, hurling her arm out to her side.

While her claws extended and began to glow silver, Furcifer swung her arms violently, but soon found herself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stars, which struck her and exploded on contact.

"Now use Dig!"

Ella burrowed down underneath herself and dug around underground. After a few more seconds of burrowing, she jumped up from behind Furcifer and tried hitting her.

"Dodge it with Feint Attack and then use Beat Up!"

Furcifer snickered as she stomped on the ground, disappearing just before Ella could hit her. After popping up around the the normal type randomly, Furcifer threw her arms forwards and black aura surrounded her, Bellator, Potens, and Unicus. Suddenly, four blasts of energy were fired at the Eevee and they struck her, though the attack didn't seem to do much damage.

"Take Down while she's close!" Will ordered.

Ella rammed into Furcifer with as much force as she could get and knocked the ice type back about fifteen feet. Ella then slightly cringed from the recoil damage.

"Hang in there, Furcifer!" Gray called out to her downed Pokemon, who struggled to push herself off the ground.

Once she did, Furcifer nodded at Gray, prompting the eighteen year old to issue another command.

"Great! Ram into Ella with Quick Attack!"

Furcifer, with a sudden burst of speed, shot forwards as a trail of white light appeared behind her body. Then, she lowered her shoulder and roared as she attempted to obliterate her opponent.

"Meet her with a Quick Attack of your own!"

Ella then ran forwards with a trail of white light behind her, and went to match Furcifer's attack. The two Pokemon then rammed into each other, and both were knocked into separate directions.

"Okay, Furcifer, let's finish this! Use Icy Wind!" Gray shrieked.

Furcifer nodded and opened her mouth, exhaling dramatically while unleashing a wind of freezing energy. Much to their dismay, Gray and Furcifer watched as Ella nonchalantly leaped over the wicked wind of energy and bounded across the battlefield.

"Use Quick Attack to get close Furcifer then hit her with a Take Down!"

Ella used the Quick Attack to get to Furcifer before she had a chance to dodge, and then rammed into her with a powerful Take Down. Furcifer was then knocked onto the ground, fainted from the damage Ella dealt.

"Furcifer is unable to battle! Will and Ella win the fourth round!" Ferus shouted, looking at the winning pair while Gray walked to Furcifer's side with a smile.

"Thanks for giving that battle everything you had, Furcifer," Gray said, making her Sneasel smile before her eyes closed, prompting the brunette to zap Furcifer back into her Pokeball.

"Great job, Ella!" Will cheered.

Ella then leaped into Will's arms and licked his face a bit.

"You were great," Will chuckled.

He then set her down and she walked over to Shadow, and sat next to her fellow teammate. Will then turned back to his new rival.

"I told you I wasn't too worried yet," Will teased.

"Well, I've got to hand it to you, Will, you and your Pokemon are really impressive," Gray commended, looking down at Bellator with a smile, "but we're still gonna win this!" the eighteen year old proclaimed, sticking her fist out at Will. "Bellator, it's all up to you!"

The Dewott performed multiple frontflips before landing in his signature pose, with his right foot slightly in front of his left, bent over with his left arm extended fully to his side.

"That doesn't scare us! Does it, Pyro? Win this for us, buddy!" Will cheered.

Pyro sprinted over from behind Will and bent his legs slightly, making him look as if he was ready to lunge at Bellator.

The two creatures then nodded at each other with eager grins, and Ferus began speaking shortly afterwards.

"This battle will be between Pyro and Bellator! Gray, you have the first move!" Ferus shouted, eyeing his trainer, who nodded thankfully before noticing a smirk on Bellator's face.

Will noticed the same look on Pyro, and both trainers smirked at each other while their Pokemon began bending their knees, preparing themselves for an epic battle.

"Bellator, let's start this off strong! Use Water Pulse!"

Without hesitation, Bellator formed two small spheres of water in both of his hands and hopped in the air. Then, spinning elegantly, he hurled both spheres, one while he was upside down, and the other as he spun back to being rightside up.

"Show 'em we mean business, Pyro! Run right at him with a Flame Charge!" Will ordered.

Pyro then cloaked himself with flames, and began sprinting right towards Bellator, getting slightly faster each second. Pyro successfully dodged the first sphere of water, but as the second was about to hit him, he continued running, deciding hitting Bellator was worth taking some damage.

"Bellator, take it head-on and answer right back with Revenge!"

The Dewott nodded and as he began to fall towards the ground, he watched as Pyro bulldozed through the second Water Pulse, grimacing in pain. Somehow, the fire starter fought through the pain, and as he lunged at Bellator, the water type began to glow red. Upon being checked, Bellator retaliated with a wicked punch to the gut, making Pyro grimace once again. However, it didn't look like he was going to be slowed down in the slightest.

"Use Double Kick while you have him this close!" Will ordered while pumping his fist in excitement.

The fire type jumped in the air, kicked Bellator once with one of his powerful legs, and then spun to hit him again.

Gray cursed under her breath after watching Bellator slide along the battlefield on his back, but he got back up without hesitation and looked ready to continue fighting, thrilled with the strength of his opponent.

"Alright, Bellator, let's show 'em your scalchop technique! Use Razor Shell!"

Bolting towards Pyro, Bellator ripped both of his scalchops off his thighs and blades of water began trailing them. Spinning, he attempted to strike the fire type, but he missed both times as Pyro did a backflip.

"Keep on flipping to get some distance," Will started, "and then hit him with an Ember attack!"

Pyro opened his beak and unleashed a barrage of fireballs at Bellator.

"You know what to do, Bellator!" Gray shouted, opting to leave her opponent in the dark.

Catching on to his trainer's tactics, Bellator cracked a sly grin and formed two balls of water in each of his hands and began hurling several mini Water Pulse attacks at the incoming wave of fireballs. However, both flurries missed each other and struck Bellator and Pyro, making both Pokemon cry out in pain.

"Are you alright, Pyro?" Will asked.

Pyro merely stood up, smiled at Will, then looked at Bellator with respect.

"Then heat this battle up with another Flame Charge!"

Pyro sprinted towards Bellator again after coating himself in another cloak of flames. His speed grew even higher this time as he sprinted towards Bellator.

"Don't back down, Bellator! Use Razor Shell!"

Bellator charged at his opponent, who was reaching unprecedented levels of speed, and he spun as quickly as he could before slamming both of the aqua blades against Pyro. As soon as the two attacks collided, and explosion occurred and launched both combatants through the air. Slamming against the ground, Bellator looked up weakly and saw Pyro was doing the exact same thing.

Pyro slowly started to rise, not willing to give in yet as Bellator did the same.

"Are you still alright to battle, Pyro?"

This time, Pyro looked back at Will and nodded, serious as ever. The fire starter then turned back towards Bellator, ready to continue their fight.

"Then run up to Bellator and use Double Kick again!" With his still increased speed stat, Pyro made it to Bellator quickly and again, jumped up to hit him once. This time, though, as Pyro was spinning before hitting him the second time, Bellator ducked out of the way.

After running back to Gray's side, Bellator slouched over and panted wildly, as did Pyro. Both trainers saw the exhausted expressions of their Pokemon and grinned, knowing they each only had one move left.

"Will, this is where we end the battle!" Gray shouted with a confident smirk.

"I agree." Will smiled. "I'm more than ready to win!"

"Heh, we'll just see about that. Bellator, use Razor Shell!"

"Meet him head-on with another Double Kick!"

Bolting at the same time, the second stage starters prepared their attacks and kept their sights set on their targets. While Pyro began spinning, preparing to deliver one final kick, Bellator began spinning and grabbed one of his scalchops, preparing to unleash a final slash. Then, both Pokemon struck each other at the same time, making everyone gasp as they were hurled back into their trainers, who were knocked onto their backs as a result.

Seeing this, Ferus looked at both sides and immediately spoke up.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! That means this is a tie!" the fire type shouted as he bounded towards the middle of the battlefield and stopped, unleashing a wicked Flamethrower straight into the air.

"That was such an awesome battle, Bellator! You were amazing!" Unicus exclaimed as she ran over to her teammate. "And Pyro was so great, too!"

"Thanks, Unicus," Will said a little uncomfortably, still not used to Pokemon speaking yet. "You guys did great, too! It was an amazing battle!"

"I completely agree," Gray said, extending a hand as Will and Pyro walked over and Bellator rose to his feet.

"I hope this won't be last battle we ever have," Will told Gray happily as he shook the girl's hand.

Bellator and Pyro, meanwhile, nodded at each other, grinning.

The two starters, though hailing from different worlds, were one in the same. And they'd find that out in the near future.

* * *

 **So, there's the first official crossover chapter, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Gray met Will Knight, Warrior of Hope's OC, and they tied in a best of five battle that featured their powerhouses duking it out. Next chapter, things will get even more nuts, and let's just say Will and Gray are going to have a bad time. Also, make sure to check out Warrior of Hope's story "The Quest for Greatness: Hoenn" and follow Will's travels through Hoenn. Till next time, peace out.**

 **1) Thoughts on the battle?  
2) Even more crossover hype?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Heroes' Demise"**_

 ** _While Gray and Will get their Pokemon healed, they get to know a bit more about one another and find out their travels are fairly similar. Afterwards, they head off to the Mega Evolution Tournament only to be stopped by a pair of villains who have crossed paths with Will. Tasked with defeating them in a double battle, can Will and Gray defeat their enemies?_**

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 48: Foe from the Future: Team Temporal Rises!  
Chapter 49: The Three Musketeers  
Chapter 50: Commence the Countdown  
Chapter 51: Save the Future!  
Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: Two of a Kind  
Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	47. The Heroes' Demise

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, people of the internet. 'Tis the second chapter of actual crossovers, and Gray and Will are going to run into a few... hurdles along the way. Anyhow, last chapter revolved around Gray meeting and battling Will to a tie, with Bellator and Pyro, Will's Combusken, knocking each other out to end the battle. Also, this chapter was co-written by Warrior of Hope, so shoutouts to him. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _It is still beautiful, and forever will be XD Here's 47! And you know what you should do? Make me start working on the other upcoming chapters to prevent me from being stuck in update purgatory!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Well, I planned on releasing the last chapter (along with the one before) because I failed to put up two when I said I would... so yeah XD And I, at the moment of writing this, only have two more chapters of the crossover arc written (the next and last of the arc), so updates will be slowing down. If I deserve the medals, Warrior of Hope, Blaze Falcon, and ShadowDragon9000 do too for helping this thing come to fruition_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Props to WoH, as well. Hopefully the crossover game is strong with all of these, even though you do have an idea of what's going to happen XD Maybe we might have a trick up our sleeves when all's said and done :P_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks, and he really is. I'd definitely recommend checking out Warrior's story if you haven't already. Hopefully you enjoy the rest of the arc, because he's just the first of many characters from other stories to appear_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! Will's really strong, and so is his team, which you'll find out really soon if/when you do read his story. Can't wait to see how everyone likes the rest of the arc, because there are going to be a few more people from Warrior's story appearing, Blaze Falcon's character will too, and one of ShadowDragon9000's characters is going to pop in. The hype is too high for me XD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 34, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 36, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 31, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Handing over the large sum of Pokeballs to Nurse Joy, Will and Gray made their way over to a table by the windows of the Pokemon Center, every so often glancing over to check on the status of their Pokemon.

Trying to break the silence, Will spoke up asking, "So how many badges have you collected so far, Gray?"

"As of now, four, but we're training hard to get our fifth. What about you?" she inquired, expecting something ridiculous, like five or six to be Will's answer.

"Heh…" Will laughed uneasily. "You've got me beat, I guess. I only just earned my third badge about two days ago here in Mauville."

Gray's jaw hit the ground, and the brunette was left flabbergasted, along with Ferus, who eyed Will intently before smirking.

"Does that shock you or something?" Will asked, confused at her response. "Here in Hoenn, the majority of trainers at my level have three or four badges. With Ferus, I'm surprised you don't already have eight! How strong is he?"

Chuckling at the rookie's question, Gray leaned back in her chair and looked at her powerhouse from Johto, smiling at him. She was snapped out of her daydreaming when Will leaned forward, waiting to hear a response, causing Gray to laugh sheepishly.

"Uh, he's around level 60, though he's acting as a mentor for my other Pokemon. It'd be unfair if he participated in Gym Battles, at least, the early ones. But I can't believe you only have three! I mean, you and your Pokemon were incredible out there! We haven't lost that often back in Unova!" Gray exclaimed.

Will scratched his head embarrassed at that. "My best friend, Lily Davis, always tells me the only time I know what I'm doing is in battle. I'm pretty clueless generally."

Will was laughing at that, thinking back to all of the times his cluelessness had caused problems.

As Will did so, Gray watched him almost as if he were a monkey at a zoo, until she realized how obnoxious she was being, causing her to sweat drop before clearing her throat awkwardly, putting an end to Will's laughter.

"So, are you traveling with anyone? Having company other than your Pokemon is always a blast."

"Yeah," the boy answered. "Lily, the girl I told you about, has been with me since the beginning, and about a month ago we met up with two others. One is Natalie Brennan, probably the bane of my existence, who is with us always, and the other is Nick Parker, Lily's soon-to-be boyfriend she always denies, who sometimes travels along with us. How about you, Gray?"

"I've been traveling with two people, one a rookie trainer like you, and the other's a friend of mine from back when I lived in Pallet Town. White Peak, the rookie, she's a bit of a hot-head when it comes to certain things, and she has this huge crush on a guy named Hugh, but I guess we can get to that later," Gray stated, chuckling. "And my friend, Noah Ranch, competed in the Kalos League last year. I'm not really sure why he isn't collecting badges now, though."

Ferus shook his head at Gray's obliviousness towards Noah's feelings for her, and he muttered something under his breath, only to stop when he realized he had caught his trainer's attention.

"Sorry about that. Continue," the fire type said.

"What about Hugh then?" Will wondered, wanting to hear more about Gray's travels. "Who's he?"

A sudden fire appeared in Gray's eyes and she nearly shot out of her seat before answering, causing Will to sweat drop as he noticed the strange looks people were shooting his way.

"Oh man, Hugh's definitely the most talented trainer I've ever had to battle. His Froakie, at the time, evolved in the middle of a battle against Bellator and just crushed him, like, physically and mentally. It was the worst loss Bellator's ever had," Gray explained, folding her arms over her chest while recounting the memory. "I bet you have quite a few rivals, like that Natalie girl you were talking about, right?"

"Like you wouldn't believe…" Will muttered thinking of Nathan. "I have one rival with a Froakie, now Frogadier, like Hugh. His name is Blake Ritter and he's from Kalos actually. He's one of my nicer rivals...Unfortunately I've got an ass of a trainer wanting to beat me as well."

Thinking of Nathan, Will punched his right fist into his left palm.

"His name is Nathan Harley and he treats his Pokemon like shit…" Will trailed off, recounting how his rival acts after a loss. "And that's not even all of them. Wow. I really do have a lot of rivals, I guess."

Gray chuckled at Will's realization and leaned back in her chair once again, this time petting Ferus until her badge case nearly slipped out of her pocket, bringing up yet another topic in what seemed to be an interview for an audience that may or may not have been aware of Will.

"Say, how have your Gym Battles gone? I know you said you had three badges, but what were the battles like?"

"Oh man…" Will trailed off, recalling all of the details from his first three Gym Battles. "I started in Rustboro City against the rock type expert, Roxanne. That's actually where Pyro evolved...Dewford Town, though, was a whole hell of a lot more of a struggle. I actually lost my first time I challenged Brawly, the Gym Leader. I had to go back for some more training where I caught Mage, who at the time was an Abra. Mauville is where life finally got easy."

Will laughed at that, recalling how much more difficult his first two Gym Battles were compared to his third.

"I started off with a great lead thanks to Shadow evolving, and then Captain and Pyro finished it with nothing to it...I could really use some more battles like that!"

Will finished that, laughing at his own stupid joke then looked towards Gray expectantly.

"What about yours?"

"Wow, it's been a long run for us, thinking about it," the eighteen year old mumbled, remembering that she had started competing a month earlier than usual. "Well, my first battle was in Striaton City, and I had to beat three Gym Leaders in a best of three battle, which wasn't exactly the most fun idea. But everything turned out okay thanks to Bellator!"

Ferus chuckled and shook his head, realizing that most of Gray's success was a direct result of the bipedal otter's power.

"Then, our second was in Nacrene City and against a normal type specialist, who was really tricky because she kept using this move called Retaliate, which did more damage whenever her previous Pokemon had fainted. Lucky for me, Furcifer, being the trickster she is, lassoed the Gym Leader's Watchog and finished him, and then there's the Castelia Gym, which specializes in bug types. The leader their had this insanely tough Leavanny that was, like, impossible to defeat at close-range, but Unicus pulled it off!"

"You're forgetting about the Nimbasa City Gym," Ferus spat, causing Gray to deadpan while Will laughed at the fire type's aggression.

"Of course. How could I forget?" Gray shot back, staring daggers at Ferus. "So, basically, Ferus found out that the Gym Leader, an electric type specialist, had lights on her battlefield that increased the power of her Zebstrika, so he told Celsus to destroy them, and that's why we won. Happy?" Gray interrogated, eliciting a nod from her Pokemon.

Just as Gray and Ferus were about to argue over nothing, the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center opened and a familiar teen waltzed in, his hands buried in his pockets.

"Hey, Alain! Over here!" she called, waving her arms like a spaz.

Alain rolled his eyes at Gray's bombastic gestures and walked over to the table, only to glance at Will and turn away uncomfortably.

"Alain, this is Will Knight. He's from Hoenn, and he's a really strong trainer. Will, this is Alain. I met him in Castelia City, and he managed to beat me and Ferus in a Mega Battle."

"A Mega Battle!?" Will cried in excitement. Turning to Alain, he said, "You can use Mega Evolution, too!? Maybe we could have a Mega Battle someday? I just got a Mega Bracelet from Steven Stone yesterday!"

Will's excitement fell flat on its face, however, as Alain stared at him and shrugged, making Gray and Ferus deadpan while Will maintained an upbeat attitude.

"It's too early to tell. If you ever do master it, I'm sure we could," the nineteen year old assumed. "Anyways, I'm going to head out and find Owen so I can battle him. Let White and Noah know if you see them."

Gray nodded and watched as Alain walked out of the Pokemon Center as swiftly as he entered, but she eventually turned to Will and smiled.

"He seemed pretty interesting," Will told the girl. "So Mega Battles!? That's amazing! Is there anything you can't do?"

"Aside from win a league?" Ferus joked, only to receive a vicious slap to the back of the head. "Ow! What the hell!?"

Gray shot the most terrifying look at her Pokemon, silencing him immediately before looking back at Will and shrugging, not wanting to boast about her abilities.

"Well, I kind of got crushed by the Kalos Champion last night, so I can't beat any Elite 4 members," she stated, causing Will to shoot out of his seat like a rocket.

"You had a battle with, the, Owen Plateau!?" Will screamed like a fanboy, causing the Pokemon Center's inhabitants to stare at him oddly. He quickly sat down and slunk in his seat, but was still excited nonetheless.

"That's amazing! I know how you feel about losing, though. I lost to Hoenn's new Champion about two weeks ago at Dewford Island," he explained.

With her ears perking up at the mere mentioning of a new Champion, Gray stared through Will's soul, unnerving the younger boy.

"Since when did Hoenn have a new Champion? Actually, better question: how strong is he or she? What Pokemon did they use?" Gray questioned in rapid fire succession.

"Gees, Gray," Will laughed. "One at a time. Okay, let's see...He was insanely strong! He was only using a Pokemon he'd just caught and he kicked mine and Pyro's asses! His other Pokemon, though…"

Will looked thoughtful for a moment before answering Gray's other question.

"The only one of his other Pokemon I saw was a Bisharp that never actually battled," Will recounted. "He seemed powerful, though! I felt like I could actually see him radiating badassness!"

"Radiating badassness, huh?" Gray thought to herself while stroking her chin and looking off into the distance, causing Ferus and Will to sweat drop. "I've got to battle this guy some day. But let's try to be cool about it."

"That sounds amazing!" the brunette screamed, not following her own thoughts.

"My thoughts exactly!" Will yelled at the top of his lungs, standing up in the middle of the Pokemon Center once again. "Ahh chill out!"

The crowd was staring at him again, so he found the last part of his outburst necessary. Ferus, though, found it more entertaining than necessary.

Shortly after Will's outburst, a loud ring echoed throughout the Pokemon Center, causing the Hoenn native, Gray, and Ferus to turn in unison. Nurse Joy waved and smiled at them before motioning for both trainers to collect their Pokemon, which they did in a hurry.

"By the way, Will, I couldn't help but notice your Pokemon didn't have translators, so please take these," the pink haired woman ordered while handing Will what looked to be about two-dozen translators.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Will called as he ran out the door quickly, eager to go watch the Mega Evolution Tourney. "Hurry up, Gray!"

"Right behind you!" the aforementioned trainer shouted as she sprinted after Will, struggling to keep up with his Olympic speed.

Just as they exited the large building, an ear-shattering explosion occurred in the distance, creating a massive mushroom cloud. The trio stopped dead in their collective tracks and stared, flabbergasted by the sight….

"Hey there, Will," came a deep, arrogant voice from the roof of the Pokemon Center. "Long time no see, buddy. Where're your friends?"

Will, Gray, and Ferus all turned upwards to see two trainers standing on the roof staring back down at them. The speaker was a man with blonde hair and icy blue eyes glaring at them. The other was a blonde-haired girl with a long dress that looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.

"Who are these clowns?" Ferus asked loud enough for the unfamiliar trainers to steam and stomp their feet, enraged by his slight.

"You haven't heard of us?" the male asked, furious the Pokemon hadn't heard of his reputation, "We'll just have to change that. We're two of Team Demise's most powerful Admins and we've been sent to kick your ass, Will. Your friend and her Pokemon just got added to the ever-growing list, though."

"Wait, I'm confused," Gray started, looking over at Will as she did so. "Who's Team Demise?" she questioned, causing both the man and the girl to deadpan.

"They're a group of assholes that are trying to capture all of the world's legendary Pokemon. These two psychopaths are two of the Admins. Gray, please have the displeasure of meeting Trent and Anna."

Anna rolled her eyes at the comment and grabbed a Pokeball from her dress' belt.

"You're going to regret that, brat. Now your other little friends will have to visit you at your funeral."

Gray chuckled along with Ferus, throwing Anna off her game until she regained her composure and glared at the two.

"You really think you can take us? I mean, I think more people have heard of me than they have your entire organization," Gray retorted with a slick grin.

"Yeah, pansies," Ferus added, spitting after doing so.

"Now let's do this, Ferus!" Gray shouted, throwing her hand forwards.

Before the Houndoom could react, one of the Pokeballs on Gray's belt snapped open and Bellator materialized in front of her, holding both of his scalchops, which he grabbed and pointed at Anna and Trent.

"Battling sounds good to me, Gray!" Will called as he grabbed Pyro's capsule and brought him out of his Pokeball. "Let's kick Trent's ass one more time, buddy!"

"I'm going to love kicking your ass, kid," Trent muttered as he and Anna jumped down onto the ground.

He and Anna each threw their Pokeballs towards Will and Gray, and in a flash of blinding light, two different looking Pokemon appeared. Both of them were bipedal creatures, but one seemed more humanoid than the other.

Trent's Pokemon, the humanoid one, had a red-and-yellow striped body with pink lips topping off his dark face. From his large chest, two tubular arms sprouted out with three claws on each hand.

Anna's Pokemon, though, seemed to be made of roses. She had hair made of white petals, a green, leaf-like cape, and a yellow bangle across her neck. She had a dark-green mask covering her face, giving her the appearance of someone at a masquerade party.

"Take him out, Magmortar!"

"Finish this quickly or don't bother, Roserade."

"Those are quite the cute catch phrases," Ferus taunted just before the battle began, further enraging the Demise admins.

With that, the four trainers and their combatting Pokemon squared off, and Will was the first to break the silence.

"Start off with Ember, Pyro!"

The Hoenn starter opened his beak and began firing off barrages of fireballs at his opponents. Just before they hit them, though, Magmortar jumped in front of Roserade and took the attack for the both of them. Being a fire type as well, he hardly felt any damage.

"Show them what a real attack can do with Lava Plume!

Magmortar stomped his right foot down upon the ground and small cracks began appearing everywhere. With a flick of his head, pillars of fire rose up from beneath the earth right below both Pyro and Bellator.

"Don't back down, Bellator! Cover the ground with Water Pulse!" Gray countered tactically.

Doing just as he was told, Bellator formed a massive ball of water in-between his hands and jumped at the same time. Despite his heroic attempt to protect both himself and his teammate, Bellator was too slow to act and he and Pyro were engulfed in massive pillars of flames as a result. Shortly thereafter, Bellator smacked against the ground face first while Pyro fell to one knee, grimacing in pain.

"Alright, now while the Dewott's down, Roserade, use Leech Seed!" Anna screamed as she pointed at Bellator.

Roserade quickly pointed her two rose-covered hands at her target and fired a tiny, brown sapling, which smacked Bellator in the head and immediately shot open with vines, which wrapped around his body and began sucking away his energy.

"One down, one to go! Use Dual Chop, Magmortar!" Trent ordered.

Magmortar ran straight at Pyro, much faster than Will thought possible of the large Pokemon, as his arms began to glow a bright, green color. Pyro, still on one knee, was unable to move fast enough to dodge, so his opponent was able to run right at him. Magmortar slammed both of his fists into the fire starter, causing Pyro to be sent flying almost fifteen feet right in front of Will's feet.

"Pyro! Are you alright!?" Will asked, concerned.

Pyro stood up, appearing to be more annoyed than in pain, and glared across the battlefield. He nodded to his trainer to show he was ready to battle yet again.

"That's what I want to see!" Will cheered. "Use Flame Charge!"

Pyro roared into the air and instantly became cloaked in fire. He then began sprinting right at Magmortar, seeming to get slightly faster with every step. He made it to Magmortar in little time and slammed into the large Pokemon's chest with all of his force, knocking the large creature onto its back.

"Let's follow their lead, Bellator! Use Aqua Jet on Magmortar!"

Bellator mimicked Pyro and roared into the air as he was encapsulated in a copious amount of water. Taking off at the speed of a bullet, Bellator shot straight into the air and descended, his target laying on the ground without moving a muscle. Much to his and Gray's dismay, Bellator heard Anna clear her throat, and Roserade sprinted to her teammate's side.

"Stop him dead in his tracks with Magical Leaf!"

"Slice through the leaves with Razor Shell!"

Unable to act quickly enough, Bellator sped right into the rainbow-colored leaves, which cut his body and made him scream in agony as he bounced along the ground, showing how injured he truly was. Still, the tenacious otter rose to his feet and let out yet another roar, this one much fiercer than any of the others.

"Show Roserade how hot fire can burn, Pyro! Flame Charge on her this time!"

Again, Pyro cloaked himself in a storm of fire and launched himself at his opponent. Will turned his head sharply right after that, though, because he heard Trent laughing from his spot across the battlefield.

"You're all mine, Will," he sneered. "I get to kick your ungrateful ass. Use Thunder Punch, Magmortar!"

The bulky fire type jumped in front of Roserade and had electricity begin to spark around his right fist just before Pyro could strike. The Hoenn starter, unable to stop due to momentum, tried to continue his attack but failed as Magmortar swung his fist upwards with all of his might, connecting with Pyro's chin. The fire starter was instantly sent flying and landed on his stomach almost five feet behind Will.

"Pyro!" Will screamed as he ran to his partner's side.

"Why don't we finish this off, Roserade?" Anna asked rhetorically as her Pokemon nodded. "Giga Drain!"

Roserade grunted as she fired four massive, green arrows straight into the sky, causing Gray to stare in awe, along with Bellator, until the latter was obliterated by the super effective attack and engulfed in an explosion. After the smoke cleared, Bellator was somehow still standing, but his legs instantly gave out and he fell flat on his face, leaving his trainer in silence while Ferus prepared to enter the battle.

"Wait," Bellator muttered, preventing Ferus from intervening. "I… I can do this," he continued before turning to glance at Pyro, who was still facedown on the ground.

"Just give up. There's no way you can take us both in your state," Anna suggested, prompting Bellator to turn back to Gray and nod.

The girl nodded back with a smile and, suddenly, she felt her heart synch with Bellator's. Without thinking, the two bellowed at the same time, making the others gasp in shock.

"We're never giving up!"

While no one could see it, Gray and Bellator's aura escaped their bodies and looked exactly like them. The two then did the same motion, tucking their elbows into their ribs as they threw their heads towards the sky, and the bodies of aura merged.

In the blink of an eye, Bellator was engulfed in a geyser of crystal blue water and he let out a deafening roar, one that reached the heavens. A pair of gray eyes shone through the water, as did a streak of blue light, which was above and in-between both eyes. Trent and Anna gaped at the sudden transformation, but Gray turned to look at her teammates, knowing neither of the admins would attack.

"Pyro, please, you've gotta get up!" Will pleaded. "Bellator and Gray need our help! Look at them!"

The Combusken lifted his head up and saw both Bellator and Gray standing strong, ready to continue fighting. He then brought his head back towards Will and struggled to get to one knee.

"I'm trying, Will…" he muttered, using his translator for the first time. "But that last hit really took a lot out of me."

"I know that, buddy," Will responded, nodding his head. "But we can't leave Gray and Bellator alone on this one. Trent and Anna are too powerful for them to beat alone!"

Pyro brought himself to one knee, his first step to getting back up. Seeing the determined look in his trainer's eyes gave him the strength to stand, and the Hoenn starter then began to suddenly glow a bright, white color.

Will, having to turn away because of how bright it was, turned back a few seconds later to see Pyro standing there in a new form. He was still a bipedal, chicken-like Pokemon, but the majority of his body had become red. He also had strong, muscular legs with yellow, fire-like designs above his feet.

Wide-eyed, Will realized his partner had evolved to his final form.

"You did it, Pyro!" the brunette cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

Ecstatic, Will brought out his PokeDex to scan his starter Pokemon's new form.

"Blaziken, the Blaze Pokémon, and the evolved form of Combusken. When facing a tough foe, it looses flames from its wrists. Its powerful legs let it jump clear over buildings. New moves learned: Flamethrower and Blaze Kick."

Looking over towards Gray and her partner, Pyro called, "Are you ready to finish this, Bellator?"

"You know it," the water starter answered while nodding, bringing a grin to Pyro's face.

"Let's try this again, Pyro!" Will cheered. "It's time to try out Blaze Kick!"

Pyro began running at Magmortar, the whole time his legs becoming cloaked in fire. When he closed the distance to ten feet, Pyro leaped into the air and over towards his opponent. He brought up his right foot, now thoroughly cloaked in fire, and slammed it down onto the side of Magmortar's face, knocking the bulky Pokemon to his knees.

"We're not holding anything back, either, Bellator!" Gray announced, drawing a nod from the suddenly-transformed creature, who prepared to grab his scalchops from the water-holsters on his back. "Jump and use Razor Shell on Roserade!"

Using the water around him as a springboard of sorts, Bellator launched himself straight into the air and grabbed his right scalchop. Then, spinning as elegantly as ever, he delivered a wicked slash across Roserade's chest, hurling the grass and poison type into her trainer.

"Evolving won't scare me, Will!" Trent sneered. "Hit him with an uppercut Thunder Punch, Magmortar!"

The fire type, previously knocked to his knees, quickly launched himself upwards and brought his fist up to meet Pyro with a Thunder Punch. Pyro, feeling faster and stronger than ever, met his fist with a Double Kick. The two attacks hit each other at the same time, knocking both fighters back towards their trainers painfully.

"Roserade, back Magmortar up and use Sludge Bomb on the Blaziken!"

"Not a chance! Bellator, spin and use Water Gun!"

While Roserade leaped into the air and fired several bullets of thick, purple poison, Bellator hopped in front of Pyro as the water around his body continued spiraling, and he dropped to his back before unleashing a wicked blast of water from his mouth. The whips of liquid destroyed the poison and struck Roserade, throwing her past Anna.

"What the hell? How are those two so strong now?"

"Because the two of us aren't dipshits hiding behind their leader, who may or may not be clinically insane?" Will taunted sending Gray a thumbs up. "Hit Magmortar with a Flamethrower, Pyro!"

The final-form starter opened his mouth and released a huge torrent of flame at his opponent. Magmortar was quick counter the attack, though, by stomping one of his feet upon the ground. He sent shockwaves of energy across the field, causing geysers of lava to appear across the battlefield.

"You're making this too easy, Trent!" Will mocked. Turning to Gray, he asked, "Ready to end this, partner?"

"Let's do it!" Gray responded enthusiastically as she turned to Will.

"Aqua Jet/Flame Charge!" both trainers called to their Pokemon.

Both Pokemon looked at one another, nodded, and then obeyed their commands. With Pyro sprinting and covering himself in fire and Bellator zipping through the air while encapsulated in water, the two grabbed a hold of each other and spun like a drill, slamming into both Magmortar and Roserade at the same time, sending both of their opponents flying. Both Magmortar and Roserade slammed into each other midair and landed on top of each other.

It was instantly obvious to Trent and Anna that their Pokemon had been defeated, so the two admins recalled their Pokemon. Trent then grabbed a switch from his pocket and pressed the single button on it. Behind Will and Gray and Trent and Anna, two small yellow rings appeared respectively. Trent and Anna quickly jumped into their ring as the one behind Will and Gray surged forwards, pulling the two trainers towards itself before they were swallowed whole.

Seeing this, both Bellator and Pyro surged towards the portal, trying to get to their trainers. However, they were unable to reach them in time and disappeared inside, vanishing. Then, the ring disappeared as if nothing had happened.

* * *

 **Well, shucks. Gray met two admins from Team Demise, an organization Will's having to combat in his respective story, and they managed to capture Hoopa! This is only the beginning though, and things are just getting ready to take off, so buy your tickets for the hype plane! Next chapter's going to feature the introduction of the villain, and another character (or two) will also be there. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) How often would you like to see Bellator transform?  
2) Is there anyone you'd like Bellator to battle with his transformation? (Alain's Charizard, for example)  
3) Thoughts on the battle?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Foe from the Future: Team Temporal Rises!"**_

 ** _After their bout with Team Demise, Gray and Will find themselves lost, and neither know where they are. As they try to learn there whereabouts, an explosion draws their attention! What is the cause? Where the hell are Will and Gray?_**

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 49: The Four Musketeers  
Chapter 50: Commence the Countdown  
Chapter 51: Gray vs Drake: Mega Battle  
Chapter 52: Save the Future!  
Chapter 53: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 54: ****Two of a Kind** **  
Chapter 55: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	48. Foe from the Future: Team Temporal Rises

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Well well well, look who's back. As you can see, the theme song was changed a bit since we've added a fourth character for the legendary quadruple crossover, and the title for an upcoming chappy was also changed. Last chapter, Will and Gray battled Team Demise and their admins, and this chapter will feature the additions of a few more characters. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Yeah. The idea of working on these isn't fun, but whenever we get started it's always a blast! I'm surprised any work gets done though XD Super tough opponents will be appearing quite often throughout the next few arcs, so it looks like Synchro Evolution's gonna play a huge role in determining the outcomes of those battles. Fortis vs Bellator would be amazing, and maybe a rematch of Bellator and Pyro could capture the beauty of the hype train again :P_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Super hype, ftw! Just said it ten times fast and failed horribly XD You should definitely check out Warrior's story, though. It's very good. Noibat actually doesn't learn a dragon type move, but I'll add something in during the Driftveil Arc. There also will be a "veteran" coming back very soon (just go to the bottom of my profile), and a few *might* come back for the league._

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Hoopa's powers were so convenient to the plot of this arc, lol. Demise, from what little I learned about them (through the last chapter) seems really cool, but they're definitely a force to be reckoned with... maybe. I don't know XD_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, and you really do. I think that's just a matter of chance with them being somewhat similar, but Demise is definitely going to be better than Purity, considering I forgot Purity existed during Johto_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 34, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 31, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Will! Pyro! Guys!" Gray shouted, shaking both the Hoenn native and his starter as they laid on the dead grass growing from the Earth. Slowly opening their eyes, both Pyro and Will looked around in confusion, unaware of where they were.

Gray did the same, realizing that she hadn't looked at her surroundings in an attempt to find out her location.

The trees around them all appeared to be dead, or close to it, as was the grass. Even the dirt beneath their feet was cracked and looked like it was waiting to be put out of its misery, making the girl shift her weight uneasily.

"Where the hell are we?" Ferus asked aloud, not expecting an answer from either of the teenagers, who remained silent and began rubbing their chins, trying to base their assumptions off the geography.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Will stated, running a hand through his hair before sighing in frustration. "Of course things like this happen just when everything's starting to become normal. Just my luck," the teen muttered in frustration, causing Gray to sweat drop while Pyro and Bellator nodded, understanding Will's frustration.

"Well, why don't we decide to travel in a certain direction? I mean, we can't find a city or town if we just stand here and mope all day," Gray suggested, drawing a pair of nods from the powerful trainer and his Blaziken.

With that, the quintet began walking down a beat up road. The clouds overhead were black and thunder cracked through the air, sending chills down both of the teens' spines, along with those of their Pokemon.

"Wait, why don't we just check out the maps on our Pokedex? Those will tell us where we're headed!" Will exclaimed with a bright smile, whipping out the electronic device. "Now, all I have to do is-" he was cut off by a loud ringing noise being emitted from his Pokedex, drawing Gray's presence.

As both of the trainers looked at the screen, their jaws dropped when they read the message stretching across the screen of his Pokedex.

"Out of date!? What do you mean my Pokedex is out of date!? I just got the newest one!"

"Why don't I check mine? Maybe you landed on your Pokedex when we fell," Gray theorized, drawing a nod from Will as she pulled out her own Pokedex and attempted to find their location. "You can't be serious," the brunette said under her breath, letting out an irritated groan.

"This has to be some kind of joke," Will opined, shaking his head at the stroke of luck, or rather, lack thereof. "Something's wrong. I can feel it," he continued, still shaking his head as he put his hands on his hips. "My gut has never led me astray, and I doubt this is the first time for that."

As if on cue, a massive explosion occurred in the distance, deep within the trees to the left of the group. Without speaking, both of the trainers bolted at the exact same time and raced towards the scene, not knowing what was going on, or whether or not it could be dangerous.

While her heart raced, Gray panted wildly, not wanting to put her life in danger. However, she knew she would do just that depending on the circumstances. Will thought the same way, and the teens stopped a few dozen yards away from an opening in the densely populated forest.

"Be on your guard, guys, okay?" Gray instructed in the form of a question, drawing nods from both Will and Pyro. "Alright, let's rock and roll," she said, grinning while pointing at Ferus.

"Right. We're not going to hold anything back," Will stated while Pyro prepared to spring into action.

As the teens stepped out of the woods, they spotted a massive dragon flying over an unconscious body - with another a few feet behind the first - prompting their instincts to kick in.

"Pyro, grab the body!"

As soon as his trainer finished speaking, Pyro bolted across the grass and picked up both of the unfamiliar bodies and began sprinting back to Will's side. While Pyro continued pumping his legs, the fearsome dragon type let out an explosive roar, zipping after the fire starter.

"Ferus, protect Pyro with Iron Tail!"

Once the light on his tail appeared, Ferus took off with his eyes locked on the unfamiliar Pokemon pursuing Pyro. After jumping as high as he could, Ferus spun like a wheel and slammed his tail across his opponent's face, knocking it a few feet back.

While Ferus returned to Gray's side and nodded at Pyro, a humanoid figure appeared and walked over to the downed Pokemon several dozen feet away.

"Ah, so you've arrived, just like the prophecy said," the human said, cackling immediately afterwards. "Now, if I can just get rid of you all. Hydreigon, Tri Attack!"

"Cancel it out with Flamethrower!" Will screamed, hurling his right hand forwards while Pyro opened his mouth and shot a wave of flames at the incoming attack.

The wicked moves collided and exploded instantly, creating a massive cloud of smoke that prevented the unknown man from seeing Will, Gray, their Pokemon, and the duo they had rescued. Once the smoke dissipated, the man and his Hydreigon remained unfazed despite the fact that the group of teens had disappeared.

"No matter. The prophecy will come to fruition one way or another."

 **000**

"Jesus, how long is that guy going to be out?" Ferus questioned as he looked around the campfire.

"Who knows?" Pyro answered. "He was fighting that dragon alone. He could be out for a while."

Nodding their heads, Will and Gray accepted that and tried to get back to figuring out where they were. The place seemed somewhat familiar to the Kantonian, but she couldn't quite place where they were. She walked up to the unconscious trainer to try getting a better look at who he was when she quickly had a double take upon seeing his face.

"Tyson!" she exclaimed.

Will and Pyro looked confused at the outburst, but Ferus ran straight up to the passed out trainer to see for himself. He quickly made it to Gray's side and looked shocked as well.

"It is Tyson!" the Houndoom said in surprise.

Now, even more confused, Will and Pyro walked over to their companions and tried to see if they, too, could recognize the boy. Upon seeing him, though neither Will or Pyro were able to place him.

"I have no idea who he is, Gray," Will told the brunette. "Care to fill us in?"

Gray, still slightly in shock, nodded her head.

"This is Tyson Pernell," she introduced. "But you wouldn't know him. He's from fifteen years in the future…"

The two Hoenn natives looked at the girl in disbelief, but didn't quite believe it yet.

"The future?" Will asked rhetorically. "How could that happen?"

Will and Pyro then looked to Ferus, expecting an answer from the dark type Pokemon.

"We're in the future," he affirmed. "Gray's right."

Will and Pyro both looked at each other in shock, neither believing the news and went to sit down. Gray, meanwhile, helped her friend, Tyson, trying to wake him up.

"What should we do, Ferus?" Gray asked her Pokemon.

The dark type, also having no ideas, shook his head.

"I guess we'll just have to wait until he wakes up to learn who it was that he was battling…"

Will, having accepted the impossible fact that he and Gray were sent into the future, stood up and walked over to her and Ferus.

"How do you think we got here, though?" Will asked. "And how will we get back to our time?"

Shaking her head, Gray responded, "I have no idea, Will. It's got to have something to do with the rings that Trent and Anna sent at us…"

Hearing the word 'Rings' brought up a memory in Will's mind, causing the brunette to look worried.

"Oh no…" he muttered.

Will instantly turned back to his starter and asked, "Do you remember what Jake was saying back in Mauville? About Hoopa?"

Pyro, instantly recalling what his trainer was talking about, stood up and looked gravely at both Gray and Ferus.

"We were sent into the future by the legendary Pokemon, Hoopa," the Hoenn starter explained in deep voice. "Hoopa has the power to create rings that can transport both people and Pokemon anywhere. And apparently anywhere in time as well…"

"The leader of Team Demise, Jake," Will began, taking over the explanation, "told us that he planned on using the powers of Hoopa to transport Legendary Pokemon to himself with rings. It must be because of Hoopa that we're here!"

Perplexed by the idea, which was a stout one at that, left Gray baffled. Sure, she had met organizations that were threatening, but the brilliance behind Jake's idea.

"That's genius, but evil!" Ferus remarked, drawing a nod from both Will and Pyro.

"Yeah, I can't believe he actually caught Hoopa. I'm pretty sure that it lives in Kalos, so it's crazy to think he actually managed to pull it off."

Silence fell over the group until Will finally spoke up again.

"So all we have to do is find Hoopa and it'll send us home. It's that easy!" he remarked sarcastically.

While Gray, Ferus, and Pyro laughed, they didn't notice that Tyson was beginning to wake up. His head then shot forward as he took note of his surroundings: craters and broken trees.

"Greninja, are you okay, buddy?" he asked, looking over at his starter Pokemon, whose eyes were still closed.

Both Will and Gray, along with Pyro and Ferus, looked over at Tyson with relieved looks on their faces.

"Ahem!" Will cleared his throat obnoxiously, grabbing Tyson and Gray's attention. "It's good to see you up."

Tyson eyed the boy intently before realizing he didn't know who he was.

"Um, no offense, but who are you?" the confused teen questioned.

"I'm Will. Will Knight," the Hoenn native replied suavely. "And this is Pyro," he continued, pointing at his Blaziken, who nodded.

Tyson chuckled at Will's antics before noticing Gray, who burned clearly in his memory.

"Gray? You...You're…..so young!" Tyson stuttered, flabbergasted, "and older at the same time. Geez, why do complicated things always happen to me?"

"Tyson, what are you talking about?" Gray inquired.

"Well, the last time I saw you was when we battled in Lumiose City," Tyson said, to which Gray nodded. "But, we met back up in Laverre City and battled. You probably don't remember that since that was the you from my time."

Tyson began recounting his words, wanting to make sure he hadn't screwed anything up before nodding to himself and smiling while Will, whose jaw was on the ground, turn to Gray.

"Looks like you were right. We are in the future," he said, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

Meanwhile, Greninja's eyes began to open as his trainer lifted his head up.

"Greninja, you're okay!" Tyson shrieked, hugging his starter. "Thank god."

The water starter hugged Tyson but broke away after seeing the group of people around him. Sweat dropping in embarrassment, Greninja suddenly noticed Gray and glanced at Tyson, who nodded.

Gray and Will, meanwhile, exchanged confused glances before Bellator took initiative and stepped forwards.

"Look, I know you just regained consciousness and all, but we need to find out where we are. What was the last city or town you were at?"

Tyson took his hat off for a second and ran a hand through his hair.

"Wasn't it Laverre City?" he asked Greninja, who nodded.

"Are you sure?" Bellator asked Tyson, who nodded in response along with Greninja, both seemingly in sync before the Dewott realized he had no idea where Laverre City was. "That still doesn't help."

"It's still more than we knew before at least," Will opined shrugging his shoulders. "What seems bigger to me is who the hell that guy with the scary-ass dragon was."

Gray nodded in agreement with Will's comment while Bellator and Pyro exchanged glances, unaware of why their trainers were so intimidated by the Hydreigon they had combatted.

"I agree. Especially after he beat us," Tyson added, emphasizing the final word of his sentence as he turned to Greninja. As he did, Pyro shared a look with Bellator and then turned back to Will and Gray.

"If all of us fought him," the Blaziken began.

"We could probably beat him," Bellator finished.

Will and Gray looked at their Pokemon in disbelief, but turned when Greninja's hand suddenly flew in-between them. They then watched as Bellator, Pyro, and Tyson placed their hands on top of Greninja's, and the foursome stared at Will and Gray intently.

"So you want us to just walk back there and battle him?" Will asked, trying to confirm.

Seeing his partner nod his head with Bellator and Greninja, Will shrugged his shoulders and added his arm to the pile-on.

"Why the hell not?" he answered before turning to Gray with the rest.

Examining each of the looks she was receiving, Gray shifted her focus to Bellator who, despite not having battled Hydreigon, appeared to be just as confident as Pyro. Sighing, the girl nodded and placed her hand on top of Will's, resulting in a few cheers from Tyson and Greninja.

"Well that settles that! Let's go beat those guys!" the boy from the future exclaimed while launching his arm towards the night sky at the same time as his comrades.

"I suppose our first step is figuring out who that guy was," Will stated, trying to come up with a strategy.

Bellator nodded.

"So let's go back there, ask him who he was, then kick his ass!" Pyro exclaimed.

The three trainers stared at the Blaziken for a moment before sighing. Will and Tyson then looked at Gray expectantly for an answer.

Surprised by the boys' lack of direction, Gray chuckled and tapped her index finger against her chin before her eyes lit up, making both Will and Tyson beam excitedly.

"Okay, so all we need to do is travel in two groups. Tyson, Will, you two go together with Greninja and Pyro. Bellator and I will go on our own with Ferus, and I can use one of my Pokemon for echolocation to see if that guy's still there!" Gray shouted, tapping her hand against Potens' Pokeball.

Nodding their heads in agreement, Will and Tyson grinned at each other and did a fist bump.

"Let's get going then, guys," Tyson announced. "Greninja and I are itching for payback!"

"Totally," Greninja agreed, crossing his arms.

With that, the boys and their Pokemon went one way while Gray and Bellator went another, both groups trying to find the mysterious man.

* * *

 **That's right, we have the legendary QUADRUPLE CROSSOVER and Blaze Falcon's OC, Tyson Pernell, is sticking around. Anyone who read PJA:ANG should be pretty familiar with him, too, because he was a crossover character in that. The great thing is that both crossovers (with him and Gray) take place in the same year of Tyson's timeline, which is pretty cool, if you ask me. Anyways, the trio has decided they're going to battle that guy with the Hydreigon, and he mentioned something about a prophecy, but whatever. Next chapter will feature the group running into a few enemies, another ally, and they may learn about the Hydreigon trainer. Till then, peace out.**

 **1) Thoughts on Tyson (and the triple crossover)?  
2) Do you think the trio will be able to beat the Hydreigon trainer?  
3) Pretty coincidental that there's a prophecy, right? (Just think of the rest of this arc as a movie any cartoon would have)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Four Musketeers"**_

 ** _After deciding to search for the man that tried killing them, Gray, Will, and Tyson find themselves in sticky situations. However, when a girl by the name of Rei enters the picture, momentum is swung in their favor. But is Rei someone that's able to be trusted?_**

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 50: Commence the Countdown  
Chapter 51: Save the Future!  
Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: ****Two of a Kind** **  
Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	49. The Four Musketeers

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **YEAH! Welcome back to another chapter of the Crossover Arc, and holy crap, things are going to be reaching a new level of intensity. Maybe not as intense as the end of the Nimbasa Arc, but hey, it'll still be amazing. Last chapter, Will and Gray arrived in the future, stopped some guy and his Hydreigon from killing someone, and that turned out to be Blaze Falcon's OC, Tyson! They then decided to find the Hydreigon trainer and kick his ass, and things ended with them splitting up to cover more ground. Also, this chapter was co-written by Warrior of Hope and Blaze Falcon, so thanks for the help, guys. Now let's get going!**

 **Tomoe Mami:** _For the story as a whole, I'm expecting between 110-120, depending on some fillers, and how the league goes. It could be a lot less, though, if I decide to combine chapters or just scrap some completely_

 **xVelocityy (guest):** _It's not rude at all, no worries_ _. I don't agree with the latter half of your review, but to each their own. And thanks for giving your opinion! That's always welcomed, and I appreciate it_ _:D_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Haha, that's too true. At least it's fun as hell to write, though. I'd say it's definitely my pride and joy right now (technically ours, lol) since I've never seen with epic proportions like this. Prophecy plot-line for the win!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _YES! THIS ONE IS A SECRET! Wild sues... wild sues everywhere XD Seriously though, in certain aspects this is, in my opinion, a parody of anime movies_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Oui, oui they are. Prophecies... yeah, that's all I've got XD The hype will be raised this chapter, too, especially with a quadruple crossover! What you call coincidence, I call... coincidence :P_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Haha, that's hilarious and true (back to the future). Writing this keeps getting better and better, too, and Rei's awesome. That's all that has to be said about her_

 **Defender31415:** _Lolololol, go figure. To answer your question(s), yes, and no. I just looked up common Japanese names and then I picked it, and after I realized it was Rei from Star Wars XD Thanks for the questions! Always enjoyable to answer those_

 **Hotrod198:** _Great to hear from you again! I actually never thought of having Synchro allow him to become bipedal (if he were to become a Samurott) and that's something I'm definitely going to consider now that you brought it up. You're correct with the Mega Fusion guess, though he might not be able to learn how to use it since it's so OP. The Y form would be a nice consolation prize, though. Also, definitely read their stories, they're awesome. Also, I really can't wait to get back to Flare and Plasma being badasses, and Temporal's going to be pretty badass starting this chapter, too. Thanks for the review!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 34, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 31, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 31, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Gray, Bellator, and Ferus crept through the woods carefully before the brunette grabbed a Pokeball from her belt and released Potens, who looked around in confusion.

"Potens, can you use your echolocation to find a Hydreigon?" Gray inquired, making the creature deadpan. "I can explain later, but can you do that for us?"

The dragon type nodded and immediately closed her eyes, using the enormous pair of ears on her head to release a burst of sound. After doing so, Potens' eyes shot open and she began flying through the trees, prompting Bellator to spring into the air and land on one of the branches. Hopping from branch to branch while Ferus and Gray ran after Potens, Bellator kept his eyes peeled in case anyone attacked.

"Now, why exactly are we looking for a Hydreigon?" Potens quizzed, turning back to Gray for a second.

The girl stopped running and pondered the question for a few seconds before shrugging, knowing full-well how idiotic the reasoning was.

"Its trainer attacked Tyson, and there's something up with that guy," Gray answered.

"Who's Tyson?" Potens asked, making Gray deadpan, as she forgot to introduce her Pokemon to the boy from the future. "Wait," she hissed, making everyone stop dead in their tracks. "There's something up ahead."

"Is that so?" Ferus asked rhetorically, smirking as he did so. "I'm in the mood to get some battling in."

Despite his desires, Ferus was ignored and Gray forced him to hide with her. Bellator and Potens also waited in the trees, and the dragon type continued using echolocation as the enemy was approaching. Suddenly, a man wearing black cargo pants, black combat boots, and a camo shirt appeared. He seemed as if they'd come straight from the military appeared. Gray wasn't able to recognize the strange uniform, but she noticed that it helped the man blend in with the forest.

"Come out come out wherever you are!" the man taunted, making Bellator and Ferus growl while Potens and Gray remained silent, using their brains instead of relying on instincts.

"Where are you?" the unfamiliar man sang, irritating everyone.

Having had enough, Bellator jumped from the tree branch and latched onto the man's head, making him scream in shock while the water type clawed at his face.

"Get him off of me, Sawk!"

Bellator continued clawing at the man until he was grabbed by a Sawk, who then slammed him against the ground and began punching the water type in the face.

"Ferus, help him!" Gray shouted to the fire type, who sprung into action; however, he was unable to reach Bellator as a Luxray suddenly leaped over the man and pinned him to the ground.

"Take this!" Potens shouted before attempting to flap her wings as violently as she could.

Just as she wound back, the Noibat was clobbered by a large, purple creature, which turned out to be a Loudred. The normal type then threw Potens into a tree and then stood on her wings, putting Gray and her three Pokemon in an awful situation.

"Where are your friends, little girl?" the man in camo interrogated as he walked towards Gray, drawing a knife. "Tell me and I'll make sure I kill you nice and quick."

Gray continued backpedaling and put her hands up instinctively. As she did so, the brunette looked around wildly, hoping to find some kind of weapon to combat the armed man.

"You're only delaying the inevitable. Just give me the names."

Refusing to speak, Gray sped up her backpedaling, only to trip over her own feet. As soon as she hit the ground, Gray saw the man break into a sprint, and he loaded back the knife.

A branch snapped a few feet away from the man and Gray, making the former of the two turn around. In the blink of an eye, a tall figure landed behind the man and punched him in the throat when he spun. It then grabbed the knife and leaned over the man rolling around on the ground.

As Gray looked past the strange scene, she saw two figures pummel the three Pokemon that had pinned Bellator, Ferus, and Potens, knocking each of the enemies out cold.

"Pl-please, don't kill me!" the man begged as the figure standing over him put the knife to his throat.

"And why shouldn't we, tough guy?" one of the figures snapped, making the man let out a terrified cry. "Let's kill 'em!"

The figure standing over the man looked up and shook its head right away.

"No way. Now listen up," the figure demanded, silencing the man in camo. "We'll give you ten seconds to run. Ten, nine-" Before it could finish speaking, the man withdrew his three Pokemon and sprinted away, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Gray continued staring in shock until her savior turned around and extended a hand, which she took. After being pulled to her feet, the brunette as shocked to see a girl right around her age looking her right in the eyes.

"You okay?"

Gray nodded and began walking towards Ferus, Bellator, and Potens, who were helped off the ground by two other Pokemon. Staring at the figures, Gray was unable to identify what they were due to how dark it was. However, she returned her attention to the girl that had saved her and smiled.

"Thanks for helping us. The name's Gray Plain," the Kantonian greeted, extending a hand.

"Rei Amari," the black haired girl replied. "And these are my partners, Gallade and Bisharp," Rei continued, pointing at the bipedal creatures. Gray quickly scanned over Rei's attire and couldn't help but notice how similar she looked to her, with a red hoodie, jeans, and worn out runners.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Gallade said, bowing to Gray and her Pokemon, snapping the eighteen year old out of her thoughts. "Bisharp, say something," the fighting type ordered in a hush whisper.

"Hmph," Bisharp grunted, staring at Ferus and Bellator imposingly, though he was surprised when neither of the two backed down. Seeing a potential confrontation forming as a result, Gray quickly intervened and patted each of her Pokemon on the head.

"These are my friends, Ferus, Bellator, and Potens," Gray responded, pointing at each of the aforementioned Pokemon.

"Thanks for the help. Who knows what would've happened if you didn't show up?" Ferus said to Gallade, Rei, and Bisharp.

"They would've killed you. That's what would've happened, idiot," Bisharp shot back angrily, confusing the group he had just saved. "Let's get out of here, Rei. We need to get back home."

Rei shook her head at Bisharp's actions and bowed to Gray apologetically while Gallade ran after his teammate and scolded him.

"Where are you from? A friend of mine could point you in the right direction," Gray offered, referring to Tyson.

"Oh, we're fine," Rei replied, "it's kind of complicated."

Nodding, Gray decided to turn the other way along with Bellator and Ferus, who were muttering about Bisharp. They all stopped, however, when they heard Potens speak to Rei.

"Why don't you check your Pokedex?"

Rei grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck, catching the attention of Gray, Bellator, and Ferus attention.

"Well, it's not working. Apparently it's out of date," she stated, which made Gray run back over to the black haired girl's side.

"Wait, I know this is going to sound insane, but the same thing happened to me to. Who's the Champion of Kalos, and how old are they?"

"Owen Plateau, and I think nineteen," Rei replied, confirming Gray's suspicions as she nodded at each of her Pokemon. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It may be hard to believe, but you're fourteen years in the future," Gray started. "Now, I'm sure you think I'm crazy and that all of this is impossible for various reasons, but-"

"Nah, that actually explains a lot," Gallade interjected, walking back to his trainer with Bisharp by his side.

Bellator, Ferus, and Potens shot confused glances at the psychic and fighting type, but didn't say a word as they opted to let Gray handle the talking. The three then watched as their trainer cracked a grin and locked eyes with the unfamiliar girl, who glanced at her Pokemon before Gray spoke.

"If that's the case, come with us. My friends and I are trying to figure out how to get back to our time."

Rei nodded while Bisharp rolled his eyes and, with that, the two girls and their Pokemon began searching for Will and Tyson.

 **000**

"So we're just going to randomly search around for a guy who tried to kill us all with his Hydreigon?" Will asked, still not completely on board with their plan.

He looked around at Tyson, Greninja, and Pyro and saw that they were all nodding and giving him disbelieving looks.

"What would you rather us do?" Tyson asked.

Greninja and Pyro both nodded at that as well, backing what Tyson asked. Sighing, Will looked right at Tyson.

"You do realise that we're going after the guy that knocked both yourself and Greninja unconscious, right?" he asked the Kalosian.

"Which is why we should go find him and return the favor!" Tyson announced.

Tyson's comment was met with instant agreement from Greninja and Pyro as both wanted to fight as well.

"Alright then. Let's go." Will sighed. "We should probably head back towards the part of the woods where we found him."

With a goal now seeded in their minds, Will, Tyson, Greninja, and Pyro began trekking through the woods. Their journey was relatively quiet for a while, only the soft sounds of Pokemon around them making noise, but soon even that was silenced. Sensing this, both Greninja and Pyro were put on edge.

"Tyson…"

"Will…"

Both Pokemon looked around, expecting an attack from the Hydreigon to come from somewhere and soon. Seeing this, Tyson and Will both stood behind their partners, ready to battle to the finish. All four were surprised when the only thing they saw was two young men, one with dark hair and the other blonde, came out from behind the trees in front of them. Neither seemed to be much older than Tyson and Will.

"You must be two of the trainers we were sent to battle," one of the men with black hair stated.

He, along with his partner, were both wearing black cargo pants, black combat boots, and camo shirts. They seemed as if they'd come straight from the military.

"We have instructions to defeat you both and then take you to our leader," the blonde informed the two trainers.

"We can make this easy or hard. It's all on you," the first said threateningly, drawing out a knife.

"Well aren't I scared now?" Will asked sarcastically. "Oh wait…"

Pyro, the ever-faithful partner he was, helped Will out when he released flames from his wrists, causing himself and Will to stand in front of a wall of flames.

"You can't scare us!" Tyson agreed, causing Greninja to nod in assent as well.

"Then the hard way it is! Get out there, Durant!" the blonde man announced.

From his Pokeball, an insect-like Pokemon appeared and it was completely covered in metal armor. Will raised an eyebrow at the odd-looking Pokemon and brought out his PokeDex.

"Durant, the Iron Ant Pokémon. Durant build twisting tunnels in the mountains where they form their nests. They are covered with a steel armor for protection."

Just as the two trainers were about to start the battle, they heard a rustling from behind the other two military-dressed men. From the treeline, two more people came out, dressed in military garb as well. This time, there was one male and a female.

"Look at this," the dark haired man taunted. "Reinforcements. I bet the two of you wish you'd chosen the easy way now!"

Starting to get a little nervous, both Tyson and Will scanned through the four trainers, trying to come up with a new plan. Just then, though, they turned around, having heard more footsteps.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tyson muttered.

"Well, Tyson," Will started. "I plan on going down fighting. You in?"

The blonde trainer nodded his head in agreement, and just as Greninja and Pyro were about to attack, two female trainers came out from behind.

"Gray!" Will cried.

Beside the gray-eyed girl, stood a dark, black haired girl at about 5'6". She was wearing a red hoodie with a Pokeball, jeans, and a pair of black sneakers.

"Nice work, Potens," Gray commended, zapping the dragon type back into her Pokeball. "Tyson, Will, what's going on here?"

Bisharp immediately face palmed at the idiotic question while Rei smacked him in the back of the head.

"That's the same guy that tried stabbing you," Rei informed her new friend, making Bisharp bend his knees, ready to attack. "You guys need back-up?" Rei quizzed.

"I think we could probably do this on our own," Will teased, smiling to Tyson. "But help is never a bad thing. Let's do this!"

Just as Pyro began walking up to the Durant, Will hurled a different Pokeball out in front of his starter. Ella instantly appeared out in front of Pyro, causing the fire starter to look at his trainer questioningly.

"I want Ella to battle here, buddy," Will told the Blaziken. Then turning to Ella he asked, "Ready to battle?"

Using her translator for the first time, she replied, "Of course! I'm ready for this!" Unlike Pyro's deep voice, Ella had a higher, feminine voice.

Pyro locked eyes with his trainer and nodded, showing that he agreed with his plan. Smiling at his partner, Will turned towards Ella and began the battle.

"Then start this with Quick Attack!"

The normal type Pokemon rushed towards Durant, a white streak of light following her as she bolted from tree to tree. Knowing she'd come to Durant eventually, the mysterious man barked his orders to his Pokemon.

"Wait for the Eevee to come to you and then use Bug Bite!"

Will, knowing what his opponent had planned, tried to change up the strategy just as Durant's metal pincers began to glow brightly.

"Use Quick Attack to run right at Durant, but just before you hit him, change to Take Down!" Will ordered.

Ella nodded her head and changed her course. Instead of zigzagging in between trees like before, the Evolution Pokemon bolted straight at her opponent. Durant was ready, though.

When Ella arrived a few feet away from the dual type Pokemon, her bright streak of light disappeared and she tried to ram right into Durant. The Iron Ant Pokemon opened his jaws as soon as Ella got close to him and bit down on Ella just before she could hit him. The Eevee was now caught in between her opponent's pincers with no obvious way to escape.

"Metal Claw while you have her here!" the blonde man ordered.

Durant's claws at the end of his long black legs began to glow silver as he wolding onto Ella. The second his claws began glowing, Durant slashed his two sharp claws across the normal type's stomach as she was held in between her opponent's powerful mandibles.

Thankfully for Will and Ella, though, after being hit by the Metal Claw, the Eevee was sent flying from her opponent's grasp. She was sent soaring through the air, but landed just in front of her trainer. She was limping a little bit on her back leg now, but other than that, Ella seemed to be alright.

"Let's take this battle to a new field!" Will called. "Head underground with Dig!"

Ella, without hesitation, began burrowing a tunnel just behind a tree next to her. Now, hidden beneath the ground, Will thought Ella would be safe from Durant in the immediate future.

"Hiding now, Will?" the man asked, drawing the brunette's attention. "I thought you liked battling, not running."

Ignoring the man's taunts, Will decided to try some of his own. "I'm not running, don't worry, but I guess you know my name. Want to share yours, so we can be friends?" Will asked with a grin.

The man smirked at the brunette and shook his head, triggering a response from the Hoenn native.

"Oh well, I guess I'll just have to call you Mr. Army Reject," Will taunted. Then turning his attention back to the battle, he yelled, "Ella! Hit now right behind Durant then burrow right back down!"

Ella, having been waiting for Will's signal, bursted above ground, rammed into Durant's back, and then disappeared again. The mysterious man didn't seem to worried about the hit, though.

"You don't seem to know much about Durant, do you Will?" he asked rhetorically after Ella began to burrow underground again. "They live in caves! Follow the Eevee into her hole now!"

This time, instead of waiting for his opponent to strike, Durant rushed into the new tunnel that was conveniently right next to him. Seeing this, Will mentally berated himself.

'How did I forget that Durant lives in caves!? I just scanned him with my PokeDex!'

"Thunder Fang!" the man ordered, redirecting Will's attention from his thoughts back to the battle.

From Ella's hole on the battlefield, Will could see the tunnel lit up from electricity. Concerned for his Pokemon, Will called out a counterattack.

"Bite!"

Even though he couldn't see her, Will was sure Ella had bitten down hard onto her opponent. That belief was solidified after a few seconds when Durant came scurrying back above ground from the tunnel with Ella at his tail.

"Turn around, coward!" the man barked. "Finish that little mutt with Crunch!"

Instead of fleeing, Durant quickly turned around and opened his mandibles wide. Ella, unable to stop running in time, was caught inside of the dual type's powerful jaws and was crushed for a while before finally fainting.

Seeing that she could no longer fight, Will quickly recalled her to her Pokeball to avoid her being hurt more as Durant hadn't let go. Will, now gritting his teeth, glared across the field at his opponent who was smirking now.

"Don't get too cocky, Mr. Army Reject!" Will called. "We're not finished yet! You're on Mage!"

After the usual bright flash of light disappeared from the field, Mage, the Kadabra appeared on the field.

"Start this off with Psybeam!"

The psychic type Pokemon began to channel his energy through his single spoon as soon as Will's announced his plan. Then, without a second's hesitation, Mage shot a pink-colored beam of energy right at Durant's head.

"Block it with Metal Claw!"

The dual type Pokemon, unafraid of the Psybeam, ran straight into the beam with his silver-colored claws. Unlike how the man thought, though, Durant was still head first by the beam.

"Take him out, Mage!" Will called, ready to quickly finish the battle. "Use a Confusion/Psybeam combo!"

Using his stored energy in his spoon, Mage simply began to float in midair as his eyes began to glow a pinkish-purple color. Immediately after, Durant began to rise into the air as well. Scared now, the dual type Pokemon began to shake in place.

All of his struggling didn't help, though. Mage fired off yet another shot of energy right at Durant, who was still stuck in the air. As soon as the dual type was hit, Mage let go of his hold via Confusion, and Durant was hit and began soaring straight into the ground. He was instantly knocked out from the damage and recalled to his Pokeball.

"How do you like that, my reject friend?" Will taunted.

Sneering at the taunt, the man hurled his final Pokeball at the battlefield, releasing a tortoise-like Pokemon with a huge black shell coated with glowing-red holes. Will, naturally, brought out his PokeDex to scan the unknown Pokemon.

"Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. Torkoal burns coal within its body to produce energy. As a defense, Torkoal is able to release smoke from its nostrils and its back to confuse enemies."

"Flamethrower, Torkoal!" the man ordered, not standing on formality.

The Coal Pokemon reared his head back for a moment, but just as quickly shot it back, releasing a torrent of flames. Mage, agile as he was, jumped over the stream of flames and faced towards his opponent.

"Confusion, Mage!" Will called.

Obeying the command, Mage took aim as he narrowed his eyes and fired a blast of psychic energy at his lethargic foe, who was unable to evade. Despite taking the attack head-on, Torkoal let out a cloud of smoke from the top of its shell, showing it wasn't ready to give up.

"Body Slam 'em!"

Torkoal sprung into the air and extended its limbs as far out as possible. Seeing the speed at which Torkoal was falling, Will knew he had to act quickly, as did Mage, so the two were quick to counter.

"Psybeam!" the Hoenn native commanded while pointing at Torkoal as if he were aiming for his Pokemon.

Using his impeccable aim, Mage pointed his spoon at Torkoal and fired a multi colored beam of energy at the fire type, but both trainer and Pokemon were shocked when their opponent countered.

"Not so fast! Shield yourself with Protect!"

Torkoal slammed against the ground and quickly threw its head towards the sky. Then, a green bubble of energy appeared around its body and shielded the fire type from Mage's Psybeam attack, shielding Torkoal.

"Use a Flamethrower/Rapid Spin combo now!"

Torkoal ducked inside of his shell immediately, getting ready to hit. The Coal Pokemon then began spinning quickly and started to rise into the air a few feet. He began firing off streams of flames from his mouth as he spun, giving himself the appearance of a Flame Wheel. Will wasn't worried, though.

"Take him out, Mage!" he shouted. "Use Psybeam!"

Ready to finish the battle, Mage held onto his spoon tightly. From his weapon of choice, the psychic type shot a final beam of energy at Torkoal as the Coal Pokemon spun at him. The beam was able to shoot right through his make-shift flame wheel and hit the fire type dead on.

Torkoal was knocked back upon being hit and could no longer keep up his attack. When he landed back on the ground, both Will and the mystery man saw he was unconscious. Will's opponent quickly recalled the fire type to his Pokeball and then ran away, disappearing in the deep woods before Will could follow.

"Damnit..." Will muttered as he recalled Mage. "Oh well. He wasn't important." Then turning back to Pyro who'd been watching the battle, he added. "We'd just better go find Gray, Tyson, and what's-her-name. They may have gotten more information about them than we did."

With that, the Hoenn native and his partner headed through the forest, looking for their friends.

 **000**

"Leafeon, Glaceon, take him out!"

A duo of Eeveelutions were released and landed and growled at the blonde teen. Greninja started to walk forward, but stopped once his trainer stopped him with his arm.

"Greninja, save your energy for that freak show and his Hydreigon," Tyson said, to which Greninja nodded. Tyson grabbed two capsules from his belt and opened them. Servine and Sylveon landed on the ground and eyed their opponents.

"No time to waste! Ice Beam on Servine, then use Razor Leaf on both!" the grunt barked.

Glaceon opened its mouth and spat a stream of ice towards the Grass Snake. Meanwhile, Leafeon whipped her tail back and forth, sending a flurry of sharp leaves. The receiving duo waited patiently for their counterattack.

"Servine, block those attacks with Leaf Storm!" Tyson commanded, making the grass type nod. "Sylveon, use Hidden Power!"

Servine leaped into the air as a huge storm of leaves flew forward. The leaves countered the attacking duo's blast and created a huge smoke cloud. The Eeveelutions stood still until a stream of green orbs flew out the cloud as both were struck. The grunt growled as his Pokemon jumped up.

"Leafeon, fly in with Leaf Blade!"

"Counter with your own, Servine!"

The grass type jumped towards each other, their tails glowing green. Both Pokemon collided as they locked eyes in an epic stare off. Servine was able to take over the fight as threw Leafeon to the ground. However, what she didn't see was Glaceon under her, a devilish smirk on her face.

"Ice Shard quickly! And Leafeon, use Iron Tail on Sylveon!"

Glaceon spat a huge ice shard into the air at the Unova Pokemon. Servine couldn't react fast enough as the super effective attack hit her. Sylveon tried to catch her falling friend, but was stopped by the grass Eeveelution appearing in front of her. The fairy type's eyes went wide as Leafeon flipped into the air and slammed her metallic tail on Sylveon's back.

"We're not going down like this!" Tyson declared, pounding his fist on his heart. "Sylveon, take Leafeon off you with your ribbons! Servine, use a spinning Leaf Tornado!"

Servine twirled in a circled as a huge twister of leaves formed on the tip of her tail. The grass type began to spin, which made the grass tornado expand in size. Sylveon was able to expand her ribbons and wrapped them around Leafeon's body. The newest Eeveelution tossed Leafeon into its teammates as they wrapped around each other. Servine saw her opponents in their weakened state and roared. The grass type whipped her tail forward, sending the huge twister downward. Both Eeveelutions looked out in horror as the grass tornado swallowed both whole. The duo became stuck in the storm as Tyson's female Pokemon regrouped.

"It's combination time! Leaf Storm and Dazzling Gleam!"

The storm of leaves flew at the twister with great speeds. Sylveon raised her ribbons high as a blinding pink light fused with the flurry of leaves. The attacks continued their pace and collided with the Leaf Tornado. The Grunt's Eeveelutions were overwhelmed by the attacks. Glaceon and Leafeon tumbled in front of their trainer, with swirls in both of their eyes.

"How's that, Army reject?" Tyson joked, making the grunt return his Pokemon and run away. Tyson walked over to his duo and rubbed their heads. "Thanks you guys. I can tell you guys are exhausted, so take a good rest." With a nod, Tyson returned his two females. Greninja walked to his trainer and crossed his arms.

"We need to regroup," Greninja said, making his trainer nod.

"Yeah, but relax," Tyson reassured. "While you were at Sycamore's, Gray and I battled. She ,Will, and Rei can handle themselves. Besides, I want that guy to pay for hurting you."

"Same," Greninja stated. The duo dashed back to where they left Will, leaving the battle site.

 **000**

"Celsus, I choose you!" Gray shouted, hurling the giraffe's Pokeball. As soon as he materialized, Celsus grunted and locked eyes with the woman, who chucked a capsule of her own.

"Stantler, go!"

In a bright blast of light, a deer appeared in front of the woman and it swiped its hooves along the ground, glaring daggers at his tall opponent.

"Celsus, use Psybeam!" Gray commanded, throwing her right fist forwards.

Doing just as he was told, Celsus reared his head back as a ball of energy formed in-between his antennae. Then, he threw it forwards and sent a blast of multicolored energy at his four legged opponent, who was shocked by the speed of the psychic type attack.

"Get out of the way and use Headbutt, Stantler!" the woman countered smugly.

Much to her dismay, she watched as Stantler was crushed by the powerful attack, which exploded on contact and launched Stantler about ten feet backwards, and the normal type landed on its side harshly.

"Follow that up with Zen Headbutt!"

Seizing the opportunity to deal even more damage to his already downed opponent, Celsus sprinted towards Stantler and slammed his head against the reindeer's side, making him scream in pain while the Girafarig bolted back to Gray's side and nodded at the brunette, who nodded back.

"That thing's fast! No matter, we'll still take it down. Use Hypnosis!" the woman remarked before pointing at Celsus.

"Jump over it and use Stomp!" Gray barked right afterwards.

While Stantler rose to his feet and attempted to fire rings of orange light from his eyes, Celsus shot into the air and slammed both of his hooves against the Johto Pokemon's back, making him slam against the ground as his legs gave out instantly.

"Stantler!"

The woman reached out to her Pokemon but pulled back when she heard Gray's voice.

"Wrap this up with Assurance!"

Spinning around and pointing his creepy tail at his opponent, Celsus roared and shot a blast of black energy at the exhausted Pokemon. Stantler didn't even attempt to get out of the way, and Gray patted Celsus on the head when Assurance exploded on contact, knocking Stantler out cold.

"Return, Stantler! Kecleon, get out there!" the woman shouted, withdrawing her first Pokemon and sending out a second.

Gray sighed along with Ferus, who didn't seem to want to engage in combat, so she grabbed a different Pokeball from her belt.

"Celsus, that was a great job! Return," Gray called, zapping the psychic type back into his Pokeball. "Furcifer, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, Furcifer appeared and Celsus was sucked back into his capsule, but the woman opposing Gray didn't seem to be intimidated by the brunette's Pokemon.

"Kecleon, Ancient Power!"

Nodding, Kecleon lifted its arms and five enormous boulders appeared around its body. Then, throwing its arms forwards, the normal type launched each of the rocks at Furcifer, who was able to react quickly thanks to Gray's confidence.

"Destroy all of those rocks with Beat Up, and then hit 'em with Metal Claw!"

The ice and dark type nodded and threw both of her arms at the boulders. Then, five blasts of black energy shot out of each of the Pokeballs on Gray's belt before one final one shot out of Furcifer's chest. The smaller six bullets of black energy crashed through each of the rocks and struck Kecleon, making the odd Pokemon stumble backwards before it was knocked onto its back by the last. Furcifer then lunged at her target at slashed it across the chest, resulting in the evil woman smiling.

"Perfect. Use that to your advantage and fire away with Flash Cannon!" she shouted while staring at Furcifer and Gray.

Kecleon reared its head back and unleashed a devastating blast of silver light from his mouth. Gray gasped in shock as Furcifer was demolished by the super effective attack, but she sighed in relief when she watched her Sneasel get back up with little problem.

"Way to hang in there, Furcifer! Answer back Icy Wind!"

Furcifer released a bone-chilling blast of wind from her mouth and frost appeared on Kecleon's body, though it didn't seem to do much damage.

"That's not going to do much, if anything, you idiot!" the woman mocked before laughing, though she didn't notice Gray smirking the entire time.

"You'd be surprised," the eighteen year old retorted, catching the woman by surprise.

"Huh?"

"You know what to do Furcifer! Use Metal Claw!" Gray screamed.

Furcifer obeyed with a slick grin and sprung into the air. Then, mimicking Bellator, she spun while her claws extended and began glowing silver, and she slashed Kecleon across the face, dealing twice the amount of damage due to the Hoenn Pokemon becoming an ice type after taking the Icy Wind attack.

"Shit. Kecleon, return!" the woman called as she zapped her second combatant back into its Pokeball. She then turned to the man beside her and nodded at him, and he stepped forwards.

"Luxray, take care of this! Use Thunderbolt!" he ordered.

The electric type that had jumped Gray earlier obeyed and unleashed a wicked, zigzagging bolt of electricity at Furcifer, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Luckily for her and Gray, Rei and Bisharp intervened without hesitation.

"Bisharp, grab Furcifer and dodge! Then hit Luxray with Slash!" the girl yelled.

Springing forwards without a moment to waste, the dark and steel type grabbed Furcifer and jumped as high as he could, protecting her from the devastating electric type attack. After landing, Bisharp sprinted at Luxray and as his hands extended and turned into blades, he slashed his target as viciously as he could, sending the electric type skidding back to its trainer.

"Luxray, answer back with Swift!"

The quadruped forced itself into the air and whipped its tail, sending dozens upon dozens of golden stars towards Bisharp, who scoffed at the weak attack while Rei remained respectful.

"Dodge with Feint Attack!" the black haired girl countered.

Bisharp obeyed and disappeared in the blink of an eye, making the man and his Luxray gasp in shock. However, the man eventually spotted Bisharp high in the air, the moon looking like a backdrop as he threw both of his arms out to his sides.

"He's above you, Luxray! Iron Tail!"

Grunting in response, Luxray jumped after Bisharp while his tail was glowing silver, and he swung his tail at the dark type.

"Shadow Claw!" Rei countered.

Bisharp quickly grabbed Luxray's tail and spun wildly before slamming the fully evolved beast against the ground as hard as he could, eliciting a terrifying cry of pain. Bisharp then reared his arm back while it was enveloped in black and purple energy while in the shape of a claw. Then, striking Luxray, Bisharp let out a victorious cry as soon as he saw the electric type's eyes were closed.

Gray looked at the bipedal creature in awe as he strolled over to

"What the hell? How did two kids beat us!?" the man screamed, turning to look at his partner. Much to his dismay, she had already ran away, and he was all by himself.

Without hesitation, Bisharp shot forwards and slammed the man against the ground violently with no regard for his health.

"Ready for your funeral, little man?" Bisharp taunted as he powered up a Slash attack and held the blade of energy to the man's throat.

Ferus sprinted over and had fire pouring out of his mouth, ready to burn the man while Gray and Rei looked on with Will and Tyson. All four of the teens turned their backs, not wanting to watch the interrogation. As soon as they did, Bisharp began to pierce the man's shoulder ever so slightly, making him scream bloody murder.

"You're up," the steel type told Ferus, who didn't waste a moment.

Biting down on the man's arm as hard as he could, Ferus suddenly released a blast of fire that burnt all of the skin instantly.

Again the man screamed in desperation, though this time he actually spoke.

"Please, don't kill me! I'll do anything! Just stop! Please!"

Bisharp and Ferus glanced at one another before shaking their heads, the former smirking maniacally while Ferus snarled.

"Nah. We're gonna enjoy this for a while," Bisharp whispered maniacally before rearing his arm back, ready to stab the man again.

"Hey, stop!" Rei commanded, stopping her Pokemon's attack. "He's had enough. Now tell us who you are!" the black haired girl demanded.

"No way in hell!" the man shot back, prompting Rei to shrug.

Bisharp and Ferus turned back to the girl and were foaming at the mouth when she nodded, prompting them to resume their torture.

"Okay! Okay! Okay! I'll tell you! Just keep these two away from me!"

Gray, Tyson, Will, and Rei glanced at one another before shaking their heads, making the man scream in fear.

"Shut up!" Bisharp snapped, punching the man in the face so hard everyone was able to hear his nose break. "Who are you?"

"Team Temporal," the man muttered weakly, blood gushing from his nose and shoulder. "We're Team Temporal!"

"And what is Team Temporal?" Ferus inquired before a wave of fire formed in his mouth.

"We're trying to control time! That's all I know! I swear!" the man screamed.

Each of the trainers nodded at Ferus and Bisharp, and the latter released his grip, allowing the man to escape.

"Hey," the steel type called, making the man turn around. "Make sure you tell whoever your boss is that we're coming for him."

Just as the grunt began to flee, a voice was heard from behind the group.

"We'll deliver the message if you want."

All four trainers whipped their heads back to see four adults standing behind them, smirking at the teens.

There were three men and a woman, each wearing similar military uniforms to the quartet that had just been defeated. However, they each had badges with a rainbow-colored stone pinned to their chests that drew the attention of all four trainers.

"Get ready to lose," one of the Team Temporal members sneered as all four of them grabbed a Pokeball and prepared to throw them.

* * *

 **Hype, you want? Then hype, you shall receive. Now with Rei in the fold, we have a quadruple crossover, and things left off with a cliffhanger now that there are four more members of Team Temporal appearing, except they're going to be a lot stronger than the others. Ferus also got to show a bit of his twisted side along with Bisharp in order to get the Temporal grunt to talk, and the group kicked some ass as a whole. Next chapter will be the battles between the group and these four admins, so stay tuned. Till then, peace out.  
ALSO, Some of you may have realized I didn't list Rei's creator, and that's because it's me! The first chapter of her story will be posted today, so please make sure to check it out. Thanks!**

 **1) Thoughts on Rei? How about her Pokemon? (Bisharp tho?)  
2) How were the battles? Do you like the different writing styles? (I think it's awesome)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Commence the Countdown"**_

 _ **Even after taking out several grunts, Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei are t**_ _ **asked with defeating the four admins of Team Temporal! Will they be able to defeat these mighty foes, or will Temporal reign supreme?**_

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 51: Save the Future!  
Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: ****Two of a Kind** **  
Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	50. Commence the Countdown

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, readers! We're nearing the end of the crossover, but that's not important. Last chapter featured the introduction of Rei, who's a character of my own that now has her own story, and everyone battled Team Temporal. Things ended with four new challengers appearing, and that's what's going to happen this chapter. Also, the next chapter "Mega Battle" was combined with this one. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _I probably should've done that with yours and Blaze's XD Bisharp's going to be a lunatic at times, but mainly just an ass. And I can't wait for the Hydreigon battle either!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Chill and savage are the perfect words to describe those two. You're definitely right about it being hard for the four people at the end to beat the musketeers, but hey, crazier things have happened_

 **Defender31415:** _I know, right? It's just such a badass name! And thanks! We appreciate the support!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Arrogant would be right, in a way. I'd say, in that last scene, it was more of him just being insane than anything, but arrogant does work. Great to see the styles are meshing well, and hopefully the product can keep coming out well_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Your answer to two made no sense XD Bisharp, tho. He's going to be a badass, to say the least. And medals for everyone!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Haha, I'm sure you're going to love what we have in store for the last bits of this, and what I have ready after everyone goes back to their own story. And here're the battles you've been waiting for (hopefully!)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Ferus and Bisharp... I hope they can get a few more chapters together, or if they were on the same team, that'd be amazing. And of course I know you hate Bisharp. Bisharp is the worst, which is why I have characters use it so often. I got your reference, I think, lol. Uniqueness? Huzzah!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 34, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 34, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Get ready to lose," one of the Team Temporal members sneered as all four of them grabbed a Pokeball and prepared to throw them.

"A fight sounds good to me," Will announced as he grabbed a Pokeball out of his pocket. "How about you guys?"

"Always, I'm ready to teach these freaks a lesson!"

"I could knock a few heads," Ferus responded.

"I like this guy's style," Bisharp whispered to Rei.

"Hold on," the girls said in unison, stopping their violent Pokemon as they each drew a different Pokeball, demoralizing Ferus and Bisharp.

"Potens, I choose you!"

"Simisage, let's go!"

"Don't leave me hanging!" Will cut in, grinning. "You're on, Captain!"

"Sylveon, it's fighting time!"

All four of the Pokemon appeared next to one another and they nodded before locking onto the members of Team Temporal.

"Really? That's a pathetic bunch you have there," one man, who was standing directly across from Tyson taunted.

"They may look pathetic, but I'll bet we can still kick your asses any day!" Will countered.

Each of the admins laughed at the genuinely funny comment and they placed the Pokeballs they had grabbed back in their pockets, confusing the time travelers and Tyson.

"What? Too scared to face us without your strongest Pokemon?" Rei mocked, only to be shut down.

"On the contrary," the woman standing across from her started. "You're not worth our time."

"We were going to pull out the aces up our sleeves, but if you all want to fight with this useless group, we won't need to," the man standing in front of Will stated with a smirk.

"Why don't y'all move out the way then?" Tyson suggested. "Greninja and I have business with your leader. But, we could use some warming up first." Tyson cracked his knuckles while Sylveon bent down and growled.

"Let's get this over with," the final member of Temporal's quartet barked. "We don't have time to be fooling around with these losers if they don't want to go all out."

"Oh, I'll show you what can go all out!" Bisharp shouted as he attempted to run past Rei, only to be stopped by Simisage, who gave a quick nod and turned back to glare at the man.

"We'll beat you all," Will proclaimed. "and we'll make sure to do it with the Pokemon you mocked. Let's get him, Captain!"

"We should split up and take them one-on-one," the man standing across Gray suggested, drawing nods from his partners.

With the final announcement, Tyson, Gray, Rei, and Will all split up, each following one of the members of Team Temporal.

 **000**

"Yo!" Tyson called, running side by side with the Temporal Admin. "What's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" The man barked back. Tyson grinned as he slid far in front of his opponent; Greninja behind him and Sylveon in front.

"Mostly because I like to know the names of the person I'm about to beat." The admin laughed before grabbing a Poke Ball of his own.

"I like your spunk kid," the man complemented, tossing the capsule into the sky. "It's a shame you're going to die here." The ball released an Arcanine, who roared at his opponents. "Name's Terrence, by the way."

"And I'm Tyson," the teen tipped his blue and silver hat at the man. "Sylveon, use Hidden Power!"

The fairy type cried as multiple green orbs levitated around her. By shooting her head forward, she sent the orbs to the dog's direction.

"Incinerate them with Flamethrower!"

Arcanine shot a huge stream of flames towards Sylveon's attack. The fire flew through the orbs and swallowed the Interwing Pokemon. Tyson bit his lip as his Pokemon stood back up and shook of the damage.

"Use Moonblast!"

Sylveon lifted her head high as a huge pink orb levitated high in the sky. Terrence smirked as he snapped his fingers.

"Extremespeed," he said calmly.

The dog disappeared in a second as Sylveon continued to charge her orb. The Legendary Pokemon (Pokedex name) appeared and disappeared every so often in the space. Arcanine then was in front of Sylveon and prepared to ram into her.

"Quick, make Arcanine go away with Shadow Ball, then fire your Moonblast!"

Sylveon was able to charge up and fire an orb of darkness at the Kanto Pokemon, sending him flying back. To keep up the pressure, the fairy type tossed the huge pink orb down on Arcanine. The fire type cried with pain as he rolled in front of his trainer; covered in bruises and shivering with pain.

"Get up now!" Terrence demanded, to which his injured Pokemon did. "Good, now return the favor with Flamethrower!"

Arcanine nodded and proceeded to fire another streak of flames. Tyson smirked and tossed his arm off to the side.

"Run with Dazzling Gleam!"

Sylveon began to sprint towards the duo as her body glowed pink. While avoiding the flames, Sylveon raised her ribbons high and as all the light went there. With a loud cry, a huge blast of pure light was created and flew towards the fire dog.

"Not on our watch! Arcanine, retaliate with Fire Blast!"

Arcanine opened his mouth and reared his head back. As the blast of light drew closer, the Kanto Pokemon shot a huge fire kanji symbol towards the move. The moves canceled each other out Sylveon began to fall, due to her still being injured from her last fight.

"Take advantage of Sylveon's injures with Wild Charge!"

The fire type barked loudly as he ran forward at fast speeds. His body was surrounded in a electric armor and continued his stride. Sylveon couldn't move until she was thrown by Arcanine's attack. Greninja caught his fainted teammate as her trainer returned her to her capsule.

"Infernape, it's revenge time!" Tyson announced, releasing his fully evolved fire type. Infernape cracked his knuckles before walking up to his opponent. "Flamethrower!"

"Counter with your own!" Terrence countered angrily.

Both fire types spat out a huge stream of flames that collided with one another. The duo fought for dominance until Infernape took over. The Ape's fire broke through Arcanine's and threw him back. The dog steadily got up and shook his head.

"Don't let him recover!" Tyson ordered, receiving a nod from the Sinnoh Pokemon. "Mach Punch, pronto!"

Infernape zipped across the field with his arm held back. Arcanine was unprepared for a mouth shattering punch from Infernape. The dog slid back to his trainer and breathed only in huffs and puffs.

"Answer back with Outrage!" Terrence bellowed, making most of the trees sway.

"Let's use Flare Blitz!" Tyson countered, adding on to the noise.

Arcanine was enveloped in a purple aura and crouched down. Infernape roared as red and orange flames swirled all around him. With a quick nod by both fire types, the duo flew forward, with Infernape's turning blue. The two clashed as both tried to fight one another over dominance, which became a short fight. Infernape's raw strength prevailed over Arcanine as the dog dropped to the ground. Terrence zapped his fainted dog to his capsule and released a new one. This time, a small, but muscles blue tadpole stood in front of his trainer.

"A Poliwrath," Tyson stated, looking at the dual type. Infernape cracked his knuckles in anticipation, which made his trainer smirk. "Mach Punch!"

In a flash, Infernape made it across the field and delivered a blow to the gut. Poliwrath fought through the pain as his trainer crossed his arms.

"Good. Now use Water Pulse!"

Poliwrath opened a hand as a small water orb levitated off it. The Kanto Pokemon slammed the sphere on Infernape's head, which sent him to the ground.

"Bring Poliwrath under with Dig!" Tyson ordered, punching a fist into the air.

Infernape quickly recovered and burrowed under the ground. Poliwrath prepared himself as he felt two hairy, but strong hands around his ankles. He was thrown quickly underground as Infernape threw himself up and hovered above his opponent. Tyson pointed a finger at the whole Poliwrath is in and smiled.

"Flare Blitz, let's go!" Tyson shouted, making Terrence scowl.

Infernape roared as he was swallowed in red and yellow flames. As he flew down, the flames turned blue and collided with the Tadpole Pokemon. Poliwrath cried in pain as Infernape continued to keep up his pressure.

"First, stop Infernape with Submission, then drown him with Whirlpool!"

Poliwrath sent a barrage of punches which shocking Tyson, threw Infernape off him. Poliwrath quickly jumped up and raised his arms into the air. A huge twister of water hovered off Poliwrath's hands as he tossed it down. Infernape was sucked into the vortex of water as Terrence chuckled in delight. The ape shot out of the vortex and laid out.

"We're not done yet!" Terrence declared. "Hydro Pump!"

Poliwrath opened his hands wide as a small orb of dark blue water enlarged between his palms. Shooting his hands forward, the sphere of water transformed into a geyser of water towards Infernape. The fire ape woke up and jumped on his two legs.

"Fight through with Fire Punch!"

Infernape's fist was engulfed in flames as he smashed it into the dark water. Shocking both Terrence and Poliwrath was that fact that Infernape's fire could counter their water. Ultimately, the water bursted as steam filled the air. Both trainers nodded to their Pokemon and gave their orders.

"Close Combat, Infernape!"

"Break them down with Submission!"

Both Pokemon dashed forward and sent a barrage of punches and kicks at each other. Infernape was able to take over Poliwrath, but was exhausted due to his previous attacks. The duo sent one huge fist towards one another that made them drop down. Both Pokemon's eyes were closed, signaling their defeat.

"Great job, Infernape," Tyson congratulated, zapping the ape to his respective capsule. Terrence scowled as he returned his Poliwrath to his Poke Ball. He snatched another ball from his belt and tossed it into the air. A Medicham landed on the space and sent a few kicks in the air. Tyson smirked as he turned to Greninja, who walked forward.

"Ice Punch now!" Tyson commanded, throwing his arm to the side.

"Clobber them with Thunder Punch!" Terrence countered angrily.

The duo dashed forward and collided in mid air, sparks of voltage and ice flew around the area. Greninja chuckled as Tyson pointed at Medicham.

"Smash Medicham with Water Pulse!"

Greninja charged a water orb in his free hand as he sent a smile to Medicham. The Hoenn Pokemon cried in pain once she felt a powerful sphere of water on her gut. She was thrown back, but quickly jumped back up, making the teen sigh.

 _"Geez, this thing won't go down."_ Tyson thought.

 _"Don't worry, Tyson,"_ Greninja responded mentally. _"I'll finish this as quickly as possible!"_

"While you two are off daydreaming, I'll just attack right now!" Terrence shouted. "Focus Blast, Medicham!"

Medicham opened her palm as a pure blue ball hovered off her palm. Adjusting her body, Medicham released a battle cry as she threw the orb towards Greninja.

"Take that Focus Blast out with Cut and continue your stride!" Tyson countered, throwing his arm to his side.

Greninja quickly completed hand signals before two energy swords were created beside him. The Ninja Pokemon grabbed the two swords and flew after the blue orb. The water and dark type cut the orb into several pieces before flying towards his new target.

"Take Greninja off balance with Low Sweep!"

The Meditate Pokemon bent down and extended her leg out. The dual type began to spin in a circle while she was on the ground.

 _"Jump up and use Ice Punch!"_ Tyson shouted, communicating telepathically with Greninja.

 _"No problem!"_ Greninja answered back.

The Kalos Pokemon jumped just in time to avoid his opponent's leg. His fist was engulfed in ice as he prepared to slam it down on Medicham. The Hoenn Pokemon stopped spinning as her trainer growled.

"High Jump Kick!" Terrence countered angrily.

Medicham's knee glowed blue as she leaped off the ground. Greninja couldn't counter his opponent's sudden counterattack and was struck in the chin. Medicham pushed Greninja into the air with her mighty knee as the teen's mind races to find a solution.

"Use an Acrobatics and Cut combination!"

Greninja shook off the damage and pushed Medicham down. As the Hoenn Pokemon was falling, he completed hand signs and grabbed his created energy swords. The Ninja Pokemon flew down in front of Medicham and began to slash the fighting type at high speeds. Suddenly, Greninja reappeared in front of Tyson and smashed the swords with his hands. Right after the water type did that, multiple large energy slashes swallowed Medicham whole. A huge explosion filled after, which made Terrence's Pokemon drop to the floor, unconscious.

"Are you done yet, Terrence?" Tyson questioned mockingly. "If so, Greninja and I have some unfinished business with your boss."

"I told you that you weren't going to leave here alive!" Terrence responded. He zapped his Medicham back to his capsule and grabbed a new one. The Temporal Admin pressed the middle button and released a Manectric. Tyson's mind instantly thought of his friend's, but saw how vicious this Manectric was.

"Tyson, Manectric has a Mega Stone," Greninja state. Tyson looked carefully at the hound and spotted the blue and yellow stone around his neck.

"Then this should be interesting," Tyson responded.

Terrence paid close attention to his opponents' interactions with each other. The same smirk, the immediate attack, mannerisms, everything was so similar. "Manectric, use Thunderbolt!"

Manectric roared as a huge stream of yellow voltage was thrown towards Greninja. Tyson scanned the attack and pointed forward.

"Cancel it out with Water Pledge!"

Greninja's stomach glowed a bright blue as he slammed his fist down hard onto the ground. Huge pillars of water shot from underground. The water intercepted the voltage as Terrence growled.

"Run with Wild Charge!"

Manectric dashed forward as electricity swallowed him whole. Greninja braced himself for the super effective attack, but stopped once Tyson gave a command.

"Now slam an Ice Punch on the ground!"

Greninja nodded and created another ice fist. With all of his might, the water type slammed his fist down to the ground. As Manectric continued to run, the holes that the water shot out of was filled with ice. The Hoenn Pokemon was blown back by the countermeasure.

"Keep up the pressure with Water Shuriken!" Tyson shouted.

Greninja backflipped into the air and created several shurikens made of water. With every turn of his body, each shuriken dropped down from a high altitude and fast speeds.

"Dodge with Double Team! Then run forward with Flamethrower!"

Manectric quickly cloned himself as Greninja's weapons were able to take out a few of the clones, but not the real one. The remaining Manectric proceeded to dash forward, spitting out harsh red and orange flames.

"Let's take them out with Acrobatics, Greninja!"

The Ninja Pokemon turned around to give his trainer a nod before flying forward. He flew through one Flamethrower to give a spot on hit to Manectric, but it turned out to be a clone. Looking at the last two, Greninja dashed after the fleeing hounds and tossed them into the air.

"Nonstop Cut attack!" Tyson added, much to Terrence's annoyance.

Greninja created a pair of energy swords after he completed hand signs. The Kalos Pokemon grabbed the swords and slashed the electric duo vigorously. The heroes didn't see Terrence's smirk as he snapped his fingers.

"Appear and chomp down with Thunder Fang!"

A Manectric from the sky poofed out of existence while the remaining Hoenn Pokemon hurriedly chomped down on Greninja's side. It hurt like hell before he added his electricity to his sharp teeth.

"Greninja! Stay strong!" Tyson pleaded to his injured starter.

Terrence began to laugh maniacally as Manectric refused to let go. With a swing of his head, he dropped Greninja to the ground as a huge thud followed.

"Now fry Greninja to a crisp with Thunderbolt!"

Manectric roared loudly as his body was surrounded by voltage. He positioned his body down, which made the charged up electricity shoot down. Greninja, who was still hurt from the sudden attack, was swallowed in the electricity. Once Manectric landed, the firing ceased and ended with a laugh from the Temporal Admin.

"And you thought you could challenge my boss like that?" Terrence questioned. "You're not even in the same league as me. Now, Manectric and I will go find your little friends and give them the same treatment!" Terrence and Manectric began to walk away, but were stopped by a pair of loud roars. The two turned around to see both of their opponents standing and yelling.

"They've gone insane," Manectric said, chuckling a bit.

"We are not done yet!" Greninja and Tyson shouted in unison. Terrence and Manectric looked on in fear as Greninja was swallowed in a huge geyser of water. "You will not be taking down our friends!"

"The….hell?" Terrence stuttered, unable to make a proper sentence. Greninja gained a trio of silver spikes on his head and on his cheeks. On his back was a huge silver shuriken was strapped to his back along with a long black pincers laid out on his of his arms. Greninja revealed his eyes, which were now silver. The water around Greninja flew off, pushing Terrence and Manectric back.

"What is this power?" Manectric questioned himself and his trainer. Neither knew the answer.

"Whatever it is, it's no match for us!" Terrence shouted. "Thunderbolt!"

Manectric nodded and fired another yellow electrical blast. Tyson threw his arm to the side as Greninja continued to roar.

"Breakthrough with Cut!"

Greninja's pincers shot forward and glowed a bright white color through the geyser of water. The water type flew forward and slashed the voltage like an 'X'. The electricity was instantly destroyed and Greninja continued his stride as he slashed Manectric back farther off into the woods.

"Now strike with Water Shuriken!"

Greninja grabbed his large silver shuriken from his back and threw it high into the air. As he was doing hand signs, the shuriken broke up into a cluster of colored shurikens. With a single roar, the weapons flew down towards Manectric.

"Run away and then strike with Wild Charge!"

Manectric prepared to make an escape, but was stopped by Greninja's shurikens striking him. The Lighting Pokemon was unable to escape the weapon assault as Greninja landed once more, his pincers reverting back to his pre-battle form.

"Manectric! Let's turn up the heat!" Terrence said, revealing a necklace with a rainbow keystone inside. The Temporal Admin touched the stone, as it and the Manectite glowed. "See true power! Beyond Evolution, Mega Evolve!"

The two stones created lines that connected to each other. Manectric was swallowed in a huge pink orb before it broke apart, leaving Manectric in his new form. He gained red claws as his yellow fur extended all over his body. Manectric shot Greninja a dirty look, who kept his composure.

"Now go ahead and use Electric Terrain!"

Manectric roared as sparks of electricity formed around his fur coat. They suddenly flew off and swallowed the battlers in an area of voltage.

"Hit them hard with Ice Punch!"

Greninja crouched down, almost in a track position, gathering all of his speed. In an instant, he shot forward with water surrounding him once more. His held fist was swirled in ice as he slammed it on Manectric's face, sending him flying back once again.

"Get us and use Thunderbolt!"

Manectric lowered his body as more sparks started to form around his high yellow fur's point. With a loud roar, a huge blast of electricity flew after Greninja. Eventually, it hit the Ninja Pokemon, making both him and his trainer clench their sides in pain. Terrence noticed this and smirked.

"So, when Greninja gets attacked in this stage, that brat feels it as well," Terrence said softly. "So, let's see if it's the other way around! Manectric, charge with Thunder Fang!"

The electric type opened his mouth to reveal that his teeth have been charged up with voltage around them. Manectric dashed forward, leaving several sparks of voltage behind him.

"Keep him away with Water Pledge!"

Greninja roared once more as he did several backflips into the air. His stomach glowed a bright blue as he descended fast towards the ground. He slammed his fist down hard on the battlefield, which caused more geysers of water to shoot up from the ground. Manectric was able to avoid each one and leaped over Greninja, which confused the water type. Tyson couldn't react fast enough as Manectric sunk his teeth on the golden trainer's arm. Greninja started to run forward, but was stopped once he felt the pain of his trainer.

"Yes! I knew that would work!" Terrence shouted, laughing. "Manectric, leave the boy be and charge Greninja with Wild Charge!"

Manectric swung Tyson to a tree as he charged the Kalos Pokemon. Greninja was still clenching his arm as he watched in fear at Manectric dashing forward with an armor of electricity.

"Greninja!" Tyson cried, hoping his starter would escape Manectric.

"Dragon Pulse!" a voice shouted as a huge purple dragon blast swallowed Manectric whole. Manectric flew back towards his trainer, who looked around for the source of the attack.

"Who the hell did that?" Terrence questioned. "Show yourself!"

"Ok, since you want to see me so bad," the voice stated, dropping in front of Greninja. The younger duo looked in shock, then happiness.

"Garchomp!" the two exclaimed, as the dragon looked back at his trainer and comrade. The Mach Pokemon nodded and picked up Greninja, who reverted to his normal form, and put him next to Tyson.

"I saw all the explosions from Grarifc Marsh. Lizzy said it was okay for me to come, so I flew here," Garchomp explained with a smile. "Tyson, shall we finish this up?"

"Hell yeah! Start off with Sandstorm!" Tyson shouted eagerly.

Garchomp stomped his foot on the ground, which caused the electric barrier to disappear before being replaced by a storm of sand. Manectric and Terrence were pushed back a bit due to Garchomp's immense power.

"You won't stop us!" Terrence stated. "Burn Garchomp with Flamethrower!"

Manectric opened his mouth and spat out a huge breath of red and orange flames. Garchomp smirked as Tyson pointed at his opponents.

"Strike with Earthquake, and then use Stone Edge!"

The Mach Pokemon roared as several pillars of dirt shot up from the ground. The flames were stopped by the pillars, and Manectric was thrown back by dozens of rocks Garchomp had fired. Manectric was tossed back into his trainer as Garchomp flew into the peak of the storm.

"Tyson, let's wrap this up!" Garchomp demanded, hovering above his opponents.

"Right!" Tyson added, touching his keystone inside his Mega Bracelet. "Unleash your true potential! Beyond Evolution: Mega Evolve!" Both the keystone and Garchompite glowed a bright color. Garchomp was swallowed in a pink orb before breaking out in his new form. His claws expanded in size as he grew more spikes around his body. Terrence and Manectric looked on in fear as Garchomp gave a more terrifying roar.

"Garchomp, finish them with Dragon Rush!"

Garchomp flew forward in a bright blue dragon shaped aura. Terrence quickly jumped up and ran away, leaving Manectric in shock. The hound couldn't move as he was ultimately struck by Garchomp's attack. The sandstorm ceased as Garchomp stood tall, Manectric knock out below him. Terrence quickly zapped the Hoenn Pokemon back as Tyson, Greninja, and Garchomp walked towards the man.

"I would like to ask you to run," Tyson stated, having Greninja and Garchomp walk closer to the man. "but I'll let these guys do it for me."

Garchomp roared as he exited his mega form, but still frightened the Temporal Admin. Greninja created two energy swords and pointed both at Terrence. The man crawled away from the winners and ran back into the forest.

"Should we go after him?" Garchomp suggested, making his trainer shake his head.

"No, we have to meet up with the others," Tyson answered. Garchomp had a confused look on his face, but it disappeared when Greninja patted his shoulder.

"We'll explain on the way," the Ninja Pokemon said, making his teammate nod.

Tyson helped Greninja on Garchomp's back, so his starter could rest, as the trio ran back to where Tyson had last seen the others, hoping his friends beat their opponents too.

 **000**

While Will and Tyson went off on their own, Gray and Rei saw that the two other admins that hadn't been pursued were sticking together. Chasing after the two, Gray glanced back at Potens and gave her a signal to prepare an attack.

"Aim and use Air Cutter!"

Potens grunted as her wings began glowing light blue, and she whipped them forwards as hard as she could, firing several crescents of light blue energy at the two grunts. Spinning around, the scared duo dove out of the way of the destructive attack.

"Simisage, use Seed Bomb!" Rei screamed as the grass monkey darted through the trees.

Hopping out of the leaves, Simisage fired a massive set of three large orbs of green energy at both of the Temporal members, and they once again dove out of the way, barely avoiding being blown to pieces.

"That's it! If you kids want a fight, we'll give you a fight! Mandibuzz, take care of that Noibat!"

"Eelektross, zap that disgusting primate to death!" the woman screamed.

In two blasts of light, a gigantic vulture and an ugly eel appeared next to one another and in front of their trainers while Potens and Simisage stood in front of Gray and Rei, respectively.

"Before we battle, give us your names," Simisage demanded. "It's an unwritten rule."

The two Temporal members cackled in response, wiping tears from their eyes before regaining their composure.

"Fine. I'm Drake," the man answered.

"And I'm Beth. Happy?" the wicked woman questioned, drawing a nod from Simisage.

"The name's Gray."

"And I'm Rei. Now charge and use Double Team!" the Kalosian shouted to her Pokemon.

Simisage obeyed and sprinted towards Eelektross and Mandibuzz, doing a hand sign before several clones appeared. With each running at the same speed, Simisage and her clones ran in circles around both of the opposing Pokemon and their trainers.

"Get rid of those with Shock Wave!" Beth shouted, throwing her hand towards the sky.

Eelektross let out a menacing roar while flexing, and the gross-looking creature unleashed several waves of neon blue electricity towards Simisage and her clones. Before the attack could land, however, Gray and Potens intervened.

"Not on our watch! Potens, use Gust to send Shock Wave at Mandibuzz!"

Potens zipped to her right and whipped her wings as quickly as possible, creating a gale force wind while Simisage and her clones darted backwards so that they were by Rei's side. Surprisingly, the wind managed to launch all of the bolts of electricity and sent them right at Mandibuzz, zapping the vulture into oblivion.

"Shit, that was smart," Drake said under his breath as Mandibuzz began flying around angrily. "Crush the Noibat with Dark Pulse!"

Obeying the command, Mandibuzz reared her head back and shot a spiraling ray of black and purple energy at Potens, who was struck by the attack and sent through dozens of tree branches overhead. Thankfully for her, Rei and Simisage were quick to come to her aide.

"Grab Potens and take to the trees!" Rei shouted, throwing her arm out to her side.

Shooting two green vines out of her neck, Simisage grabbed a hold of Potens and shot into the trees and, when she retracted her vines and held Potens, she took off as quickly as possible.

"You're not getting away that easily," Beth taunted. "Torch this place with Flamethrower!"

Eelektross opened his mouth and unleashed a devastating wave of red flames that looked ready to swallow the forest whole. Not wanting to let that happen, for various reasons, Gray shouted to Potens, whose eyes shot wide open.

"Blow it back with Gust, and then use Wing Attack on Mandibuzz!"

The dragon type flew out of Simisage's grasp and flapped her wings. Once again, she redirected Eelektross' attack, and the electric type was engulfed in flames. Potens then zipped towards Mandibuzz, who was still flying high in the sky, while her wings began to glow white.

"Clobber 'em with Brave Bird!" Drake countered.

Mandibuzz flew towards Potens while shrouded in sparkling blue light and as she closed in on Potens, the tiny dragon type let out a ferocious roar and was encapsulated in bright orange energy. The two then collided and Potens overpowered her opponent, slamming the larger creature into the ground as hard as she could, knocking Mandibuzz out cold.

"Wow! Potens just learned Outrage!" Gray exclaimed, cheering for the Noibat as she landed by her trainer and panted wildly. "Now come back, Potens!" she continued, zapping her Pokemon back in her Pokeball. "Unicus, I choose you!"

Appearing in place of Potens was Unicus, who slashed at the air excitedly before seeing Drake grab a Pokeball off his belt.

"Kingler, get out here and use Vice Grip on Sandslash!"

After appearing from its Pokeball, Kingler scurried over to Unicus and attempted to clamp his enormous claw on the ground type's throat.

"Dodge it and use Crush Claw on Kingler!" Gray countered immediately.

Unicus jumped back and avoided the attack with little effort, using her superior speed to her advantage. Then, as her claw began glowing cobalt, she stabbed Kingler in the head, launching the water type back to Drake's side.

"Let's take control of the battle, Simisage! Use Focus Punch!" Rei ordered, punching her fist forward as she did so.

Sprinting towards her opponent while her fist began glowing red, Simisage sprung into the air and began spinning wildly.

"Dodge it and counter with Acrobatics!" Beth retorted.

Eelektross somehow dodged the devastating punch, which shattered the ground on impact. Then, the electric type unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks and hurled Simisage back to Rei.

"Simisage, are you okay?" the black haired girl asked in concern, drawing a nod from the grass type. "Great! Use Seed Bomb on Kingler!"

Hurrying to her feet, Simisage flexed and shot three gigantic spheres of green energy into the air. As the spheres descended, Beth rushed a counterattack, which Eelektross wasn't ready for.

"Block it with Thunderbolt!"

"Not so fast! Use Swift on Eelektross, Unicus!" Gray ordered with a grin.

Unicus slashed at the air and sent dozens of gold stars at Eelektross, pelting the eel before he could even think about intercepting Seed Bomb. As a result of the attack, Seed Bomb was able to strike Kingler, who was obliterated by the super effective move.

"Stay strong and answer back with Bubblebeam!" Drake yelled as the smoke around his Pokemon cleared.

Kingler obeyed and fired high-speed clouds of bubbles at both Unicus and Simisage, the latter of whom jumped in front of her teammate and prepared to take the attack head-on.

"Not a chance! Destroy the bubbles with Vine Whip and then hit them both!"

Two green vines shot out of Simisage's neck, and she used them to slap through the powerful water type attack. After doing so with ease, Simisage then slapped both Eelektross and Kingler as hard as she could, knocking the fully evolved Pokemon onto their sides.

"Holy crap!" Beth shouted as soon as she saw that her Pokemon was unconscious, as well as Drake's. "We need to pull out the big guns."

"Agreed," Drake replied, nodding as he and his partner withdrew their Pokemon, both grabbing yet another Pokeball. "You got lucky catching us off guard, kids. That won't happen this time."

Before Gray or Rei could say a word, the Temporal members hurled a Pokeball each and revealed their newest Pokemon: Garchomp and Gardevoir.

"It's time, Garchomp. Mega Evolve!"

"It's time, Gardevoir. Mega Evolve!"

As both trainers grabbed the odd stones over their chests, they threw their arms towards the sky. Both Garchomp and Gardevoir were engulfed in pink eggs, and when they exploded out of the odd containers, both Pokemon had undergone quite a few physical changes.

Garchomp's arms had turned to massive blades, and its face appeared to be much more linear.

Gardevoir looked very similar, except for the white blouse that was much larger. Everything that was green about it had turned white, except for the hair on its head.

"Intimidated?" Beth asked smugly, pinching her lips together while Drake cackled.

Gray and Rei, however, were anything but. Instead, the two girls grabbed Pokeballs of their own and hurled them without saying a word, releasing Ferus and Gallade.

"Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

"Gallade, let's combine our strength! Mega Evolve!"

Both Pokemon underwent the same process their opponents had, and when they emerged from the pink eggs, Ferus let out a terrifying roar while Gallade remained silent and folded his arms over his chest, showing off the massive blades that were extending out of his forearms.

"Gray," the younger girl started, keeping her eyes locked on Beth. "I think we take these guys one-on-one. We'd only get in the way of each other."

Nodding, Gray and Ferus locked eyes with Drake and Garchomp while Beth began whispering to her partner.

"This is perfect for us. You take the one with the Houndoom and I'll get the one with the Gallade. There's no way they can take us alone."

Drake nodded and smirked before hopping on Garchomp's back, patting the creature on the head to make him bolt away.

"Hey! Get back here!" Gray screamed as she and Ferus pursued without hesitation.

Rei and Beth stared each other down as their partners from the double battle ran off, and Gallade cracked his neck while Gardevoir looked ready to rip his head off.

"You don't know what you just got yourself into," Beth warned Rei, who scoffed at the remark as Bisharp broke out of his Pokeball and stayed by his trainer's side, not wanting to risk her getting hurt.

"That's what you think," the black haired trainer shot back confidently, making Beth narrow her eyes. "Gallade and I aren't going to lose to the likes of you!"

"Is that so? Well, if it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get! Magical Leaf, Gardevoir!"

"Cut right through it with Leaf Blade!" Rei countered.

Gallade grunted in response as the massive blades on his forearms extended out even further and began glowing light green. He then repeatedly swung his arms at the speed of light, slicing every single leaf headed his way, and when the flurry ended, Gallade smirked at his opponent, who narrowed her eyes and looked ready to destroy him.

"Destroy him with Moonblast!" Beth demanded.

Gardevoir obeyed the command and placed her hands a few inches away from each other, allowing an orb of pink energy to form. Then, after a moment, she threw her hands forwards and sent a zigzagging beam of pink light at Gallade, obliterating the fighting type. Despite the power of the attack, Gallade recovered and landed on his feet, though his right leg gave in slightly and he grunted in pain, which worried Rei.

"Hang in there, Gallade! Use Double Team and then retaliate with Shadow Sneak!" she commanded.

Sprinting towards his opponent in an instant, Gallade smirked as multiple copies of himself began charging too. Then, each of them slammed their hands against the ground and began traveling towards Gardevoir as shadows. Beth wasn't fazed, though.

"Send all of them flying with Psychic!" she screamed, throwing both arms out to her sides.

Mimicking her trainer, Gardevoir threw her arms out to her sides while her eyes flashed light blue and, before Rei knew it, Gallade and his clones were yanked out of the ground and lifted into the air, each kicking their legs in a feeble attempt to break free.

"Fire a Psycho Cut!" the Kalosian ordered out of nowhere, catching Beth and her Mega Evolved Pokemon by surprise.

Suddenly, Gallade shot out of the trees while both of the blades on his arms were glowing light blue, and he threw them towards his opponent, who turned back to her trainer for a split second, not knowing what to do.

"Gardevoir, use Shadow Ball to block it!" Beth instructed, agitated by her Pokemon's inability to think on her own.

Hurrying to fire the attack, Gardevoir shot a ball of black and purple energy, which was at half strength, and it stood no chance, as Psycho Cut sliced through it and exploded on contact with Gardevoir's body, dealing serious damage to the fairy type.

"Follow it up with Fire Punch, Gallade!"

Continuing his assault, Gallade lunged at Gardevoir while his fist was coated in red and orange flames, and he loaded his arm back before delivering a wicked right hook that knocked Gardevoir onto her side.

"Stand strong, now!" the furious woman shrieked.

While rubbing the side of her face in pain, Gardevoir rose to her feet and saw a furious expression plastered on Beth's face, worrying her.

"Signal Beam!"

Not wanting to make her trainer angrier than she already was, Gardevoir shot a beam of yellowish energy at Gallade, who was knocked onto his back as a result of the force with which he was hit.

"We're not going to back down, no matter what! Gallade, clobber Gardevoir with Close Combat!"

Shooting off the ground, the fighting type's legs moved at the speed of light, but Beth's command came even quicker, though.

"Spin and use Magical Leaf to keep Gallade from getting close!"

Standing on her tiptoes, Gardevoir spun around like a ballerina as rainbow-colored leaves formed around her, creating a tornado that acted as a shield. Gallade stopped dead in his tracks and scowled at the wall of sharp leaves, turning to Rei, who smirked and punched her fist forward.

"You know what to do! Shadow Sneak!" the seventeen year old yelled to her number one partner, who nodded and slammed both of his hands against the ground.

Suddenly, he traveled underneath the tornado of leaves and delivered a ferocious uppercut while his arm was enveloped in dark purple energy, launching Gardevoir off her feet. Then, when she hit the ground, the fairy type's eyes were shut and she reverted back to her normal form, eliciting a victorious cheer from Rei while Beth dropped to her knees and withdrew her Pokemon.

"What!? But how!?"

Hearing the rhetorical question, Gallade stared at the evil woman and, after his Mega Evolution ended, he punched his fist forward with Rei.

"The first mistake you made was underestimating us," the fighting type informed Beth as his trainer nodded in agreement. One of the Pokeballs on her belt then opened and Bisharp materialized from the light, nodding after seeing Rei do the same.

"Heh." The Temporal member laughed at the remark, causing Gallade and Rei to raise their eyebrows in confusion. "You're both fools. It doesn't matter what you do with your crummy little bonds! Don't you understand!? You can't defeat us!"

"Oh yeah?" Bisharp replied, sharpening the blades on his forearms. "I can 'defeat' you right now, lady," he threatened, pretending to slit his own throat.

Not needing to hear another word, Beth took off, dust following her, but Bisharp, Gallade, and Rei weren't fazed by the sudden sprint, pursuing her.

 **000**

After chasing Drake for what seemed like an hour, Gray finally caught up to him and glared daggers at the man, who smirked wickedly after hopping off his Garchomp's back. Ferus, who was able to keep up due to Mega Evolving, glanced back at his trainer without breaking a sweat, which made her deadpan. Then, shifting her gaze to her enemy, the brunette growled along with Ferus, eliciting laughter.

"Stop running," she ordered. "We're ending this one way or another, right here, right now!"

Shrugging and turning to his Garchomp, Drake cackled when the dragon type nodded. What he didn't notice was Ferus doing the same, though he appeared to be much more excited than his foe, which made Gray even more confident than before.

"We're not gonna take it easy on you anymore, kid," the man forewarned, drawing a nod from Gray.

"And we won't either."

Angered by the girl's confidence, Drake suddenly issued a command to his Garchomp, but that didn't catch Gray or Ferus by surprise.

"Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!"

"Block it with Iron Tail!" the Kantonian countered immediately, making Drake curse under his breath.

As both combatants charged, the energy from their respective attacks began to glow at a ridiculous level. With Garchomp spinning, Ferus jumped and did the same with his metallic tail. The attacks then collided, and both Pokemon let out a roars. Ferus managed to prevail, and slammed his tail against Garchomp's chest, hurling the dragon type past Drake and into a tree, which fell over due to the force of impact.

"Get back up and use Dragon Rush!"

Rising to his feet, Garchomp sprung into the air and was enveloped in cobalt energy, which instantly turned into the head of a dragon. Then, he zipped towards Ferus with the intent of killing the fire type. Much to his and Drake's dismay, Gray's quick thinking reared its head.

"Ferus, shield yourself by using Play Rough!"

The fire type howled as pink aura covered his body. When Garchomp slammed into him, Ferus was pushed along the ground, but he didn't seem to be injured in the slightest. Shocked by the result of his Pokemon's devastating attack, Drake shook his head.

"What the hell? How does that even make sense?"

"Fairy types are immune to dragon types, and the same applies to attacks. Come on, I thought you were smarter than that," Ferus replied tauntingly, drawing a smirk from his trainer.

"Destroy Houndoom with Dig!" Drake screamed, blood rushing to his face as he did so.

Garchomp burrowed underground and immediately resurfaced and uppercut Ferus, punching him right in the chin, sending the fire type spiraling towards the night sky.

"Hang in there and get back at him with Foul Play!" Gray commanded while throwing her right fist forwards.

Ferus roared and was enveloped in black energy right away, crashing into Garchomp with reckless abandon. The dragon type was crushed by the devastating move, which took his own attack power and used it against him. The ground cracked underneath the force and Garchomp cried in pain while Drake stomped, caught in a wave of fury.

"Garchomp, get up right now!" the Temporal member screamed as his Pokemon was unable to rise to his feet, allowing Gray to issue another attack.

"Keep it up, Ferus! Fire Fang!"

The Houndoom bolted over to Garchomp while fire poured out of his mouth, and when he bit his foe's head, a sudden surge of flames caused an explosion, hurling Garchomp over to Drake's side.

"End this with Dragon Claw!" the enraged man commanded as his Pokemon laid limply on the ground, showing no signs of moving despite being conscious.

"You know what to do, buddy!" Gray shouted, opting not to give a command, instead allowing Ferus to attack on his own.

Relishing in the trust his trainer had placed in him, Ferus reared his head back and unleashed the most intense wave of fire he could muster up. The blue flames slammed into Garchomp and knocked him unconscious right away, leaving Drake in awe as he withdrew his downed Pokemon.

"Now give up! You're done!" Ferus demanded as his Mega Evolved state ceased, only to sweat drop when Drake bolted. "Let's get this guy!" he screamed to Gray, who nodded and chased after the Temporal member.

 **000**

"Are you going to fight or what then!?" Will asked as he glared at the Temporal admin.

"Oh yeah, I will," he answered. "But by the end, you're going to wish you ran away to your mommy. Get out there Honchkrow!"

The admin hurled a Pokeball almost twenty feet in front of Captain, and in a blinding flash of light, a dark-blue, bird-like Pokemon appeared. The flying type Pokemon had plumage that reminded Will of someone dressed in formal attire. Having never seen this kind of Pokemon before, Will brought out his PokeDex.

"Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokémon and the evolved form of Murkrow. Honchkrow recruits many Murkrow to travel with it, and it spends much of its time at home preening its feathers."

"This seems easy enough, Captain!" Will called to the Eaglet Pokemon.

"You'll find that to be very, very wrong, Will," the admin answered back with a smirk on his face.

"What is it with all of you Team Temporal members and knowing who we are?" Will asked rhetorically, groaning. "Would you like to share your name with me, unlike Mr. Army Reject?"

"That's because his name wasn't important," the man sneered. "Mine is. I'm Zane, Admin of Team Temporal, and I'm the man that's going to defeat you here and now, Will! Night Slash, Honchkrow!" he ordered.

The Sinnoh Pokemon began quickly flying towards Captain as his wings began to glow with a purple aura. When he arrived at almost five feet away from Captain, though, Honchkrow suddenly stopped mid flight and fired off the purple aura.

"Dodge that and use Fury Attack!" Will countered.

Captain zipped through the air faster than Honchkrow could and easily dodged the oncoming attack. Then, after he escaped the attack, Captain flew right behind his opponent and began to quickly jab at Honchkrow with his powerful beak. The Sinnoh Pokemon tried to fight back, but before he could hit Captain, the Eaglet Pokemon had already flown back to Will.

"Let's put a damper on that speed!" Zane sneered, angry that Captain was so much faster than his Pokemon. "Thunder Wave to stop him, then charge up for Sky Attack!"

The dark type Pokemon began to charge up blue streaks of electricity in between his sharp talons as he flew towards Captain. Knowing Honchkrow was slower than the Unova Pokemon, the Sinnoh Pokemon released the electricity from his sharp claws and shot it at the Eaglet. Struck by the attack, Captain became instantly paralyzed and unable to move.

Knowing he couldn't dodge, Honchkrow took his time, casually flying over towards the Rufflet as streaks of bluish-white light began to form around him. Then, as he began to gain more energy, the dark type Pokemon grew faster.

"You've got to get out of the way, Captain!" Will yelled, seeing Honchkrow get closer to the Unova Pokemon.

When his Pokemon couldn't move, though, the Hoenn native decided to try the next best thing.

"Hit back with Slash!"

As Honchkrow was charging at him, the Eaglet Pokemon still struggled to move. All he was able to do before he was hit by the Sky Attack was to bring up his right claw and weakly scratch at Honchkrow's head. The Sinnoh Pokemon easily shook that off, though, and rammed right into Captain with as much force as the Big Boss Pokemon could use.

"Strike with a Wing Attack!" Zane yelled before Captain had time to refocus.

The dark type Pokemon shot right at the Rufflet as both of his wings began to glow. Seeing the Sinnoh Pokemon charge at Captain, Will called out a new command to the Eaglet.

"Meet him head on with a Wing Attack of your own to finish this!"

As soon as he heard the new order, Captain zipped towards Honchkrow as his wings, too, began to glow brightly. The two Pokemon met in the middle and smashed into each other, both knowing out the other. Both knocked unconscious, Captain and Honchkrow began to quickly descend towards the earth.

"Return!" both trainers called at the same time, recalling their Pokemon before they landed on the ground.

"Not bad, Will," Zane grudgingly admitted. "Truthfully, I expected to defeat you with just Honchkrow, but it's no problem. No one's lasted this long in a battle with me for a while, so this is actually kind of fun. It's been boring slaughtering everyone without a challenge, honestly."

"Whatever," Will grunted, not caring what the admin had to say. "Let's just get this battle moving again."

Shrugging, Zane grabbed his final Pokeball, causing Will to mirror the man. Then, both trainers hurled their capsules towards the battlefield at the same time, causing both of the Pokeballs to collide in midair. As soon as they hit, both trainers' Pokemon appeared next to each other, each charging the other.

"Ice Fang, Pyro/X-Scissor, Armaldo!" Will and Zane both shouted at the same time.

Naturally, Will brought out his PokeDex quickly to know what kind of Pokemon Zane was using.

"Armaldo, the Plate Pokémon. Armaldo can withstand any attack with its hard shell. It is thought to have been able to break even stones with its powerful claws."

As the PokeDex scanned Armaldo, Shadow ran right at the fossil Pokemon as he opened his mouth to show off his dangerously, sharp teeth. As he did this, though, the Plate Pokemon's two claws began to glow green. When the two met up, Shadow ducked and slid beneath his opponent's legs, dodging the X-Scissor, and bit at Armaldo's back.

"Keep the momentum, Shadow!" Will cheered. "Hit 'em with Snarl!"

The Mightyena released his hold on Armaldo, but not even a moment later, Shadow began snarling. The second he did, the dark type Pokemon fired off a dark, sphere of energy from his opened mouth at Armaldo. The Plate Pokemon was quickly hit by the attack and then slid forwards across the battlefield until he landed face down in front of his trainer.

"Aqua Jet, Armaldo!" Zane ordered.

The fossil Pokemon quickly jumped back up to his feet and glared across the field at Shadow. He then thrusted both of his claws backwards, causing a geyser of water to appear. Armaldo, fully cloaked by the water, gained control of the geyser and then used it to move around quickly.

The Plate Pokemon shot into the air quickly and began flying around as Shadow ran under him. Armaldo didn't wait long to strike, though. After only a few moments of soaring in the sky, he surged downwards and rocketed towards the dark type Pokemon like a bullet shot from a gun.

"Bite him!" Will cried.

As Armaldo came flying at him, Shadow opened his mouth wide, preparing to bite down. Just before the Plate Pokemon made it to Shadow, Armaldo rose in altitude and then shot down in a nose dive behind the dark type Pokemon, using the Aqua Jet more as transportation then an attack.

"Ancient Power!" Zane ordered with Armaldo in Shadow's blind spot.

The fossil Pokemon's eyes began to glow a pinkish-purple color a rocks began to shoot up from under the ground until Armaldo was surrounded by a giant collection of stones. Then, with only a flick of his wrist, Armaldo shot all of the projectiles at Shadow.

"Counter that with Snarl!" Will shouted.

The dark type Pokemon opened his mouth as a dark sphere of energy began to form inside of it. Then, Shadow fired the orb at the large mass of rocks flying at him. The two attacks then met and cancelled each other out, causing a dust cloud to appear from the destroyed stones.

"Rush at him and use Crush Claw!" Zane ordered through the cloud of dust.

Armaldo appeared from within the dust cloud, his claws glowing a bluish-white color, and he ran towards his opponent. Seeing him charge at his Pokemon, Will called out a counter to Shadow.

"Take him out with one final Ice Fang!"

Shadow ran right towards Armaldo, planning to meet the fossil Pokemon in the middle of the imaginary battlefield. As he ran, his teeth began to glow light blue and seemed to give off cool air. When the two Hoenn Pokemon met in the middle, both of them struck the other with their respective attack, causing the two to be dealt damage. However, unlike Armaldo, Shadow bit down onto his opponent's arm and didn't let up, causing continuous pain for the fossil Pokemon.

After a few more moments, Armaldo could no longer stand from the damage. Seeing this, Shadow let go and walked back towards Will as the Plate Pokemon fell down and fainted. Zane then recalled his Pokemon and looked to Will.

"Why don't we kick this battle up a notch, Will?" the admin asked, a gloating smirk upon his face. "I'll show you the ace I was telling you all about."

As he spoke, Zane fingered a small, black ring with a rainbow-colored stone on his left ring finger. Seeing this movement, Will's eyes were drawn to the the stone on Zane's ring.

"You've got a Keystone!?" Will asked in shock, surprised someone who was a part of a villainous group would have been able to master Mega Evolution.

"Naturally," Zane answered back, his smirk growing even more. "So what do you say?" he asked. "Does a Mega Battle sound interesting to you?"

"I can't use Mega Evolution yet…" Will trailed off, gritting his teeth in frustration at his inability to help his Pokemon grow stronger. "But my team and I will still be able to kick your ass without Mega Evolution!"

Hearing this, Zane broke out into laughter, making fun of the Hoenn native.

"You've got yourself a Mega Bracelet and you can't even use it?" he asked rhetorically. "You're not even worthy of a Keystone. After I defeat you, I'll be taking it."

Furious at the Temporal Admin, Will recalled Shadow back to his Pokeball and then grabbed another out of his pocket.

"You're just asking for trouble now, Zane," he told the admin. "Pyro and I won't lose to you, not now or ever! We'll give this battle our all and kick your ass into next week while we're at it!"

With that, Will threw his final Pokeball out in front of him. In a flash of light, Pyro appeared in front of his trainer. He then thrusted both of his arms behind him and released a huge stream of flames into the sky.

Unfazed by the show of power, though, Zane drew his last Pokeball out from his right pocket. He then casually hurled it into the air in front of him, releasing a white, bipedal Pokémon.

The creature had a lower body that consisted of rounded hips with strong-looking legs. He had a thin, green torso with sharp red horns jutting out from both his chest and back. His arms were shaped like blades and looked very powerful.

"Say hello to Gallade, Will," Zane told the brunette. "He's my strongest Pokemon and is more than capable of beating your Blaziken, Mega Evolution or not."

"Doubt it," Will scoffed. "Let's get this started, Pyro! Use Flamethrower!"

The Hoenn starter opened his mouth and released a huge stream of flames towards his opponent. Gallade, unfazed by the fire coming at him, waited until the last moment to counter.

"Dodge that with a Shadow Sneak!" Zane called.

The second his trainer spoke, Gallade vanished, appearing to be swallowed by the earth below him. After seeing the Blade Pokemon disappear, Pyro searched for Gallade. He didn't stay hidden long, though. The Sinnoh Pokemon appeared from Pyro's shadow on the ground and came up quickly, punching the starter Pokemon in the back of head with a powerful blow.

"Fight back with a Flame Charge!" Will ordered.

The Blaziken didn't stay down for too long. As soon as he shook off his hit from Gallade, Pyro cloaked himself in flames. The Hoenn starter then ran right at the dual type Pokemon, fully intending on ramming into him. Zane, however, had a different idea.

"Meet him head on with Close Combat!"

Seeing Pyro run at him, Gallade planted his right foot behind him for support and then brought both of his fists. When Pyro made it to him, the Sinnoh Pokemon was ready. Gallade began punching at the Hoenn starter nonstop at extremely high speeds, but Pyro fought back, just not with enough power. Seeing Pyro was losing ground, Will decided to change his plan.

"Change-up time! Use Flamethrower, Pyro!" the brunette called.

Pyro, all the while still fighting hand-to-hand with Gallade, opened his mouth wide, allowing a torrent of flames to come out and fly at his opponent. The Sinnoh Pokemon wasn't hit, though. Gallade bounced into the air and out of the way and then landed in front of his trainer.

"Not bad, Will," Zane told the Hoenn native, as if giving out a complement while Gallade took in a deep breath. "But you're going to wish you didn't make me do this," he promised.

Confused, Will watched the Temporal Admin closely. It didn't take long to figure out, though. Will saw Zane's hand with his Mega Ring rise into the air as it began to glow a blindingly bright, pink color.

"It's time, Gallade. Mega Evolve!"

The dual type Pokemon sprung into the air - almost two feet - as soon as Zane's Mega Ring began to glow. He was then absorbed into a sphere of rainbow-colored energy. From where he was standing, across from Zane, Will could see Gallade inside the orb, beginning to change form. After a second of watching, though, Will was forced to turn away, no longer able to look at the blinding light.

After a few more moments of being inside the sphere, Gallade was released and fell to the ground. Because of the Mega Evolution, Gallade's appearance had changed. Now, he had red plates grown onto his blade-like arms, giving them a more powerful look. His head grew to more of a helmet-like appearance, and Gallade also had a white cape fall from his back. Now, the Sinnoh Pokemon looked more knightly than ever.

"This, Will," Zane began, drawing the Hoenn native's attention away from the newly-Mega Evolved Pokemon, "is the power of Mega Evolution. Show them how much stronger you've become, Gallade! Hit Pyro with a Leaf Blade!"

The dual type Pokemon rushed towards Pyro, faster than ever due to his Mega Evolving, as his two blade-like arms began to glow green. Gallade slashed at Pyro's chest with Leaf Blade, an attack that normally would not do much damage, and easily brought him to his knees. The Sinnoh Pokemon then bounced back into the air and landed back in front of Zane.

"Try and hit him with a Blaze Kick, Pyro!" Will ordered.

The Blaziken shook off his pain, stood back up onto his feet, and then ran towards Gallade as fast as he could. As he ran, his right leg started to catch fire. The closer Pyro got to Gallade, the more fire appeared. Just before Pyro brought his leg up for a powerful kick, Zane called out a counter.

"Get behind and slash him with Psycho Cut!"

The Mega Evolved Pokemon leaped into the air just before Pyro hit him and did three flips. Then, as soon as he landed behind his opponent, Gallade's arms began to glow pink. The Blade Pokemon then rushed at Pyro, his arms crossed in front of his chest. When he reached the Hoenn starter, Gallade slashed both of his arms down upon Pyro's back.

Pyro was sent to the ground, lying on his chest in pain from the powerful, super-effective attack. Seeing this, Will called out to his Pokemon, not ready to give up on his partner yet.

"We can't give up, Pyro! Hit 'em with Double Kick while they're close!"

The Hoenn starter shakily leaped back to his feet and swung his right leg over towards Gallade's head before the Sinnoh Pokemon could dodge. Gallade didn't seem fazed in the slightest, though, by the powerful kick coming at him.

"Hit him with Close Combat one more time," Zane told the Mega Evolved Pokemon calmly, as if he believed the battle was over.

Gallade began jabbing at his opponent with lightning-fast punches before Pyro could even bring down one kick. The lightning-fast barrage of punches lasted for almost a full ten seconds, each second bringing more damage than the last.

"Pyro!" Will screamed.

Just as he cried out, Will saw Gallade deliver one final blow. That last punch, though, was much more powerful than the rest, and it sent the Blaziken flying across the battlefield. When he fell, Pyro landed with a loud thud against the ground, his chest against the ground, giving the appearance that he had fainted.

"Pyro!" Will hollered again, much louder than the last time.

The brunette ran over to his partner quickly, hoping he was alright, When he made it to Pyro, Will balanced himself on one knee and examined the downed creature. Not only were bruises covering Pyro's body, there were several lacerations as well, and appeared to be unimaginable pain.

"You've got to be alright, Pyro! You've got to!" Will shouted.

As he watched his opponent treated his Pokemon, Zane rolled his eyes and then began to walk away, signaling Gallade to do the same. A weak voice from behind them stopped the Temporal members, though.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Pyro, although very weak, had not fainted. He carefully stood up to one knee as his trainer was, glared across the field, and repeated himself.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked for a second time. "I'm not done yet."

"To go find your friends," Zane answered with a mocking laugh. "Beating you up was so much fun, Gallade and I are hoping to find the rest of your little group to whoop on some more weak Pokemon."

Will glared at the admin in sheer hatred and stood up with Pyro right next to him.

"You heard Pyro!" he shouted. "If he's not done yet, then neither am I! We're going to keep fighting!" Will yelled. "We're not about to let you leave and go attack our friends!"

"Let me?" Zane retorted, glaring right back at Will. "You don't really seem strong enough to be able to 'allow me' to do anything!"

He and Gallade made their way back over to the battlefield, ready to continue the fight as Will and Pyro readied themselves.

"Don't doubt our strength, Zane," the Hoennian told his enemy threateningly. "It may just be the last thing you do!"

Will and Pyro stood proudly across from the Temporal Admin, not showing any weakness, as Zane and Gallade began to laugh.

"Pyro and I are partners!" Will shouted, regaining his enemy's attention. "We work alongside each other through thick and thin! Together we're much more powerful than you could even imagine! And now, it's time to prove it!"

The brunette glared across the battlefield at the admin as he pressed his palm down on the Mega Bracelet that Steven had given him. Pyro began to float a few feet in the air just as his trainer shouted again.

"Alright, Pyro! Let's show them how powerful our bond can be!" Will shouted louder than he'd ever been in his life.

The Blaziken was absorbed into a huge sphere of pink energy as Will's Mega Bracelet began glowing in a rainbow-colored flash. Not a moment later, Pyro's light became so bright that no one was able to continue watching. Not long afterwards, the sphere of energy holding Pyro cracked, releasing the Hoenn starter from his egg.

When he was released, Pyro was no longer in his normal form, having transformed into Mega Blaziken. He'd lost his yellow markings on his upper legs and chest and replaced them with black markings. His hair-like feathers took on a wing-like shape and the crest on his head changed into a flat, backward-curved horn. The fire released by his wrists also grew, now showing much hotter, longer streaks of flame.

"I told you, Zane. We're not finished yet. We're much stronger than we were before. There's no chance of you beating us!" the sixteen year old yelled. "Hit 'em with a new and improved Blaze Kick, Pyro!"

The Mega Evolved Pokemon sprinted towards his opponent, faster than Gallade by an impressive amount. His right leg became cloaked in red-hot flames just before he leaped into the sky. He soared through the air quickly and slammed into the Sinnoh Pokemon with a powerful kick to the side of the head, launching the dual type back almost fifteen feet.

"Gallade!" Zane shouted. "Get back up and use Psycho Cut!"

The Blade Pokemon jumped back up to his feet and then began running towards Pyro. As he ran, Gallade's arms began to glow pink yet again. This time, though, Gallade came to a sudden stop when he was still almost five feet away from Pyro.

As soon as he stopped, Gallade jumped into the air and did a flip. When he landed back onto the ground, he slashed both of his blade-like arms through the air, causing two pink crescents of energy to fly towards Pyro.

Smirking slightly, the Hoenn starter stood still until the energy blades were only a few feet away. Then just before the crescents collided against him, Pyro lunged to his right, dodging the attack entirely. He then brought up his right arm in an attempt to scratch at the Sinnoh Pokemon. Gallade quickly countered, though, with a Leaf Blade.

The two Mega Evolved Pokemon were then locked in close quarters fighting, Pyro using a combination of Scratch and Double Kick and Gallade countering with Leaf Blade and Psycho Cut. Each time Pyro would bring his claws around in an attempt to cut Gallade, the dual type Pokemon would counter with Leaf Blade. Whenever Gallade would try to slash at Pyro with Psycho Cut, Pyro would block it with a swift Double Kick.

Neither side was making much leeway, the other always trying to hit them before one could move. This meant that the two fighting type Pokemon were stuck in melee combat until one could successfully land a hit. Knowing this, both trainers tried to come up with a plan for their Pokemon to end the battle on their terms.

"Neither of them are going to last much longer, Will," Zane called, interrupting Will's thoughts. "It'll probably be the first actual hit to land that wins. Are you willing to bet on that being Pyro?" the admin asked. "Because if it isn't, both of you are going to be in for a world of hurt."

Gritting his teeth, Will decided to ignore his opponent and continued to brainstorm a plan that could help Pyro win. It didn't take much more thinking, though, on Will's part. The brunette saw a chance and he took it.

"Flamethrower, Pyro!"

The Blaziken, having just blocked an attack from Gallade, opened his mouth wide and released a huge stream of fire without a moment's hesitation. Gallade, trying to regain his balance after having his attack blocked, wasn't ready for the stream of fire coming at him. He was instantly hit by the powerful attack and launched backwards, landing facedown by Zane, unconscious.

"How in the hell!?" the admin roared.

Will walked up to the Temporal member causally, Pyro right behind him as Zane recalled Gallade to his Pokeball. When Will made it to the man, he said only one word.

"Go."

The admin didn't wait around to see what would come next. He simply ran away, allowing Will and Pyro to go search for their friends.

"Let's go, Pyro!" Will called. "There's no time to lose!"

 **000**

Roaming through the forest without making a sound, a man smirked as he heard several explosions going off throughout the area. Staring down at the Pokeball in his hand, he turned around and looked up at the night sky, smirking wickedly.

 _"The prophecy is almost complete. Once I kill those kids, Team Temporal shall reign with an iron fist!"_

With that, the man released his Hydreigon from its capsule and hopped on the creature's back as it took off at mach speed without a command, knowing exactly where it was supposed to go. There was no hope. Team Temporal was going to win.

* * *

 **Sorry, everyone, for the long wait. I'm sure the battles make up for it, but I digress. Will, Tyson, Rei, and Gray all managed to defeat the Temporal admins with the power of Mega Evolution (and Synchro, in Tyson's case), but they're going to face their toughest test next chapter, when the Hydreigon trainer appears. Till then, peace out.**

 **Also, thanks to Warrior of Hope and Blaze Falcon for co-writing this chapter (and all others featuring their characters). Please make sure to check out their stories! **

* * *

_**Next Chapter: "Save the Future!"**_

 _ **Everything finally comes to a head when the leader of Team Temporal steps out of the shadows. Being, without a doubt, the strongest trainer the group has ever faced, they must all work together to have a chance at defeating him and his Hydreigon. However, with their strongest Pokemon injured, their chances fall as close to zero as possible until the group unites and awakens their true power. Will they be able to defeat this madman and prevent him from taking over the world!?**_

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 52: Bonds Beyond Time  
Chapter 53: Two of a Kind  
Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	51. Save the Future!

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, people? Last chapter, the group split up and battled the four Team Temporal admins in Mega Battles, and everyone (except Gray, cuz Ferus is super OP) was pushed to the brink. This time around, they're going to be taking on the leader of Temporal, and boy oh boy, this is going to be intense as hell! Now let's get going! Also, thanks to Blaze Falcon and Warrior of Hope for co-writing this chapter!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Lololol, it sucks even more when you've read everything XD Somehow we managed to pull this chapter off, so yay to us!_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, but this chapter's going to be way better. If last chapter was epic, then you won't have words for this one XD And I'm glad to be posting Gray's story again. I have a few chapters of the Driftveil Arc done and I'm trying to get even further ahead_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Huzzah! If Mega/Synchro hype is what you wanted, then (excuse my language) holy shit, you're going to love this chapter! And I've really loved how the writing styles are merged into one chapter. It's something that isn't seen all that often, if at all_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Haha, that played out perfectly, now that I think about it. I'm hoping Synchro's in Z, and Mega Gallade's going to be awesome. I agree with the multiple megas being a bit of a drag, but that's on me. Rei was thrown into this at the last second and we already had the battles set up (except Drake's Garchomp) so I ended up using Megas that Blaze and WoH were scheduled to use_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Oh, did you say awesome battles? Here, sir, have some more XD In all seriousness, though, this entire chapter is just one massive battle_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 34, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 37, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"Tyson! Will!" Gray and Rei screamed in unison as they ran over to the two boys, who were panting and sitting down against different trees.

"Are you guys okay? What happened to the people you battled?" Rei inquired, drawing grins from both trainers.

"Let's just say Zane won't be a problem anymore," Will answered, chuckling. "He ran away crying."

"My team and I were able to send Terrence running to his mommy," Tyson joked. "Oh, guys, this is Garchomp, he saved us during the battle." The pseudo legendary waved his claws at the group, mostly at Gray, since they met a long time ago.

Smiling and waving back to the powerful creature, both Rei and Gray sat down along with their Pokemon and took deep breaths. Staring up at the sky, the group realized dawn was beginning to break, and the fatigue from staying up all through the night and battling a group of villains had sucked away nearly all of their energy.

"So, I guess Temporal isn't much of a threat now that we beat those four goons," Gray stated as she zapped Ferus back into his Pokeball.

"I wouldn't say that, Gray," Tyson began. "Remember, there's still that madman with that Hydreigon to deal with."

"Madman? Well, I wouldn't call myself that" an unfamiliar voice interjected, cackling shortly afterwards. "I didn't think I'd have to go hunting for my meal, but here I am."

Suddenly shooting out of the woods, the man that had attacked Tyson and Greninja appeared on the back of his Hydreigon, who let out a menacing roar and glared daggers at the group and their Pokemon.

"Meal? Jesus, you're insane!" Will shouted as the man appeared. "Now I really want to kick your ass!"

The man scoffed at Will's announcement and tossed a Pokeball in the air before catching it. He continued doing that for a few moments before looking back up at the quartet before snickering.

"Your desires are nothing. You won't be able to defeat me, but you'd know that, wouldn't you, Tyson?"

"Why don't I show you how strong my desires are?" Tyson shouted back, growling at the madman. "Greninja and I, along with our friends, will kick you back to the cave you came from!"

Rei looked around in confusion, having been absent during the initial interaction between the man and her new friends. However, she decided to join in.

"That's right! You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Yeah! Will and I could've taken you down without a problem, but Tyson was… basically dead, so we had other priorities!" Gray shouted, drawing laughter from the unnamed man.

"There may have been a chance for that before," the man agreed, glaring at the girl. "But that's no longer the case! Now Hydreigon has the power of Celebi with him! And I, Keith, shall rule!"

At the mention of the legendary Pokemon's name, all four trainers gasped.

"That's not possible!" Will shouted with Pyro beside him, looking at the man in shock.

"How in the name of Arceus did you get Celebi?" Tyson asked the madman, Garchomp and Greninja shaken up by that statement.

"Team Temporal is more powerful than you know, Tyson," he answered before he began cackling again. "Capturing Celebi was nothing compared to what we can do now!"

"You're insane!" Rei shouted as she drew Gallade's Pokeball, prompting Gray to do the same with Bellator's.

"We'll take you out before you can harm anyone or anything else!" the Kantonian declared.

The man shook his head and cleared his throat at the same time, signaling that he had more to say.

"You don't quite understand, do you?" the man asked rhetorically, shifting his gaze from the boys to the girls. "This is all a part of a greater plan, one that has been handcrafted by destiny itself!"

Hydreigon roared in agreement, sending chills down the spines of all four teens.

"You, me, everything that's happened, it's been waiting to come to fruition for hundreds, if not thousands of years! It's all a part of the prophecy!"

"Prophecy, my ass!" Will yelled. "I bet you just came up with that after taking off your straightjacket!"

Keith shook his head in disgust, an agitated expression making its way across his face. Looking up at the group, he spat and then stared up at the sky.

"It may sound convenient, I'll give you that," Keith started, turning his attention back to Will. "But I am the prophet! I will usher in a new world by gaining control of time! Anything terrible that's happened will be erased by me! I will be a god!" the leader of Team Temporal screamed at the top of his lungs, rejoicing at the idea. "I won't let you stop me from fulfilling my destiny! Hydreigon, go!"

"C'mon, Pyro! We need you more than ever now!" Will announced, signaling his partner and best friend to leap into action.

"Greninja, our time is now!" Tyson started, Garchomp helping his friend off his back. "Our bond meets no limit! It's fighting time!" Greninja front flipped forward, standing next to Pyro.

"Let's put this freakshow in his place, Gallade!" Rei shouted, hurling her starter's Pokeball, which snapped open and revealed the bipedal creature, who turned to his left and nodded at Greninja and Pyro.

"Bellator, I choose you!" Gray hollered, following her friends' actions by releasing her powerhouse, who sprung out of his Pokeball and landed gracefully and to the right of Gallade.

Each of the four Pokemon, as well as their trainers, glared daggers at Keith and his Hydreigon, the latter of whom let out a menacing roar.

"Let's end this as quickly as possible, Hydreigon! Drown them with Surf!"

"Not on our watch!" Gray shouted right afterwards. "Bellator, step in front of the others and use Ice Punch on the water!"

As Hydreigon let out a menacing roar, the dark type lifted its arms, causing a tidal wave of crystal blue water to roll along the grass and crash towards the quartet. Bellator, however, stepped in front of his allies while both of his fists were shrouded in icy energy, and he punched the wave, freezing it instantly.

"Now hit Hydreigon with a Flamethrower, Pyro!" Will called.

The Blaziken leaped through the air, landed behind Bellator, and let out a stream of flames at the dark type Pokemon. The flames surged towards Hydreigon, but didn't get far before the Temporal leader called out a counter.

"Meet that with a Flamethrower of your own, Hydreigon!" Keith commanded.

The Unova Pokemon released an even larger jet of flames from each of his three mouths then flew across the battlefield to meet Pyro's Flamethrower. The two attacks negated each other, leaving the battle at a stand-still.

"Greninja, fly in with Ice Punch!" Tyson demanded, throwing his arm forward.

Greninja nodded as his fist was encased in ice. The Ninja Pokemon dashed forward, prepared to deal some serious payback.

"Gallade, follow that up with Leaf Blade!"

Springing towards the stars in the sky, Gallade's forearms began to glow light green, and he spun wildly before descending, his eyes locking onto the dragon.

"Pathetic," Keith muttered as the psychic and fighting type, along with Greninja, flew towards his lone Pokemon. "Hyper Voice!"

For a second time, Hydreigon opened all three of his mouths and unleashed devastating blasts of sound, which slammed into the two Pokemon and exploded on contact, launching them back to their trainers.

"Retaliate with a dual Cut!, Greninja!"

"Bellator, Aqua Jet!

"And use Fire Punch!"

Each of the three Pokemon sprinted towards Hydreigon before Bellator, who was encapsulated in water, took to the air and slammed into the dark type. Then, Greninja and Gallade landed their respective attacks, though it didn't seem as if their mighty foe had taken any damage.

"Finish them with Dragon Pulse!" Keith ordered.

Rearing its head back, the pseudo-legendary unleashed three rays of multi-colored, draconic energy. Then, the beams merged into one and transformed into the shape of a dragon, and it let out a roar before snapping its jaws on Greninja, Gallade, and Bellator. An explosion ensued and the trio of combatants were hurled past their trainers, who spun around and gasped in terror.

"Bellator!"

"Greninja!"

"Gallade!"

They then sprinted over to the downed Pokemon and noticed all of their eyes were shut before glancing back at Will and Pyro, who were standing with the utmost confidence.

"No!" Will shouted as he saw each of his friends' Pokemon fall. Then, with a fire in his eyes, he turned back to his partner. "It's time to show Keith we don't care what his prophecy says, Pyro!" he exclaimed. "Let's show them how powerful our bond can be! Mega Evolve!"

The Hoenn starter became instantly absorbed into a pick-colored sphere of energy as soon as Will touched the Mega Bracelet on his wrist. While in the orb, Pyro began to change form. After a few moments, the Blaziken reappeared upon the battlefield, looking stronger than ever.

"Hit 'em with a Blaze Kick!" Will commanded.

Pyro roared into the sky before charging at Hydreigon. As he ran, Pyro's right leg began to be coated in a cloak of fire. The Hoenn starter leaped into the air just before he made it to his opponent and aimed his right leg right at Hydreigon's chest.

"Counter with Stone Edge, Hydreigon!" Keith shouted.

The Unova Pokemon let out a threatening roar and below Pyro, huge boulders began to spout out from the ground. The shards of rock shot upwards and hit the Blaziken just before he could land a hit on Hydreigon. Pyro was launched backwards from the impact, but easily landed on his feet, ready to keep battling.

"Rush him with a Flame Charge!" Will ordered.

The fire starter didn't waste a moment. He began sprinting right at his opponent without a second's hesitation and as he ran, it was like someone had lit a match below him. Pyro became coated in flames from his feet up as he ran towards Hydreigon, aiming to ram into the Unova Pokemon.

"Stop him there with Hyper Voice!" Keith countered.

Just like before, Hydreigon let loose three powerful rays of sound energy, one from each head, at Pyro. The Blaziken easily dodged the first two, neither landing a hit on Pyro, but the final beam struck the Hoenn starter, causing him to lose his footing and crash upon the ground a few feet away from Hydreigon.

"Get back up and hit him with Double Kick!" Will called, not ready to surrender to the madman.

Pyro quickly stood back up, shaking off his dizziness after being knocked around like a ragdoll. As soon as he did, the Blaziken leaped into the air almost ten feet using his powerful legs and kicked at the dark type Pokemon's head, knocking Hydreigon back a few feet. Then Pyro brought his left leg to his opponent's head, knocking the Unova Pokemon down straight to the ground with the force of the powerful, super-effective hit.

"You brat!" Keith spat as his Pokemon smacked against the ground. "Strike him down with Outrage!"

Hydreigon quickly got back up and roared in anger at being struck. He then thrusted both of his head arms backwards as he began to glow with a red aura. As he began glowing, streaks of orange light seemed to fly at Hydreigon, surrounding the Brutal Pokemon. Then after a few moments of absorbing energy, the dark type Pokemon surged forwards towards Pyro faster than Will thought possible.

"Try to stop him with Flamethrower!" the brunette cried.

Pyro opened his mouth to release his usual stream of flames, but Hydreigon was too fast. Before he could even attack, the dark type Pokemon rammed into Pyro, causing him to soar through the air and land on the ground almost twenty feet away.

"Now strike with Surf!" Keith commanded.

Before Pyro had time to get up, Hydreigon had summoned a large tidal wave that began to crash through the woods. The wave surged towards the Hoenn Pokemon quickly, but he jumped up to his feet quickly and leaped into the branches of a nearby tree.

"Run at 'em and show Hydreigon how an all out Blaze Kick feels!" Will shouted.

From his perch in the tree, Pyro shot from branch to branch until he was right above his opponent. From above, the Blaziken dropped down, using gravity to help power up a Blaze Kick. As he fell, however, Keith shouted a counterattack to his monstrous Pokemon.

"Block him with Stone Edge!"

Hydreigon let loose a threatening roar, and huge stones surged upwards from beneath the ground. The boulders created a barrier between the two Pokemon, angering Will.

"Knock the stones out of the way with Blaze Kick and then hit Hydreigon with Double Kick again!" Will shouted.

The Blaziken continued on with his Blaze Kick even though the Stone Edge was blocking Hydreigon and kicked all of the rocks out of his way. Then as he fell towards Hydreigon, Pyro spun to gain more momentum. As he rotated around in front of his opponent, Pyro slammed both his right and left legs into Hydreigon's middle head, knocking the dark type back in pain from the super-effective attack.

"Knock him away with Dragon Pulse!" the madman sneered.

The Unova Pokemon quickly shook off the pain and opened all of its three mouths and aimed them towards Pyro. From each head, Hydreigon released multi-colored beams of energy at the fire starter. The Blaziken easily dodged the attack, though, by simply leaping over it. Then, Will called out a new command as Pyro ran at Hydreigon.

"Scratch!"

The Hoenn starter brought his right claw down across his opponent's middle head, but instead of a simple Scratch, Pyro used Slash, knocking the Hydreigon back even further, starting to worry Keith.

"This is getting out of hand!" the madman shrieked. "If you won't accept the prophecy then there's no room for either of you in my new world!" he shouted. "Outrage!"

Like before, Hydreigon began to glow with a red aura and streaks of orange light, but this time the aura was larger. Where it used to only coat his body, the red aura began to spread outwards likes rays from the sun. Then, after releasing an ear-shattering roar, Hydreigon charged at Pyro. The Hoenn starter had no chance of dodging the attack from the close range he was at, so he was launched across the field until he landed next to his friends' Pokemon, bruises covering his body.

"Pyro!" Will shouted.

The Hoennian sprinted towards his best friend, not caring about Keith behind him as the leader of Team Temporal began cackling again like before.

"Is this all that you have to offer!?" he demanded in between cackles. "None of you deserve the honor of living under me in my new world!"

Ignoring the man, Will knelt next to Pyro, looking over the Blaziken.

"Are you alright, Pyro?" he whispered to his starter, hoping the Pokemon could hear him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, coughing. "I just won't be fighting any time soon. It's up to them now," he said looking between Bellator, Gallade and Greninja.

As if on cue, Gallade snapped out of his unconsciousness and stood up, looking around in confusion before spotting Keith and Hydreigon about twenty feet away.

"Ah, so another one of you wants to face my wrath. So be it, you fool," the Temporal leader spat, pointing at both Rei and Gallade, which made them snarl in response.

"Gallade, let's combine our strength! Mega Evolve!" Rei screamed, slamming her hand over the bracelet wrapped around her left wrist.

The dual type was encapsulated in a pink egg, and when he emerged, Gallade remained silent and folded his arms over his chest, showing off the massive blades that were extending out of his forearms.

Unimpressed by the transformation, Keith laughed while Hydreigon shook his head, attempting to lower Gallade's confidence.

"Use Leaf Blade!"

Without moving, Gallade vanished in the blink of an eye and reappeared above Hydreigon while the red blades on his forearms were glowing a blinding light green. Slamming the ineffective attack over his opponent's head, Gallade then returned to Rei's side in a flash.

"Unimpressive, girl. Hydreigon, Surf!" Keith demanded with a maniacal tone.

"Counter with Double Team and destroy the water with Psycho Cut!"

As soon as Hydreigon roared, a massive tidal wave of blue water crashed along the ground and closed in on not only Gallade, but Pyro, Greninja, and Bellator. However, the psychic type didn't plan on letting that happen, as several clones of himself appeared and threw their arms forwards, sending pink crescents of energy at the colossal body of water.

Surprisingly, Gallade and his clones were able to destroy most of the water and prevent the others from being hit. Despite that, Rei watched as her starter was swept away by the Surf attack and slammed into a tree, causing him to fall on his knees while wincing in pain.

"Hahaha! Don't you see? There's no chance at beating me! End this with Dragon Pulse!"

Each of the three heads opened their mouths and unleashed a trio of beams, which were pink, blue, and red. Then, merging into one, they molded into the shape of a dragon that opened its mouth, closing in on Gallade in a heartbeat.

"Get out of the way with Shadow Sneak and follow that up with Close Combat!"

Before Keith or Hydreigon knew it, Gallade disappeared in the blink of an eye, and his shadow crept across the grass before reappearing right in front of the dragon opposing him. In a flash, Gallade unleashed a wave of punches and kicks, which he finished with an uppercut that sent Hydreigon straight into the air.

"Take him out with Flamethrower!" Keith screamed, throwing his right hand forwards.

Hydreigon snapped out of his pained state and locked his eyes on Gallade, unleashing three waves of flames that scorched Gallade to a crisp, making him scream in pain before falling on his face.

"Gallade!" the black haired trainer cried out to her Pokemon, who wasn't moving.

"Continue the assault with Stone Edge!"

As two rings of stones revolved around the dark type's body, Gallade rose to his feet and slouched over in exhaustion, clearly overmatched by his incredibly powerful opponent.

"Use Close Combat to destroy the stones!" Rei screamed, refusing to back down. "And then clobber 'em with Fire Punch!"

Suddenly, Gallade's eyes shot wide open and he began moving at the speed of light, punching through every single stone fired his way. Then, after destroying the last one, he bolted towards Hydreigon as his right fist was engulfed in flames, and he jumped, eager to clobber his foe.

"Blow Gallade up with Dragon Pulse!" Keith yelled with a wicked smirk.

In the blink of an eye, Gallade was swallowed by a blast of energy that had turned into the shape of a dragon, and he crashed into the ground limply.

"No!" Rei screamed before letting out a sigh of relief when Gallade hopped up without hesitation. "Way to go, Gallade! Shadow Sneak!"

"That's not going to work! Use Hyper Voice!"

Just as Gallade slammed his hands against each other, Hydreigon let out a deafening scream and sent a massive ring of orange energy at him. Before the attack could hit, Gallade disappeared underground and, as a shadow, closed in on Hydreigon rapidly. He then hopped out of the ground and kicked Hydreigon in the chest, knocking the wind out of the pseudo legendary.

"Now slash 'em with Leaf Blade!"

Continuing his assault, Gallade slashed the dragon above him while the blade on his arm began glowing bright green, though it did little to no damage, drawing a cackle from Keith and a roar from his Pokemon.

"Outrage!" the madman screamed at the top of his lungs.

In a matter of nanoseconds, Hydreigon was engulfed in orange energy and crashed into Gallade like a meteor, slamming him against the ground as hard as he possibly could. The psychic and fighting type was knocked unconscious as a result and reverted back to his normal form while Hydreigon flew back to Keith's side.

"Gallade!" Rei screamed as she ran over to the downed Pokemon. "Please, wake up!"

While the black haired girl continued begging, Keith cackled alongside Hydreigon. Unbeknownst to them, Greninja had risen to his feet and Tyson, who had watched the whole battle, reached his breaking point.

"I've had enough!" Tyson and Greninja shouted in unison. Keith raised an eyebrow in humor while watching the duo micking each other's movements. "Keith, you are done for!" A huge geyser of water shot up from Greninja as he transformed back into his Synchro form while Tyson pointed at their opponents. "Water Shuriken!"

Greninja grabbed his huge shuriken and tossed it into the air while doing hand signs. Once he was finished, the shuriken separated into every color in the rainbow and shot forward.

"Take them out with Hyper Voice!"

Hydreigon opened his trio of mouths and released a loud scream. The shurikens didn't stand a chance against the deafening battle roar, but each head continued their cry.

"Fly in with Acrobatics!"

Greninja flew forward and sent a barrage of kicks and punches all over the Unova Pokemon. Hydreigon started to fly back in an attempt to protect himself, but to no avail. Keith growled before he snapped at his Pokemon.

"Counter with Outrage!"

Hydreigon was swallowed in a bright orange light as he began to counter Greninja's blows. Eventually, the pseudo legendary took control of the hand-to-hand combat and delivered a punch to the Ninja Pokemon's gut. Greninja recovered quickly and landed back on the ground.

"Fire a Water Pulse!"

Greninja jumped into the air and opened his palms. Between them was an orb of water that expanded to a decent size. Greninja then launched the sphere towards the Unova Dragon.

"Take them out with Dragon Pulse!"

The Pokemon opened his dual dragon heads along with his own as each started to glow a respective pink, red, and blue. The heads then released their own color fire blast, which merged into one and destroyed the Water Pulse. Hydreigon continued his fire as it made its way towards Greninja.

"Break through with Water Pledge!"

Greninja's stomach glowed blue as he slammed his fist on the ground. Multiple huge geysers of water shot up from the ground. The water collided with the combined attack and put it to a stand. Keith had a devilish smirk on his face and pointed at the young duo.

"Drown them with Surf!"

Hydreigon roared as a huge tidal wave appeared from behind him. The large body of water made its way towards the standing duo, who stayed fearless.

"Fly through with Cut!"

Greninja shot out his pincers and ran towards the wave. With all his might, the Kalos Pokemon broke through the wave and was still on track to the Unova Pokemon. With two slashes, Greninja's strength pushed Hydreigon back onto the ground.

"Get up and burn them with Fire Blast!"

Hydreigon opened his head hands and spat out two fire kanji symbols at the Ninja Pokemon. Greninja, who began to get exhausted, was struck with both attacks and rolled over to Tyson, steam erupting from the Kalos Pokemon's body.

"We need to do a little more, Greninja!" Tyson said, with his starter immediately jumping up. "Go and use Acrobatics!"

Greninja nodded and dashed towards the dragon. His pincers shot up and glowed with a bright blue energy as he took off back into the air.

"Answer back with Stone Edge!"

Two streams of large boulders circled around the large dragon. Hydreigon shot the rocks towards the flying Greninja, whose face still had determination on it.

"Use your momentum to avoid the stones, then strike with Water Pulse!"

The Ninja Pokemon extended his arms out and flew around each boulder. When his was in a good position, Greninja changed a sphere of water between his palms and shot down towards Hydreigon.

"I'm sick of these two!" Keith announced. "Finish them with Hyper Voice!"

Hydreigon opened each of his heads and roared. The cry was outlined by purple energy and put Greninja to a halt. The orb of water splattered as Greninja flew down in front of his trainer. The Kalos Pokemon exited his Synchro form as Tyson dashed towards him.

"Greninja!" he called, holding his friend. Greninja's eyes were half opened and had a slight smile on his face. "You did great, bud."

As she looked at her three friends and their downed Pokemon, Gray bit her lower lip and reached for Ferus' Pokeball, ready to protect them at all costs. Just as she prepared to throw the spherical device, Gray was caught off guard when Bellator pushed himself off the ground, snapping out of his unconscious state.

"Bellator!" the brunette shouted, putting her Houndoom's Pokeball away as she knelt down and put her hand on her powerhouse's head.

Without saying a word, the water type stepped forwards and locked eyes with Hydreigon until he noticed his fainted comrades.

"He did that?" he asked, turning around to Gray, who nodded solemnly. "I can't let them down," the Dewott muttered to himself, staring at the ground as his rage built up exponentially, as did Gray's.

The two then, in synch, threw their arms down towards the ground and let out screams of anger, causing Will, Rei, and Tyson's necks to snap towards Gray and Bellator.

A massive geyser of water shot up around Bellator and spun like a tornado. The Unova starter continued roaring while a pair of gray eyes shone through the water, as did a streak of blue light, which was above and in-between both eyes. Suddenly, the water disappeared and the blue streak on Bellator's head began to glow more intensely.

"We're not going to let you beat us, Keith!" Gray and Bellator screamed in unison, throwing their right fist forwards.

The man cackled at the proclamation and wiped a tear from his eye while Hydreigon roared at his opponent.

"Nothing will stop me from fulfilling the prophecy! Hydreigon, use Dragon Pulse!" Keith retorted, throwing his hand out to his side.

"Don't back down, Bellator! Use Razor Shell to block it and counter with Ice Punch!"

Bellator and Hydreigon obeyed their commands - the latter unleashing a blast of energy that transformed into the shape of a dragon, and Bellator grabbing his scalchops from his legs. Then, when the dragon type attack closed in on him, Bellator jumped and flew straight into the mouth of the move. Keith smirked as the Dragon Pulse attack closed its mouth, but, much to his surprise, it exploded and Bellator flew out the back of it, having slashed right through. As he closed in on his winged opponent, Bellator's fist was shrouded in icy energy, and he punched Hydreigon square in the nose, sending the powerful Pokemon backwards.

"Fly in and use Hyper Voice!"

In the blink of an eye, Hydreigon closed in on Bellator and all three of the dark type's mouths opened, unleashing a wicked blast of orange energy that slammed into the Dewott and hurled him into a tree. Gray spun around and watched her Pokemon struggle to his feet, and she bit her lower lip worriedly until he finally stood upright, albeit with a pained expression.

"Hang in there, Bellator, and answer right back with Water Pulse!" Gray shouted.

"Destroy it with Stone Edge!" the Temporal leader retorted without hesitation.

As Bellator formed a massive ball of water in his right hand, Hydreigon let out a deafening roar and two rings of sharp stones revolved around his body. Both Pokemon fired their attacks, and to Gray's horror, Bellator's Water Pulse was crushed by the wicked flurry of rocks. Before he knew it, Bellator was sent flying and he crashed against the grass violently, letting out a pained grunt as he did so. Even as he fought to push himself to his feet, Gray could sense just how much energy the Dewott was using, prompting her to speak up.

"We need to keep going! We can't give up!" she shouted to her Pokemon, who grunted in response while pushing himself off the ground. "Don't hold anything back! Water Gun!"

Bellator obeyed and reared his head back before unleashing a devastating blast of high-pressured water that closed in on Hydreigon before Keith had a chance to breathe. Despite the speed of the attack, Hydreigon and his trainer were able to counter, shocking Gray.

"Dragon Pulse!"

The dragon and dark type unleashed three blasts of energy that merged into one. When they did, it turned into the shape of a dragon, which crashed into the blast of water. The two attacks battled until Bellator's prevailed and struck Hydreigon in the face, irritating the massive Pokemon.

"Keep it up, Bellator! Get in close with Aqua Jet and hit Hydreigon with Razor Shell!"

"There's not a chance you'll hit us! Destroy that otter with Dragon Pulse!" Keith demanded.

Shooting off the ground like a rocket, Bellator roared as she was encapsulated in a colossal body of water and flew towards Hydreigon. Surprisingly, the two flew around the forest for a while, with Bellator pursuing his enemy. That ended, however, when Hydreigon suddenly landed and fired a blast of draconic energy at the Dewott, who was clobbered by the attack and knocked out of the air. Still, he managed to land on his feet and charged at his foe, whose eyes went wide in shock.

"Keep going, Bellator! Ice Punch!"

Continuing his sprint, the Dewott sprung into the air and, as his fist was shrouded in light blue energy, he spun and landed yet another ferocious punch, this time spiking Hydreigon into the ground. Despite that, the dark type got up without a bruise or scratch to boot, and Keith issued another command.

"Grab him and then use Outrage!"

Hydreigon used his two smaller heads at the ends of his arms to bite down on Bellator's arms, preventing him from moving. Then, the dragon type was engulfed in orange energy and he slammed into his target, who was launched into the air as a result. However, he managed to recover by planting his hands on the ground and doing a backwards cartwheel.

"Answer right back with Revenge!"

Obeying his command, Bellator was shrouded in a feint coat of red aura before flexing and firing a blast of white light at his target. The attack slammed into Hydreigon and nearly knocked the winged beast out of the air, but it just wasn't strong enough, making Gray curse under her breath while Bellator cracked his knuckles, eager to deal a finishing blow to his opponent who was only a few feet away from him.

"I'm done playing around. Aren't you, Hydreigon?" Keith asked his Pokemon, who nodded in response. "Stone Edge!"

Suddenly, Hydreigon unleashed two separate waves of stones that slammed into Bellator, pelting him like crazy. Before she knew it, Gray watched as Bellator was hurled passed her, and she whipped around to see him down for the count.

"Hydreigon, kill them all. I'm done wasting my time."

The large creature let out a roar, signaling his obedience, and began flying towards the quartet of trainers, who all trembled slightly.

"Stay back, you flying piece of shit! We're not done yet!" Will shouted. "It doesn't matter how many times you kick us down! We won't give up!"

Keith cackled at the statement, not caring what he said. He just nodded his head to Hydreigon who continued on towards the trainers.

"As long as we're still alive, we'll make sure you pay for all of your sins!" Tyson declared. "You won't get away with this, you freak!"

Keith shook his head at the hatted boy's statement and continued his gaze upon his Hydreigon.

"That's right!" Gray shouted as she looked to her left, seeing Tyson and Will, and then to her right, seeing Rei.

"Yeah! No matter what it takes, we'll put an end to you!" Rei proclaimed while pointing at the lunatic standing opposite her, who sneered in response.

"You all don't seem to understand what's happening!" Keith snarled. "I've defeated you! It's over! You're just delaying the inevitable! I will be a god!"

The leader of Team Temporal stood proudly, glaring at the four trainers who shot the same look back at him. Seeing their determination, he shook his head.

"Finish this," he told the dragon.

As Hydreigon came at them, each of the four Pokemon shakily stood back up.

"Back off!" Pyro yelled shakily, flames appearing around his wrists. "We're not done here yet!"

"I swore the moment I met Tyson that I would protect him!" Greninja shouted, holding his arm. "We still have energy to end your plan!"

"I'm not about to lose to some oversized, three-headed freak," Bellator spat, grabbing a scalchop with his right hand and pointing it directly at Hydreigon. "Even if I die here, you're going down with me!"

"And there's no way you can take all four of us at the same time!" Gallade screamed as he, Pyro, Greninja, and Bellator tucked their arms into their sides at the same time.

"This will be the end of you!" all four hollered in unison as they were engulfed in four towers of light, each a different color.

Pyro rose into air as a red light coated him. From outside the light, Will could see his partner beginning to change form. The Blaziken began to grow new characteristic from his comrades. Where his forearms generally were, blades like Gallade's began to sprout out. On his thighs, two scalchops appeared. Lastly, from Greninja, Pyro grew a scarf around his neck, but unlike the Ninja Pokemon's, the Hoenn starter's scarf was made of pure fire. When his transformation was completed, Pyro fell back to the ground, grinning to Will as he felt rejuvenated from his battle with Hydreigon.

Greninja levitated higher in his tower of blue light. The Ninja Pokemon grew wrists of fire shooting out from them. On his thighs laid two yellow scalchops and his forearms grew into arm blades. Greninja's scarf transformed as well, to a scarf of flowing water. Tyson grew a smile as he noticed Greninja gained these new characteristics from their friends.

Bellator, along with the others, began to ascend within his tower of white light, letting out a roar as he did so. From his wrists, intense flames began to shoot out, and there were also massive blades appearing from his forearms. Lastly, a scarf of icy energy formed around his neck, and he landed, turning to Gray with a smile.

Gallade also rose within his tower of pink light and flames were emitted from his wrists. Two scalchops, the size of Bellator's appeared on his thighs, as did a scarf of pink, psychic energy.

Each of the four Pokemon turned to each other at the same time and the towers encapsulating them had lessened, transforming into coats of energy that were swirling around them.

"What!? This wasn't a part of the prophecy! Those things… those are MONSTERS!" Keith shrieked as he pointed at the quartet of Pokemon, who had somehow merged their power into one.

"That's as far from the truth as you can get," Rei retorted, drawing nods from her friends and all four Pokemon. "You're the monster."

"This transformation is the bond that we all share!" Tyson added, with a smirk on his face. "And we're using this to take you down!"

"They're right, Keith. As cliche as it is, the villain never wins!" Gray added.

"And now, 'ol Keithy," Will began, smirking at the madman. "We're going to kick your ass!"

Before anything else could be said, a series of high-pitched rings echoed in the air, prompting Will, Tyson, Rei, and Gray to take out their Pokedex. As they did so, the four beamed and nodded at each other, putting the devices away.

"Whatever you're smirking about, it's not going to save you! Hydreigon, Flamethrower!"

"Not so fast, buddy! Block that with a Psycho Cut!" Tyson commanded eagerly.

Greninja held his arms in an X formation as they glowed a light blue and purple mix. With all of his might, Greninja shot the attack forward, releasing a crescent of water and psychic energy. The fusion move broke through the fire and struck Hydreigon, shocking its trainer.

"Now, Gallade, use Water Shuriken!" Rei shouted with a grin.

Using the pink energy around his body as a springboard, Gallade launched himself into the air and put his hands close together. Suddenly, a spiraling body of water and psychic energy spun at the speed of light, and he hurled it with his right hand, slashing Hydreigon and knocking the pseudo legendary to the ground.

"Let's show 'em a Razor Shell, Pyro!" Will called, grinning the entire time.

Pyro, using the energy boost from the red aura, shot into the air almost ten feet and spun in midair as he grabbed the two scalchops off of his thighs. Then, he brought both scalchops into an X formation in front of his chest and slashed them both forwards, towards Hydreigon. From the two shell blades, two twisters of fire and water shot at the Unova Pokemon, colliding with the Hydreigon before he could rise back into the air.

"Let's get in on the action, Bellator! Use Blaze Kick!" Gray commanded.

Eager to join in on the assault, Bellator bolted towards Hydreigon as the larger Pokemon was thrown back due to the force of Pyro's attack, and he spun wildly as a wave of fire surged along his right leg. Swinging it violently, Bellator sent a horizontal tornado of water and fire at Hydreigon and clobbered the dark type, who screamed in pain as he fell to the ground once again.

"This is madness!" Keith shrieked. "I'm a god! A god! You can't do this! Stop them with Hyper Voice, Hydreigon!"

The dark typed dragon opened up all three of his mouths and let out a sharp cry. From each mouth, a large ring shot out towards the quartet of Pokemon. None of them seemed worried, though, as Tyson yelled out a new command.

"Greninja, fly in with Razor Shell!"

Greninja snatched his scalchops and held them tightly in his hands. The weapons gained a blue energy and mimicked the look of a sword. Greninja flew around the area before shooting down, scalchops in hand. Hydreigon was too distracted by Greninja's acrobatic skills, he didn't see Greninja slash him with his new weapons. The Unova Pokemon fell back once more while Greninja laid his scalchops back on his thighs.

"Keep it going, Gallade! Try out Blaze Kick!"

Gallade, doing just as he was told, began to perform a series of cartwheels as his left leg was engulfed in intense red flames. Then, jumping after Hydreigon, he spun like a wheel and slammed his heel over the dragon's head, spiking him directly into the ground while presenting Will with the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Psycho Cut!" the Hoennian shouted.

Pyro sprinted right at the Unova Pokemon as the blades on his forearms began to glow pink. The closer he got to Hydreigon, the more his blades began to glow. When he was almost ten feet away from the dragon, Pyro slid on his right leg and glided right towards the dragon. Just as he arrived at the Hydreigon, Pyro slashed upwards, cutting the Unova Pokemon with a combination of psychic energy and raw flames.

"Let's finish this right here, Bellator! Water Shuriken!"

Seizing the opportunity Pyro had presented him, Bellator took off like a rocket and sped through the air while forming a massive shuriken with his left hand. Once he was a few feet above the winged beast, Bellator spun and threw the wicked attack as hard as he could, and it slammed into Hydreigon. The result of the attack was Hydreigon crashing into the ground viciously, showing no signs of getting up, though the group of trainers could tell he was still conscious due to his weak roars.

"Damn! Hydreigon, get up! We must fulfill the prophecy!"

"Cut it with the prophecy shit!" Will snapped, causing Keith to recoil violently.

"I've had just about enough of this guy, what about you three?" Gallade asked his partners, who nodded in agreement, prompting all four of the trainers to issue one final command.

"As well as you guys did with Blaze Kick," Will began, grinning at his friends. "We'll show you how it's done," he finished with a wink. "Blaze Kick, Pyro!"

"Greninja, let's show these guys how throwing a shuriken is really like!" Tyson shouted, pumping his fist. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

"Why don't we stick with our guns, too, Bellator?" Gray asked the Dewott rhetorically, drawing a nod from him. "Alright! Mimic Greninja and throw both of your scalchops!"

"Hey, don't forget about us!" Rei yelled jokingly. "Gallade, use Psycho Cut at max power!"

All four of the Pokemon eagerly obeyed their commands and nodded at one another before performing their respective attacks.

Pyro sprinted at Hydreigon as fast as he could, the flames cloaking his leg burning hotter than ever. When he was still almost ten feet away, he jumped into the air, spun and kicked his right leg towards Hydreigon. From there, a twister of flames shooting towards the Unova dragon.

Greninja launched himself into the air and held both of his hands close. With every swift turn due to his acrobatic skills, the water weapons flew towards the dragon at a faster speed and larger size.

Standing still, Bellator grabbed both of his scalchops and grinned as the blades of water grew exponentially larger than usual. Without hesitation, he hurled both of the shell blades as hard as he could.

Gallade mirrored Greninja and sprung into the air, his forearms glowing a blinding pink. Spinning wildly, he slashed both arms through the air and fired enormous crescents of pink energy at Hydreigon.

All four attacks then combined and turned into one massive move, causing Hydreigon and Keith to gasp in horror. In the blink of an eye, Hydreigon was struck by the insane combination and an explosion occurred, hurling the dark type past his trainer. When he hit the ground, the winged beast's eyes were closed, and Keith dropped to his knees, flabbergasted by the events that had unfolded before his very eyes. What he, and the others, didn't realize, was the combination attack continued and struck him, killing the psychopath instantly.

With that, the teens sat down in exhaustion, as did their Pokemon, and they smiled at one another, having successfully defeated the threat known as Team Temporal. There was only one thing left for them to do: return to their time.

* * *

 **So, there's that. Basically, the group used one massive Mega Evolution, which allowed them to use each others' moves, and that allowed them to defeat Hydreigon, who was powered up by Celebi. Where exactly is Celebi? Doesn't matter right now, but it'll pop up next chapter, which is also the end of the crossover between all of these characters :( Ah well, all good things must come to an end. Anyhow, next chapter will be a battle between some of Warrior of Hope's characters, and Gray and Noah. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Hype tho?  
2\. How'd you like the super duper quadruple Mega Evolution? (Don't worry, it's not going to appear again)  
3\. Are you sad to see the quadruple crossover end next chapter?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Bonds Beyond Time"**_

 _ **Having put a stop to the threat known as Team Temporal, and their leader, Keith, the group of Will, Rei, and Gray must say their goodbyes to Tyson and head back to their time. When they do, a fight between Noah and Will erupts, as does a fight between Gray and Natalie (Warrior's OC). What will come of these arguments?**_

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 53: Two of a Kind  
Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	52. Bonds Beyond Time

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey! It's time for a very bittersweet chapter, since we're closing in on the end of the arc, but at the same time, there are still some really awesome things in store for y'all. Last chapter, the group managed to defeat the leader of Team Temporal, Keith, and his Hydreigon - who was allegedly powered-up by Celebi - when they pulled off a quadruple Mega Evolution! That's not going to happen ever again (except in Rei's story when I get to this arc, lol), but I digress. This chapter will be the last for both Tyson and Will, so make sure you follow their journeys by going to Blaze Falcon and Warrior of Hope's profiles. Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Oh god, Giga Evolution XD You have no idea how hard I laughed when I read that. Yeah, we really did shatter all rules with moves, but hey... well, I can't think of a rebuttal, but when I do, I'll let you know XD And thanks, by the way! We've been working our tails off with trying to get our schedules lined up and Blaze and WoH have been balancing this and their stories, so I really appreciate what they've sacrificed, and it's great to see that people are enjoying it! I think there might be another epic series of chapters looming in the distant future, but that's very fluid, at the moment_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Yep, seven right now and eight in the future. However, she'll eventually trim the team down and rotate a bit, and, in a future chapter, I do explain (in a joking way) how she's allowed to have so many Pokemon on hand. And don't worry, there will be a hype train in Unova after the Driftveil Arc. Just wait ;)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _What did you just read? Oh, basically DBZ and Pokemon XD The Giga Evolution (property of Defender31415) descriptions were odd, but hey... I've got nothing XD Thanks! And more battle hype this chapter too!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Is it, though? You could look at it as the end to one, and a beginning to a new road. The hype plane will be returning to Unova shortly, but there will be tickets to Kalos for Rei's eventual bout with Grim, so there's something to look forward to_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _That is also an incredible name, and thank you! The support is greatly appreciated, and though this is the last chapter with Will and Tyson, there's still one more crossover looming with a character not yet mentioned_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _XD Keith, the most unintimidating name in the English language. I totally agree with it being weird to imagine the shared features, and that was too much fun writing! Your wish will also be granted, sir. One Danny vs Bellator hype coming up!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 34, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 60, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

"How exactly do we plan on getting back?" Rei quizzed, eyeing the three other trainers around her.

"How did you guys get here in the first place?" Tyson questioned.

Will and Gray glanced at one another, as did Bellator and Pyro, before sweat dropping at the response.

"Uh, we kind of got teleported here by Hoopa," Will replied.

"Yeah, and I don't think Hoopa would just, ya know, pop up out of nowhere for the sake of plot convenience," Gray added, drawing a nod from the Hoennian while Rei remained silent.

As if Gray's words had magically triggered the occurrence, a shining green light rose from Hydreigon's body, sending everyone into a state of awe. Then, when it floated over to the quartet and their Pokemon, it dimmed dramatically, revealing an odd creature.

Out from the dragon was a tiny green creature with white pixie wings. Its wings fluttered as it sprayed down several sparkles from the wings. The tiny green creature opened its big blue eyes and looked around at the trainers and their Pokemon.

"Where...am I?" the creature questioned, rubbing its head. "Who are you guys?"

The teens and Pokemon looked back at each other before Tyson and Greninja stepped forward.

"My name is Tyson, and this is my pal, Greninja," the blonde introduced. The Ninja Pokemon waved his hand at the fluttering creature.

"I'm Will, and this is my best friend and partner, Pyro," the Hoennian greeted, stepping up after Tyson spoke. At his name, Pyro, too, waved to the strange, floating Pokemon.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Gray, and this is my buddy, Bellator," the aforementioned girl stated, pointing at herself and the Dewott.

"And I'm Rei. The Gallade over there's my number one partner," the ninja stated as she and the dual type bowed.

The unknown, green creature waved in response to all of the greetings and then spoke up yet again.

"So you're the ones who saved me?" it asked, trying to figure out all that had just happened.

Nodding his head, Will spoke up, explaining, "The four of us and our partners all stopped the man that captured you and then you were released."

The strange, large-eyed creature examined the eight figures in front of itself before flapping the tiny wings on its back, causing a cloud of dust to appear.

"For that, I, Celebi, the Guardian of the Forest, am eternally grateful," it stated, making the group smile. "As a token of my appreciation, I shall grant you one wish."

Shocked by the convenience of the offer, Will, Rei, and Gray turned to each other with their mouths agape before the Kalosian cleared her throat to speak up.

"Uhm, if it isn't too much to ask, would you be able to send us back to our times? You see, my friends and I were sent here by Hoopa," Rei fibbed, drawing a nod from the flying Pokemon.

Celebi nodded at the ninja's statement before flying closer towards the quartet of heroes.

"Now, how far are you three from this date?" Celebi inquired. The time travelers looked at each other as Tyson stepped forward.

"Almost 15 years," the hatted boy answered, sending a smile to his new friends. The three smiled back, then looked at the legendary Pokemon push its arms out, creating a whirlpool of light in front of them.

"Here you are then," the Legendary Pokemon told the three time-travelers with a smile. "This will send you all back to your time."

Hearing this, Will grew a huge grin and turned to look towards his friends.

"We're going back!" he cried happily.

At that, Rei and Gray began jumping up and down, but they stopped when they noticed Tyson and Greninja weren't smiling.

"Oh yeah… you're not coming with us," Gray muttered, hanging her head, which drew the attention of Will and Pyro. "Well, I know this is lackluster and all, but it was great seeing you again, Tyson. Since we're gonna meet in the future and all, I guess I'll just say that I look forward to it!" the brunette exclaimed, extending a hand.

Tyson suddenly picked his head up and beamed a huge grin. "Yeah! And I can't wait till we all meet again!" he shouted, drawing nods from the others. "Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if I time traveled to see you guys!" The teenager started to chuckle, which spread to everyone else in the space.

"Well, I doubt that'd happen," Rei retorted, putting her hands on her hips as she glanced at Gallade. "But if it did, there's not a doubt in my mind everyone would come to us," she joked, drawing laughter from the others as she shook Tyson's hand. "Nice meeting you, Tyson, and hopefully we can have a battle if we ever do meet again."

"Oh yeah! Rei, I think I'll be first in line to beat Tyson!" Will exclaimed, drawing a confident smirk from the other male.

"We'll see about that, Will!" Tyson retorted. "Greninja and I have more tricks up our sleeves!" The two teenagers then fist bumped as Tyson and Greninja stepped back from the portal.

The trio of time travelers and their Pokemon stepped towards the portal that Celebi created, but turned back to see Tyson waving them off.

"Best wishes, till we meet again!" he declared as the group nodded and leaped into the portal.

As each of them turned back, Gray, Rei, and Will waved. Tyson and Greninja did the same, though their bodies became distorted as the light started to shake violently. Before they knew it, Tyson and Greninja were gone.

 **000**

Suddenly, when she opened her eyes, Gray found herself in the middle of the street with Rei and Will on either side of her. The trio looked around in confusion, unsure of whether or not they were truly back in their own time period.

"So, where should we go?" Will quizzed, looking at the two girls to his right.

Both shrugged until Gray's eyes lit up. While Rei and Will stared at her, puzzled by the excited look on her face, they watched as Gray pulled her Pokedex out of her backpack and turned it on to look up where she and her friends were. Much to their delight, the three trainers watched as the device actually worked and gave them their exact location, which was Mauville City.

"It's not out of date! That means we're back!" Rei cheered, hugging both Will and Gray. "Come on! Let's go to the Pokemon Center!"

With that, the trio sprinted through the streets of Mauville City and, in a matter of minutes, arrived at their destination. Smiling as soon as they saw the red-roofed building, Will, Rei, and Gray sprinted inside. Surprisingly, Gray didn't see Noah, White, or Alain, making her frown. Will, however, spotted three teens that looked to be around his age and ran over to them, waving like a lunatic.

"Guys! Hey!"

"Will!" One of the two girls rushed towards the time-traveling group with the others right behind her. "Where have you been?"

"That's a long story, Lily," Will promised, chuckling as he recalled their adventure. "Good to see the three of you. I've actually got something for all of you." After digging in his bag, he brought out six translators for his friends' Pokemon. "These are some translators for you to give to your Pokemon from Nurse Joy."

Then, Will pointed over to where Gray and Rei were standing.

"I'd like to introduce you three to these two, new friends of mine. The girl with black hair is Rei Amari and the brunette is Gray Plain."

Then turning back to his new friends, Will added, "Gray, Rei, these are my friends and traveling companions, Lily Davis," Will pointed to the the brunette girl who had run ahead of the rest as she gave the two new girls a smile. "Nick Parker." He then directed their attention to the blonde, fedora-wearing boy who waved. "And lastly, Natalie Brennan." The final brunette simply nodded her head at the two girls as she gave Gray a cold look.

"It's nice to meet you all. Will actually told me a bit about you guys," Gray informed Will's friends, who had mixed reactions. Nick and Lily smiled once again while Natalie shot her a nasty look. Gray nearly did the same, but stopped when Rei spoke up.

"Yeah, nice to meet you."

"What a pleasure," Natalie remarked as she rolled her eyes. Then looking to Will, she added with a small, rude smirk, "I'm glad you found a girlfriend while you were gone. She could probably kick your ass."

"Girlfriend!?" a masculine voice screamed shrilly. "What do you mean!?"

Everyone looked towards the hallway that led to the back of the Pokemon Center and saw a boy and girl, around eighteen and sixteen, running over.

"Gray, explain yourself!" the boy screamed once again.

"Jesus, you sound like her dad," the girl muttered, making Rei and Will laugh before noticing the ferocious look in the unfamiliar boy's eyes.

Gray, on the other hand, looked at him in shock before turning back to Rei, Will, and Will's friends.

"Everyone, these are my friends, Noah and White. They're traveling with me. Noah, White, these are my friends, Will and Rei."

Both Rei and Will waved to Gray's traveling partners, as did Nick and Lily, which drew a wave from White. Noah, however, was still enraged over the comment about Gray being in a relationship.

"So are you going to answer, Gray?" Noah interrogated.

"Whoah, Noah," Will said, holding up his hands, as if trying to calm the boy down. "Gray and I just met a few days ago. You've got to chill out."

"May have just been a few days, but you seem pretty chummy," Natalie muttered.

"WE'RE NOT CHUMMY!" Gray snapped, glaring daggers at the hostile girl. "Rei, vouch for us!" the brunette ordered, turning to her other friend, who simply backed away from the verbal altercation.

"Look, you all seem to be having a personal discussion that I don't want to be a part of," the seventeen year old told Gray, who face palmed.

"Why doesn't everyone just take a breath?" Nick asked the volatile group. "We all just met, so why don't we go out for lunch somewhere? That'll help to get to know each other better."

"I could go for lunch. We haven't eaten in hours, Noah," White added, helping Nick ease the tension.

"Why in the world would I want to get to know someone who started dating Will after only a few days?" Natalie asked rhetorically, glaring at the brunette. "Seems to me like that's all I need to know about her."

"Hey!" Noah snapped, shifting his glare to Natalie, which caught everyone off guard. "There's a lot more to know about her!"

"Yeah, but the same can't be said for you," Gray added, her eyes locked with her enemy's. "I bet you're just jealous."

"Whoa, Gray," Will interjected. "Chill out. No reason to go there!"

"Don't tell her to chill out, tough guy," Noah hissed, jabbing Will in the chest with his index finger.

Lily, Nick, White, and Rei watched silently as Will pushed Noah's hand out of the way and stormed right up to him.

"Who the hell do you think you are, buddy!?" he asked angrily. "I'm trying to keep everyone calm here, and you feel the need to go be a dick!?"

As Will continued his tirade, Ferus and Bisharp broke free from their Pokeballs and watched in amusement, cackling at the scene. Then, true to form, Bisharp started clapping and looking around.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" he chanted, which Ferus joined in on.

Both Rei and Gray smacked their Pokemon upside the back of the head and silenced them, but it was too late.

"Let's do it! You and me, little guy!" Noah shouted at Will.

"With pleasure. I'll kick your ass, you panzy!" Will agreed as he grabbed a Pokeball.

"Come on, guys? Can't we just talk this out like adults?" Lily pleaded, only for Gray to completely ignore her.

"If they're battling, we are too, prissy-pants!" she shouted at Natalie while sticking the Pokeball in her right hand directly at the girl she hated.

"Should be fun," Natalie sneered as she smacked Gray's arm down. "Get ready to lose."

With that, Will and his friends, Gray and her friends, and Rei (forever alone) walked towards the back of the Pokemon Center and gathered around the battlefield.

While Will, Noah, Natalie, and Gray argued over who'd get to battle first, the others stood off to the side and shook their heads in disappointment.

"So, does stuff like this always happen with them?" White asked Lily and Nick.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Lily muttered. "As his best friend since childhood, I have no qualms with saying Will feels the need to get himself into trouble at least a few times a week."

"You're not wrong," Nick agreed, chuckling.

Ferus and Bisharp, meanwhile, laughed at the bickering trainers while Rei released Gallade, who walked over to the two and looked on in confusion.

"What's going on over there?" he quizzed.

The two evil Pokemon looked at each other and then back at Gallade before Ferus cleared his throat and spoke.

"Basically, Noah's jealous of Will because Natalie thinks Gray and Will are dating. Then some words were exchanged, and Bisharp got them to fight each other. It was awesome, you should've been there," the Houndoom said, making Gallade shake his head while Bisharp laughed and bowed.

"Ladies first!" Gray screamed, looking at both Noah and Will.

"As long as I get to show your friend here how much I hate jerks then feel free," Will told the girl as he glared across the battlefield at Noah.

"Gray, let me put him in his place," Noah whispered, making the girl scowl before nodding reluctantly. Then, looking to Natalie, Gray waited for her vote.

"Fine with me. I'll beat you now or later," Natalie told the brunette.

"One versus one; my strongest versus your strongest," Noah declared.

"Sounds easy enough. Pyro and I will kick your ass!" Will exclaimed.

Both trainers headed for opposing trainer boxes and they glared at each other. drawing a Pokeball.

"Arcanine, let's crush these two!"

"Let's go, Pyro!"

Two Pokeballs flew through the air until they both landed on the ground, revealing an Arcanine and a Blaziken. The quadruped let out a ferocious roar and shot a blast of flames into the air, which exploded. Pyro stretched out his arms, causing small flames to appear around his wrists, and then he glared across the field at his opponent.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Noah and Arcanine, and Will and Pyro! The battle will be over when either side is unable to continue! Noah, you have the first move!"

"Arcanine, set the tone with Extreme Speed!"

Howling, Arcanine suddenly took off at mach speed as he was enveloped in white light. As soon as he reached the middle of the battlefield, Will grinned and performed an air-punch before issuing a counterattack.

"Show 'em who they're dealing with and hit Arcanine with a Flamethrower!"

The Blaziken reared his head back before shooting a large stream of flame at his opponent from his mouth. Arcanine, though, easily dodged the attack due to his increased speed by leaping over the stream of flames. Then, landing behind Pyro, Arcanine rushed forwards and rammed into the Hoenn starter's back, knocking him down to one knee.

"Now follow that up with Thunder Fang!"

Obeying once again, Arcanine lunged at Pyro while his mouth was surging with electricity.

"Dodge that, buddy!" Will called to his partner.

The Blaziken jumped back to his feet quickly before Arcanine bit down and then jumped high into the air using his powerful legs. He then landed back in front of Will, successfully dodging his opponent's attack.

"Not too bad there, Noah," Will grudgingly admitted. "But we're still full of surprises."

"We'll believe it when we see it!" the older trainer shot back, refusing to think Will and Pyro were concealing something.

"I tried to be nice…" Will muttered. Then turning to back to his partner, Will ordered. "Let's show Noah how powerful our bond can be, Pyro! Mega Evolve!"

Will pressed his right palm down to the Mega Bracelet on his wrist causing Pyro to be absorbed into a pink sphere of energy. The Hoenn starter stayed afloat inside for a few moments before bursting out, causing a blinding light to appear. When everyone turned back towards him, Pyro's appearance had changed. His feather-like hair took on a wing-like shape and the flames around his wrists grew longer.

Lily, Nick, and Natalie looked at the form change in awe, surprised that Will and Pyro had mastered Mega Evolution while they were gone.

"Hit Arcanine with a Blaze Kick, Pyro!" Will commanded, drawing his friends' attention again.

The Mega Evolved starter quickly sprinted across the battlefield towards his opponent. When he was only about ten feet away, Pyro leaped through the air, his right leg covered in flames, and and kicked at Arcanine's side.

"Arcanine, are you okay, buddy?" Noah asked in concern as he watched his starter's legs shake violently. "Hang in there a little longer! Use Flamethrower!"

Doing as he was told, Arcanine unleashed a wave of intense flames that zipped across the battlefield and closed in on Pyro, who stood still, almost like a statue. Then, all of a sudden, he vanished, making Noah and Arcanine gasp in shock, along with all of the spectators.

"Now hit him from behind with a Double Kick!" Will called, completely focused on his partner.

Pyro, appearing back behind Arcanine, jumped almost five feet above the Kanto Pokemon and then launched himself downwards, swinging his right leg towards Arcanine's same side he'd hit before with Blaze Kick. Pyro hit Arcanine once with his powerful kick, but before he could hit again, the Kanto Pokemon countered.

"Iron Tail!"

Swinging his lower body like a wreckingball, Arcanine slammed his glowing tail against Pyro's chest, though it didn't seem to do much damage, if any.

"Let's finish this with a final Blaze Kick while we have him with this close, Pyro!"Will called.

The Hoenn starter brought his powerful, right leg soaring through the air, coated in flames, until it met Arcanine in the side of the Kanto Pokemon's head. Arcanine was sent sliding across the dirt until he landed a few feet in front of Noah.

"Arcanine is unable to battle! Will and Pyro are the winners!"

Hurrying over to his Pokemon's side, Noah placed his hand on Arcanine's head and smiled at the downed creature.

"Sorry, Noah," Arcanine apologized.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Arcanine. That was a great battle," Noah said reassuringly, drawing a nod from the injured Pokemon before he was zapped back into his Pokeball. Then, with a frustrated look on his face, he made his way over to Will and Pyro, who glared at him.

"Kill him!" Bisharp shouted, prompting Ferus to do the same while Gallade slapped the two upside the back of the head.

"That was a good battle, Noah," Will told the Kantonian with a stone-cold expression, not showing any emotion.

"You too."

Will and Pyro nodded, and the former shook Noah's hand, both trainers refusing to take the highroad, and they walked off the battlefield.

"Well, Gray," Natalie called from across the battlefield. "Let's go!"

"Let's," the brunette replied as she stepped into her trainer box, holding a tight grip on the capsule in her right hand.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Gray and Natalie! The battle will be over when either side is unable to continue!" White shouted, taking Nick's place as the referee. "Now choose your Pokemon!"

"You're on, Danny!" Natalie called out.

"Bellator, I choose you!" Gray shouted, hurling the spherical device sidearm.

Both Pokeballs opened at the same time and the combatants materialized slowly. When they did, Gray and Natalie glared at each other upon realizing they had chosen the same Pokemon. Both Dewott, however, seemed to be a bit more civil than their trainers.

"Best of luck," Bellator said, bowing. "You're going to need it," he continued passively, putting a scowl on Danny's face.

"Doubtful," Danny muttered to himself. Then he gave Bellator a thumbs up saying, "Same to you, anyways."

Hearing the comment, Ferus shook his head, which drew the attention of Nick and Lily.

"Danny doesn't even have any clue what he's getting into…" Pyro muttered, agreeing with Ferus, having heard the Dewott's comment.

Confused, Nick turned to his friend's Pokemon asking, "What do you mean, Pyro? They're both Dewott. This should be a pretty even fight."

Pyro shook his head, though, stopping Nick's thought.

"Not even close. Bellator is easily one of the strongest Pokemon I've seen. He's out of Danny's league."

Nick and Lily both looked at Bellator in awe after that, only refocusing on the battle when they heard White's voice. Gallade did the same, despite knowing what Bellator was capable of. He couldn't help but sense something different about the powerful starter.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Danny! Natalie, you have the first move!"

"Let's start the battle with Aqua Jet!" the Unova native commanded.

Danny was instantly absorbed in a jet of water and then launched himself towards Bellator. He started shooting through the air towards the other Dewott, but before he could land a hit, Bellator easily dodged the attack as if it was nothing.

"Nice work, Bellator! Use Ice Punch!"

Bellator descended much quicker than anticipated while his fist was shrouded in frost, and he swung at Danny, clobbering the Dewott, who was launched across the battlefield and slammed against the ground harshly.

"Are you alright, Danny?" Natalie asked in concern. The Dewott quickly got off the ground, though, and gave his trainer a thumbs up. "Alright then. Get back in there and use a Razor Shell!"

The water type Pokemon began running across the battlefield, grabbing his two scalchops off of his thighs as he did. After grabbing them, Danny's scalchops began to have water extend from them, as if they had become a pair of swords. When he made it over to Bellator, Danny swung his first scalchop towards the other Dewott's chest.

"Show them your own scalchop technique, Bellator! Razor Shell!"

Grinning, Bellator did a series of backwards cartwheels, and once he was far enough away from his opponent, he grabbed both of his scalchops and grinned. Blades of water, similar to Danny's appeared, and the two Dewott collided, exchanging blows repeatedly.

"Keep at it, Danny!" Natalie cheered.

Both of the starter Pokemon swung blow after blow at each other, constantly landing hits upon each other.

"Let's switch things up a bit!" Natalie called, not seeing an end to the sword fight anytime soon. "Hit Bellator with Revenge!"

Danny, after being hit by a final slash from Bellator, jumped backwards as he began glowing with a bright orange energy from the damage he'd just received. A second later, the Unova starter thrusted both of his arms backwards and shot the orange energy towards Bellator.

Despite his reflexes, Bellator was unable to evade the powerful blast, which hurled him past Gray and nearly into Bisharp, who dodged the Pokemon-turned-projectile. After slamming into the wall, Bellator landed on his face and lay limply on the ground, making White and Noah gasp in shock.

"Come on, Bellator! Get up!" Gray begged as she stared at the downed creature, who didn't respond. "Bellator!" Gray screamed once again, this time much louder. "Please, I need you to get up! If we want to be as strong as we can, we need to push ourselves beyond our limits!"

Hearing the words, Bellator suddenly rose to his feet, though he seemed to be possessed by something, which frightened everyone.

"I can't be weak," he whispered to himself as his eyes began to turn gray. "I won't lose!"

Suddenly, the Dewott was engulfed in a geyser of spinning water, and everyone stared, speechless. As the water continued spinning, two fearsome, gray eyes pierced through, as did a streak of blue light. When the water dispersed, it acted as a shield of sorts, and a thin coat of it remained around Bellator's body.

"What, what is that?" Noah whispered, pointing at the Dewott that had turned gray.

"What in the world!?" Natalie asked in shock at Bellator's appearance.

Lily and Nick looked in awe at the Pokemon from the sidelines as Pyro chuckled at their reactions. Nick turned to look at the Blaziken in disbelief, unsure of Bellator had done.

"I told you he was powerful, Nick," Pyro told the Sinnoh native, chuckling.

"This is where we take over," Gray told Natalie with the utmost confidence in her powerhouse, punching her right fist forward at the same time as Bellator. "Now use Aqua Jet!"

Bellator let out a terrifying roar and shot forward at the speed of light, slamming into Danny. Then, Bellator continued onwards and rammed Danny into the wall behind Natalie as hard as he could, knocking the wind out of his opponent.

"Danny!" Natalie cried.

The Dewott, barely concious at this point, stood up shakily, trying to continue fighting. He took a few seconds to level himself, but after he did, Danny looked back to his trainer, showing her he was still ready to fight.

"If you're sure…" she muttered. "Use Aqua Jet one more time!"

Danny thrust his arms outwards, causing himself to be in the center of a jet of water. The Dewott then launched himself over towards Bellator quickly, trying to hit his opponent. Bellator was able to quickly jump past it, though, and in his weakened state, Danny was unable to stop his Aqua Jet before crash-landing in a nearby wall. Still determined, though, he stood back up one final time.

"Let's finish this!" Gray and Bellator shouted in unison, making everyone flinch slightly.

"Water Pulse!"

Nodding at the command, Bellator used the water around his body as a launch-pad, allowing him to surge forwards and close in on Natalie's Dewott in the blink of an eye. Landing gracefully as a massive ball of spinning water formed in his hand, Bellator slammed it against Danny's stomach. Upon contact, the ball of water exploded and sent Danny spiraling into the wall behind Gray. Hitting the ground with his eyes closed, Danny was down for the count.

"Danny is unable to battle! That means Gray and Bellator are the winners!" White decreed, pointing at the victorious duo.

Natalie recalled Danny to his Pokeball quickly, so he wouldn't have to be in more pain and then walked over towards where Gray and Bellator were. When she arrived in front of the Kantonian, Natalie hung her head, unable to look Gray in the eyes.

"I'm sorry," she muttered quietly, not wanting to admit she was wrong.

Glancing at one another, Bellator nodded at Gray as he reverted back to his normal appearance, prompting the girl to clear her throat.

"I am too," Gray replied, forcing the words. "You're not as much of a jerk as I thought," she concluded with a toothy grin.

"Same to you, Gray," Natalie responded with a smile. "I take back everything I said." She paused for a moment, though, to think. "Except you being able to kick Will's ass. I'm sure you could do that," she added with a wink, loud enough for everyone else to hear.

"Ah what the hell!" Will complained, drawing laughs from everyone else. "How did I get dragged into this?" he asked rhetorically.

After a few more minutes of listening to Natalie and Will banter, the two groups of friends and Rei, forever alone, decided to part ways.

"It's been a blast, Will," Gray said while glancing over at Rei, who nodded in agreement.

"Definitely. Maybe next time we meet up we could have a battle," Rei proposed.

"For sure!" Will agreed. "It'll be great! We'll hold you to that!" he assured the girl. "It's been fun! I hope you both win your leagues!"

"And we need to settle that tie we had," Bellator told Pyro, who smirked and nodded until Gallade joined in.

"You better train, Pyro," the psychic type instructed.

"Same to you, Gallade," the Hoenn starter responded, chuckling.

With that, Gray and Rei shook hands with Will, and they watched as the Hoennian and his friends left the Pokemon Center, waving as they did so.

With fate running its course, the three trainers, though unaware, were set on a crash course; one that would throw them, and two other trainers, into a storm of chaos the world had never seen.

* * *

 **Shucks. Will and Tyson are no longer going to be appearing, and we're rapidly closing in on the end of the Crossover Arc. Still, there are two awesome chapters remaining, and yet another crossover looms, though we'll get to that eventually. Next chapter will be an amazing battle between Rei and Gray (Rei's team won't be revealed), and holy crap, I can't wait for you guys to read it! Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Foreshadowing! What do you think the end of the chapter's hinting at? (Be crazy with these) Who do you think the other two trainers are?  
2\. Thoughts on the battles?  
3\. Will vs Rei hype?  
4\. Gray vs Rei hype?  
5\. IF we were able to pull it off, would you like to see Will and Tyson return?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Two of a Kind"**_

 ** _With their time in Hoenn coming to a close, Gray and Rei decide to have a battle! Opting to use their four strongest Pokemon each, both sides fight tooth and nail all the way to the bitter end. Will Rei's power-packed team prove to be too much for Gray?_**

* * *

 **Crossover Arc**

 **Chapter 54: Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength**


	53. Two of a Kind

**Theme Song**

 **Four corners of the Earth, set to collide (The screen splits into fourths with Gray to the left and colored green, Will to the right and colored red, Tyson in the middle left and colored blue, and Rei in the middle right colored pink)**  
 **Different trials and tribulations together for one ride (Tyson, Will, Gray, and Rei stare down a man and his six Pokemon)**  
 **Let's go! (2x) Meet brand new heroes! (Tyson and Greninja stand back-to-back, Will and Pyro fold their arms over their chests, and Rei stands in-between her Gallade and Bisharp)**  
 **Let's stop! (2x) A mighty foe! (Four trainers appear on pillars with one standing above them all)**  
 **Hold up! (2x) He will fear us! (Gray, Will, Tyson, and Rei use Mega Evolution at the same time)**  
 **We'll all! (2x) Make evil shush! (Pyro uses Blaze Kick, Greninja uses Water Shuriken, Bellator uses Razor Shell, and Gallade uses Psycho Cut)**  
 **Two generations in one place (Gray, Will, and Rei see Tyson, and he extends his hand)**  
 **Meet each other face to face (All four come together and go to fist bump)**  
 **Standing in the pouring rain (Gray, another Pokemon, and Bellator stand opposite Blade and Bisharp)**  
 **Get on the damn hype train! (Shia Labeouf screams "Just do it!")**  
 **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, people? Time for another hype-filled chapter with yet another battle, and this time, it's going to be extremely intense. Like, possibly the most hype battle I can give you without it involving another author's character. Last chapter, Gray and Rei had a double battle with Will and Tyson, which ended in a draw, and then the first three ended up heading back to their time, where Gray battled Natalie, Will's friend, and Will battled Noah. Afterwards, Will set off for Lavaridge Town and promised to have a rematch with Gray, and a battle with Rei. This chapter, like I said, is going to be awesome, since we'll have Gray vs Rei! Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _That's very true. Now go write! And as hyped as I was to write this, it was absolutely brutal because I tried making every individual battle longer than usual. Still, it was fun. WoH, you say? He's okay XD Grei battle hype!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Not entirely, but yeah, it's on its last legs XD I definitely hate the letter N, since Noah's a dweeb. Lol, I kid, but how could we not have Will and Gray? Crossovers in the future may be possible, but that's just me counting Gray and Rei interacting_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Yeah, that was the more surprising outcome, but Pyro's such a beast, and it would've been really weird for Noah to win. He will get to battle a lot in a few arcs though. And I'm glad Bellator won, too! As for the response to the first question, Rei was mentioned as one of the three, and good ol' Burt will never, ever appear XD Rei vs Will should happen at some point, though who knows? Gray vs Rei hype! (The Burting XD Oh god)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Haha, of course not. It was quite whimsical, if you ask me. The shitstorm will be waiting for both Rei and Gray, as well as the others (hopefully), and I didn't realize I left the "forever alone" bits in there! That was just a joke I was making with Warrior and I forgot to delete it XD_

 **Defender31415:** _I made Natalie look a lot worse than she really is, but I'm glad Bellator won. Ferus' behavior was definitely out of character, and it was more of me wanting to make him and Bisharp the two stooges/demons (hopefully there'll be a third)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks! I like where you're going with the answer to the first question, and what'd you think I meant with the battle? I have to make Rei and Gray's timelines the same, so if it was a matter of thinking Gray would just stop by in Santalune with Ferus locked and loaded, then no need to worry XD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 34, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 30, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, ?, ? - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 62, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

Sitting inside the Pokemon Center, the large group laughed and ate their lunch while their Pokemon did the same. Even though they had been up for over 24 hours straight, both Gray and Rei weren't tired in the slightest.

"So, Rei, Sawyer was telling us that you're able to use Mega Evolution," Noah started as the black haired girl chugged her soda, giving a thumbs up to answer. "That's really impressive! We got to see him and his Sceptile battle Alain, Gray. It sucks that you missed it."

The brunette turned to Sawyer and eyed him in shock as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, not wanting the attention he was getting.

"It really wasn't that great of a battle. We didn't stand much of a chance, to be honest," the Hoennian stated, causing both White and Noah to shake their heads. Even their Pokemon joined in on the disagreement, making Gray laugh until she felt Rei tap her on the shoulder.

"Who's Alain?" she inquired.

Gray looked around for a few seconds before realizing the powerful trainer hadn't yet met Rei, causing her to sweat drop.

"He's this really strong trainer that used to be a bad guy, but then he learned what the bad guys were doing, and now he's traveling with us!" Palpitoad explained, drawing a nod from White.

"Yep. His Charizard is one of the strongest Pokemon I've ever seen!"

Intrigued by the information, Rei looked over at Gallade and Bisharp, the latter of whom began punching his right fist into his left hand. He stopped, however, when Ferus spoke up.

"He destroyed me the one time I got to battle him. He's on a whole other level, Rei. You do not want to battle him."

Both of the ninja's Pokemon frowned after hearing Ferus' warning and, surprisingly, Bisharp didn't even protest. Noticing the silence, Rei nodded and thanked Ferus before turning back to Gray, White, and Noah.

"Well, we won't know until we try, right? So where is he? I'd love to have a battle with him."

Gray and Rei looked at their friends, waiting for them to answer the question as they shot each other glances.

"Uh, Rei," Sawyer started nervously. "He's kind of busy training with Owen," the green haired teen answered, making Rei deadpan in response. "Sceptile and I told him about you, though. Apparently he only accepts Mega Battles, so Gallade's the only one you could use against him."

Shrugging in response, Rei turned to her starter and they nodded at each other in unison.

"That sucks to hear," she said dejectedly, hanging her head.

Everyone at the table, including the Pokemon, looked around at each other for a few moments until White broke the silence, her eyes going wide in shock. Eagerly smacking her hands against the table as if it were a drum, she looked back and forth at Rei and Gray.

"Why don't you two battle? That'd be really awesome, especially if you're as strong as Sawyer says your are!" the sixteen year old exclaimed, pointing at the older girls.

Sawyer sweat dropped at the statement but stopped when he watched his rival turn to Gray and vice versa.

"How about it, Gray? I mean, we battled together, but we never battled each other."

Grinning at the proposition, Gray nodded, and, with that, the girls rose from their seats and headed out to the back of the Pokemon Center. After stepping outside, the girls stretched their arms over their heads, smiling as they did so.

"Come on out, everyone!" the older of the two yelled, releasing all of her Pokemon.

In several flashes of light, Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and Advena appeared alongside Ferus, who sat down and yawned, knowing that he wasn't going to be used in the battle. Each of the creatures looked across the area and spotted Rei, Gallade, and Bisharp. The ninja waved to her friend's Pokemon, and they all waved back, despite the fact that the only ones that knew her were Ferus, Potens, and Bellator.

"So, what are the rules?" Gray quizzed as she walked into her trainer box while Sawyer, Noah, White, and their Pokemon stood off to the side of the battlefield.

"Four versus four," Bisharp answered swiftly before Rei could open her mouth, making Gray and the others laugh, though Rei wasn't pleased, as she slapped him upside the head. "What? You know she's not able to battle yet," Bisharp whispered in response.

Rei sighed in response and nodded, conceding defeat before lifting her head and smiling at Gray.

"How does that sound to you?"

The older girl nodded emphatically and turned to choose her first combatant, but an explosive roar stopped her from doing so. Everyone looked up to the sky and saw three winged beasts nosediving towards them, making White scream at the top of her lungs along with Palpitoad, causing both Boldore and Snivy to sweat drop in embarrassment.

Somehow, the three landed softly and a trio of taller, older trainers looked around in confusion before realizing they had just interrupted the battle.

"Rei? Gray?" the trainer to the right asked, looking at both girls, who smiled and waved in response. "When did you two meet? And where the hell did you go, Gray? You missed the Mega Tournament!"

Sweat dropping at the scolding, Gray bowed apologetically along with Ferus, causing the young man to run a hand through his hair and sigh.

"So when'd you meet each other?" he asked.

"Owen, why don't we get off the battlefield first?" the trainer in the middle asked rhetorically, adjusting his red baseball cap. "Sorry about that," Red added as he, Owen, and Alain made their way over to White, Sawyer, and Noah along with their three Charizard.

"Oh, hey, Sawyer!" Owen exclaimed, waving to the Hoennian and his Sceptile, who both bowed in response before bowing to Alain and Charizard. The older duo nodded and turned their attention back to the battlefield until neither of them recognized Rei.

"Is that the girl you were talking about?" Alain inquired as he pointed at Rei and Gallade.

Sawyer nodded, recalling his conversation with the Kalosian after their battle.

Suddenly, everyone's attention was shifted to Red as he cleared his throat and thew his arms upwards.

"This will be a four versus four battle between Gray and Rei, where neither side can substitute their Pokemon! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Now choose your Pokemon!"

Both girls didn't hesitate, and while Gray pointed at the battlefield, due to her Pokemon standing behind her, Rei hurled a Poke Ball from her belt as hard as she could.

"Furcifer, I choose you!"

"Croagunk, come on out!"

In a flash of light, Rei's Croagunk appeared in front of his trainers and locked eyes with Furcifer, who scampered onto the battlefield. While the ice type snickered and slashed at the air, Croagunk began to growl lowly, which made Bisharp smirk. Gray's Pokemon, all of whom had moved over to the sidelines, cheered for their teammate while Owen remained silent, eyeing both of the younger trainers carefully before grinning.

"We want you to hold nothing back, Gray! This battle's going to be the best one we've ever had!" Rei exclaimed, drawing a nod from the older girl while Bisharp and Gallade stood by their trainer's sides and folded their arms over their chests.

"That won't be a problem for us, Rei!" Gray shot back with a confident grin. "I can tell this is going to be a great battle!" she concluded, drawing a nod from her opponent while Red raised his arms and looked at both sides.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Croagunk! Begin!"

"Croagunk, charge and use Poison Jab!"

"Start off fast, Furcifer! Use Agility!" Gray shouted, flicking her right wrist upwards. "Then use Quick Attack!"

While Croagunk charged at Furcifer, both of his hands began to glow light purple. While he croaked, the poison type then began to perform a series of front flips, catching White and Noah by surprise. Gray, however, kept her composure, as did Furcifer, the latter of whom disappeared in the blink of an eye while Croagunk threw his right hand forwards. Gasping in shock, Croagunk was suddenly rammed into and thrown across the battlefield. As he rose to his feet and held his stomach, Croagunk turned back to his trainer and grunted, making her bite her lower lip.

"Wow, that was a lot stronger than I thought it'd be," Rei muttered, drawing a nod from Gallade while Bisharp didn't seem to agree. Furcifer then reappeared in front of Gray and grinned at her opponents. "We'll just learn from our mistake then. Croagunk, use Mud Bomb on the ground and charge again!"

Doing just as he was told, Croagunk jumped high in the air and unleashed a massive ball of mud that, when it hit the ground, exploded and caused a tidal wave to crash towards Gray and her Sneasel.

"Heh, we're not going to fall for that. Freeze it with Icy Wind!" Gray countered, throwing her right arm out to her side.

Furcifer reared her head back and released a chilling blast of wind from her mouth, freezing the wave of mud in an instant. While the Sneasel and her trainer celebrated the feat, neither noticed Croagunk leap over the frozen wave, taking everyone, including the Champions and Alain, by surprise. Rei, on the other hand, simply grinned and punched her hand forwards.

"Now use Poison Jab!" she cried.

Before Furcifer or Gray could react, Croagunk landed and slammed his fingers, which were surging with poisonous energy, against the ice type's chest. Furcifer cried out in pain but quickly latched onto the bipedal frog's arm, making Croagunk freeze in shock while Rei cursed under her breath.

"Retaliate with Metal Claw, Furcifer!"

Holding nothing back, Furcifer threw her arm forwards while two massive claws of silver light extended from her hand. As the attack closed in on her Pokemon in slow-motion, a lightbulb went off in Rei's head, and she smirked immediately before issuing the command that had just been born.

"Perfect! Croagunk, take that head-on and use Revenge!"

Staring in horror, Gray watched as her opponent's Pokemon was shrouded in a light coat of red aura. Furcifer then slashed Croagunk across the face, but he managed to plant his feet into the ground and refrain from moving. Then, he swung his right fist and grinned as he thought he had Furcifer right where he wanted her. She wasn't, though.

"Use Agility to get out of the way and then use Icy Wind again!" Gray barked immediately, causing her Pokemon to snicker.

In the blink of an eye, Furcifer disappeared and popped up behind Croagunk, smirking as she did so. She quickly released a freezing blast of wind aimed at the frog's legs, and before either he or his trainer knew it, Croagunk had been frozen.

"Wow, that's some great thinking right there," Red opined as he turned to Owen, drawing a nod from the younger champion, as well as both of their Charizard.

"You can say that again," Alain commented, drawing the attention of Sawyer, White, and Noah, as well as Arcanine and Sceptile. "To be able to shift the momentum that drastically with just one move... that's impressive."

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Furcifer stood in front of Croagunk and continued snickering while the fighting type tried his hardest to break free, only to fail every time.

"Break free with Double Team!" Rei shouted desperately, not knowing how to free her Pokemon from his frozen state.

Croagunk attempted to perform a series of hand signs, but Furcifer bolted forwards and grabbed both of his arms, preventing him from doing so, which made Rei gasp as well as the poison type.

"Now hit 'em with Feint Attack!" Gray ordered with a grin.

Furcifer obeyed and was shrouded in black energy before slamming her head against Croagunk's, sending the fighting and poison type rolling along the ground and back to Rei's side, where he let out a low grunt and held his head in pain.

"Are you okay?" the ninja asked in concern, only to hear her opponent and her Sneasel talking to each other.

"Jump and wrap this up with Icy Wind!" the older trainer yelled hurriedly, not wanting to give Croagunk the opportunity to get up.

In the blink of an eye, Furcifer unleashed another bone-chilling wind that struck Croagunk and made him cry out in pain before he was hurled past Gallade, Bisharp, and Rei, all of whom turned and stared right afterwards. Surprised by the fact that the poison type had been knocked out, Rei remained still while Furcifer and Gray cheered, as well as Gray's other Pokemon.

"Croagunk is unable to continue! Rei, choose your next Pokemon!" Red shouted, snapping the Kalosian out of her trance.

"Thanks for the great effort, Croagunk. Take a long rest," she said to the fatigued frog, who croaked in response before being zapped inside his Poke Ball. **"** Simisage, come on out!"

Appearing from her thrown Poke Ball, Simisage landed on the ground and let out a fierce cry while slamming her fists against her chest, causing Furcifer to sweat drop. Gray didn't, though, as she remembered the monkey's strength from when she aided Potens against Drake and Beth.

"Oh man, this is going to be tough for Gray," Sawyer said to the Kantonian's traveling companions, who turned to face him.

"Why do you say that?" Noah quizzed, glancing between the green haired boy and his Sceptile, who cleared his throat and spoke up.

"She's absolutely relentless when attacking," the Hoenn starter stated. "And Simisage doesn't go down until she can't physically get up. It's something all of Rei's Pokemon do, so Gray's going to need to knock them out quickly if she wants to win."

Startled to hear what Sceptile had said, White and Noah turned their attention to Gray and Furcifer, the latter panting wildly as she slouched over.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Simisage! Begin!"

"Furcifer, use Quick Attack!" Gray commanded, throwing her right fist forwards.

"Charge at her and use Acrobatics, Simisage!" Rei countered as soon as Gray finished speaking.

The lightning-fast Pokemon sprinted towards one another and let out ferocious cries before colliding in the middle of the battlefield. Much to Gray's dismay, Furcifer was overwhelmed by the grass type's power, as Simisage landed a flurry of punches. After each one landed, The Sneasel grunted in pain and attempted to stand her ground, firing Gray up as she swung her arm upwards.

"Heh, let's kick it up a notch! Use Agility and follow it up with Metal Claw!" she commanded, putting an excited grin on her Pokemon's face while Sawyer shook his head along with Sceptile.

Doing as she was told, Furcifer began to pop up in random places along the battlefield while a blue ring of light spun around her body. After reappearing in the same spot as before the attack, she began dodging all of Simisage's punches and kicks, taking the grass type by surprise. Using her heightened speed to her advantage, Furcifer slashed at her opponent and landed a vicious blow across the evolved Pokemon's chest, though it only seemed to fuel Simisage's fire.

"Counter with Focus Punch!" the ninja shouted in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Simisage cocked her right arm back as her fist turned bright blue, and she clobbered Furcifer. The ice and dark type's body went limp as she spiraled through the air and crashed into the ground, blood pouring from her mouth as she turned onto her side.

"Holy crap! That had to have done a lot of damage!" Noah exclaimed as Furcifer shakily rose to her feet and wiped the blood from her mouth. "Gray needs to be smarter than that if she wants to win."

"You can say that again," Owen said, grinning as Rei and Simisage nodded at each other. "Rei and her Pokemon are a lot tougher than most of the trainers Gray's battled. Throw in the fact that she has a battling style that not only suits her Pokemon, but is extremely uncommon, and you have a recipe for victory."

White and her Pokemon turned to the battlefield and shook their heads at the statement from the Kalos Champion while Sawyer and Sceptile cheered wildly for Rei and her second combatant.

"That was a hell of a punch," Furcifer commended, as she bowed to Simisage, prompting the monkey to do the same.

"Thanks. I'm surprised you got up, though. You're a lot tougher than most Pokemon," she replied.

With that, the girls standing in opposing trainer boxes took deep breaths and threw their hands forward.

"Keep it going and use Beat Up!"

"Dodge and close in on her with Double Team!"

As Simisage performed several hand signs, three clones appeared by her side and charged at Furcifer, who, along with her teammates, was enveloped in black aura. Then, four bullets of the same color energy slammed into each of the clones and Simisage, knocking her back a few feet. Seizing her opportunity to strike, Gray punched her fist forwards and issued another command.

"That's the way to go! Follow it up with Icy Wind!"

"Spin her around with Vine Whip and then use Seed Bomb!"

Before Furcifer could do anything, Simisage fired two green vines from her neck and spun the dark type around, causing her to stumble from side-to-side. After a few seconds, the dizzy Pokemon fell on her face, and Simisage shot a massive ball of green energy, which broke into several smaller bits and fell towards the downed Sneasel in a matter of nanoseconds.

"Dodge and counter with Feint Attack!" Gray shouted, refusing to be bested by her friend.

Furcifer snickered and disappeared just before the wicked grass type attack could strike her, which allowed Gray to let out a sigh of relief.

"Turn and use Focus Punch, Simisage!" Rei screamed, causing Gray to gasp in shock.

Everyone stared as Simisage grinned while her fist began surging with bright blue energy. Then, turning around, she threw a ferocious punch just as Furcifer appeared, crushing the ice type, who was sent crashing into the wall behind her trainer. Gray immediately ran over to her Pokemon's side and knelt down, staring at the unconscious creature.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Red ordered while Gray drew the quick Pokemon's capsule.

"You were amazing, Furcifer. Thanks for trying your hardest," the eighteen year old commended, zapping the fainted ice type back into her Poke Ball while the rest of her Pokemon looked on, anxiously waiting to be called into battle. After taking a few seconds to think over her options, Gray grinned and pointed at one of the creatures she hadn't used when she was sent to the future. "Advena, I choose you!"

All of the Pokemon stared at the psychic type, who nodded and floated onto the battlefield.

"Advena? Since when did she have an Elgyem?" Owen inquired as he turned to Noah, Arcanine, Alain and his Charizard, and White. "Did she take it with her when she went missing?"

The three humans and their Pokemon shook their heads in response, perplexing the Kalos Champion and his Charizard while they stroked their chins.

"It's a weird choice too, because she's never actually used Advena in a battle," Noah added, causing Charizard and Owen to deadpan while Sawyer, Sceptile, and Red laughed at his reaction.

Rei, meanwhile, scratched the back of her head, trying to remember whether or not her friend had brought the alien to the future. Simisage looked just as confused, though it was mainly a product of how unintimidating Advena was.

"Advena, I know this is our first battle together, and we're going up against a really strong opponent, so all I want you to do is give it 150%. Can you do that?" Gray questioned while looking the psychic type in the eyes.

After a few seconds passed, the Elgyem shook her head, causing Gray to hang her head while everyone laughed.

"Giving more than one hundred percent is impossible," Advena stated. "But I will use all of my energy."

The eighteen year old continued to sweat drop while her Pokemon turned around and locked eyes with Simisage, who bowed. Advena remained still, sending chills down her opponent's spine while Rei giggled at the response.

"This battle will be between Advena and Simisage! Begin!"

"Let's overwhelm them! Use Double Team and run at Advena!" the rookie commanded, prompting her Pokemon to sprint forwards.

As she continued pumping her legs, Simisage performed various hand signs and about a dozen clones appeared alongside her, each mirroring her movements perfectly, which made it impossible to tell which was truly the real one. Advena, however, defied that as her eyes began to glow yellow, drawing the attention of everyone. After looking at each of the body temperatures of the stampeded, she pointed at the real Simisage, shocking the grass monkey.

"That won't keep working, Rei! Not on Advena, at least!" Gray shot back confidently. "Show 'em just how strong you are, Advena! Use Psychic and throw them all against the ground!"

Changing her eye color from yellow to blue, the psychic type then lifted her right hand, causing all of the charging grass types to stop dead in their tracks while thin lines of blue energy appeared around their bodies. Then, just as nonchalantly as she lifted them, Advena slammed all of her opponents against the ground with force few had ever seen before, causing the entire battlefield to crack.

"Simisage!" Rei screamed as the grass monkey let out a weak cry and lifted her head off the ground.

All of the spectators immediately shifted their attention to Advena, who stood in the same place and simply waited for Gray to issue another command. The Kantonian took her time, though, as she was floored by her Pokemon's power.

"Since when was Advena that strong?" Arcanine whispered loudly as he looked at Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore, who were at a loss for words.

"Okay, that was a shock," Gray whispered to herself, shaking her head as she did so. Each of her Pokemon remained still, refusing to move as they stared at Advena, who continued acting as if what she had done was nothing. "Alright, use Psybeam!"

Following the order, Advena lifted her right arm and took aim at her downed opponent as a ball of multicolored energy formed in her palm. Then, as her eyes flashed white, the tiny alien fired a wicked beam of psychic energy at Simisage, forcing Rei to think on her toes.

"Simisage, use Bite on Advena's arm!" the ninja shouted as her hair fell over her eyes.

The grass monkey forced herself off the ground and she barely evaded the destructive attack from Advena, who didn't seem fazed by her move missing. Keeping track of her opponent's movements, Advena attempted to float away from Simisage, but she closed in too quickly and snapped her jaws down on her target's arm, angering the Elgyem. While flailing her arm, Advena realized she wasn't able to shake off the pesky Pokemon battling her, and she glanced back at Gray, who cursed under her breath before calming herself down.

"Fight through the pain and use Headbutt!" she commanded.

Without hesitation, Advena slammed her head against Simisage's, immediately breaking the fully evolved Pokemon's hold. Crashing into the ground limply, Simisage fought tooth and tail to push herself back up, though Rei could tell the odds of that happening were slim.

"Hang in there, please!" she begged before Simisage managed to get back on her feet with a smirk, impressed by Advena's strength. "Way to go! Fire away with Seed Bomb!"

"Destroy it with Psychic, Advena! Then use Hidden Power!" Gray countered immediately.

As Simisage shot a gigantic ball of green energy into the air, Advena aimed her open hand at it. Then, when her eyes began to glow blue, she closed her hand shut, causing the attack to explode. The spectators watched in awe before Advena then crossed her arms like an X and put them in front of her face. A ring of spiraling energy appeared around her, and it suddenly turned ablaze. Throwing her right hand forwards, the psychic type watched as her attack slammed into Simisage and charred her to a crisp.

Rei, Gallade, and Bisharp watched in shock as the powerful Pokemon before them collapsed, prompting Red to throw his hands up.

"Simisage is unable to battle! Rei, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Thank you, Simisage. You were amazing as always," the seventeen year old told her Pokemon with a smile before the monkey was sucked back into her capsule. "I can't believe that's your first battle together! Advena's really strong!" the Kalosian exclaimed while eyeing Gray, who bowed. Advena, on the other hand, remained as still as a statue. "But this is where the battle ends. Bisharp, rock and roll!"

The aforementioned Pokemon unfolded his arms and let them drop while walking onto the battlefield. After cracking his knuckles, the steel type locked eyes with Advena, neither one looking away while remaining as still as statues. The staring contests, ended, however, when Bisharp turned to his left and nodded at Ferus, who nodded back in response.

"So we finally get to face Bisharp. Be careful, Advena, he's really strong," Gray forewarned, eliciting a grunt from the Elgyem standing before her.

"I don't think Advena has a single move that can deal significant damage to Bisharp," Owen's Charizard stated. "It's Bisharp's battle to lose, at this point."

"This battle will be between Advena and Bisharp! Begin!" Red shouted, looking at both sides.

"Bisharp, use Slash attack!" Rei demanded, slicing her right arm through the air.

Bounding across the battlefield while his arms were stuck straight backwards, Bisharp continued staring at Advena while both of his arms extended and began to glow bright white, taking the shape of blades.

"Lift the ground in front of him with Psychic!" Gray countered, impressed by the dark type's speed.

Advena lifted both of her hands towards the sky while her eyes were glowing blue, and, somehow, she managed to lift a large portion of the battlefield up about ten feet. A thin blue line of energy outlined the elevated rock, but Gray and her Pokemon noticed Advena's arms beginning to shake violently. Suddenly, Rei's voice rang in Gray's ears, and she flinched.

"That's not a problem for us! Scale it and strike with Shadow Claw!"

In the blink of an eye, Bisharp managed to slam both of his hands into the rock and threw himself over it. Taking both Gray and Advena by shock, the dark type then grunted as he sprung into the air, and both of his arms were covered in black and purple energy. He then closed in on his psychic type opponent and slashed her across the chest, sending the alien flying back. Despite the power of the attack, Advena was quick to regain control of her flight, and she floated back down to her trainer's side. As the Elgyem did so, the part of the battlefield she had lifted returned to its normal height, allowing Bisharp to walk back to his half of the field.

"Way to hang in there! Get even with Hidden Power!"

Throwing both of her hands forwards while several balls of white energy floated around her, Advena grunted as the orbs turned into flames. Bisharp easily evaded the super effective attack with several flips in different directions, wowing Gray while Bellator narrowed his eyes and began fiddling with one of his scalchops anxiously.

"Feint Attack!"

Suddenly, before she knew it, Gray watched as Bisharp slammed his head against Advena's, sending her bouncing along the ground before coming to a halt a few feet behind the brunette. Somehow, the alien rose to her feet and pointed at Bisharp, showing no signs of slowing down, which made her opponent grin while Rei, impressed by the energy, gasped.

"Advena, I know you can keep going! Rock Slide!"

"Let's finish this quickly, Bisharp! Destroy the rocks with Psycho Cut and then hit Advena with Iron Head!"

Advena threw her arms downwards, causing a landslide to crash towards Bisharp, whose arms began glowing pink. Slashing them furiously, he fired several dozen blades of psychic energy, which destroyed all of the rocks, as well as Gray's confidence. Then, springing forwards at the speed of sound, Bisharp was encapsulated in blinding silver light and slammed into Advena once again. Upon hitting the ground, Advena was down for the count, prompting Red to speak up.

"Advena is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

"You were incredible, Advena. Thanks for the awesome effort," Gray commended, zapping the fainted alien back into her Poke Ball.

Taking a deep breath, Gray smiled at Bisharp and Rei before bowing.

"Very impressive, guys. Very impressive," the older girl commended, prompting the two to bow in response. "If we want any chance at winning, we're really going to have to up our game, and that's just what we're gonna do!" Gray proclaimed.

"Talk's cheap," Bisharp retorted, folding his arms over his chest while his trainer sweat dropped at the aggressive response.

Gray, however, nodded and turned to all of her Pokemon, who remained still.

"Unicus, I choose you!"

Rolling onto the battlefield giddily, Unicus uncurled herself and locked eyes with the tall, intimidating Pokemon standing opposite her. Then, she began snapping her claws, though Bisharp didn't react. Instead, he glanced over at Bellator and the two locked eyes for less than a nanosecond.

"Come on, Unicus! Take him out!" Celsus shouted, stomping his hooves against the ground while eliciting cheers from Arcanine, Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore.

The ground type turned and nodded at her supporters before locking eyes with Bisharp for a second time.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Bisharp! Begin!"

"Bisharp, Psycho Cut!"

"Destroy it with Crush Claw!"

As he threw his glowing pink arms forwards, Bisharp eyed Unicus with a dissatisfied look on his face. Unaware of her opponent's feelings, Unicus narrowed her eyes while her claws started to glow cobalt, and she slashed through the crescent of pink energy that was right in front of her. Sceptile and Sawyer gasped in shock along with Rei and Gallade, but Bisharp simply lowered his head and grinned.

 _"Good. So this won't be a walk in the park after all,"_ he thought to himself before hearing his trainer speak.

"If attacking from afar won't work, we'll just get in close! Run right at her and use Double Team!"

Bisharp took off at mach speed, his legs pumping so fast dust clouds trailed behind him. Then, after performing several hand signs - as any ninja would - clones appeared by his sides, though they looked identical. Though initially overwhelmed by the amount of Pokemon headed towards her, Unicus' nerves were eased when she heard Gray clear her throat. The brunette then stepped forwards and stuck her left arm out to her side.

"I was hoping you'd do that," Gray shot back, causing her opponent to recoil slightly. "Unicus, Swift!"

The ground type obeyed her command and repeatedly threw both arms forwards. Hundreds of golden stars sliced through all of the clones and revolved around Bisharp, who continued running and somehow managed to evade his opponent's attack.

"Keep going, Bisharp! Use Slash!" Rei screamed.

The steel type's arms extended and began to glow white, taking the shape of blades, and he sliced through all of the stars that had closed in on him, taking Gray and Unicus by shock while Bellator continued to fiddle with his scalchop, keeping a close eye on Bisharp as he did so. All of a sudden. the ruthless Pokemon stood in front of his target and slashed her across the face, making Unicus cry in pain.

"Right back atcha! Counter with Crush Claw!"

Before he could even think, Bisharp was stabbed in the gut by Unicus, and the two began swinging at one another, blocking and dodging anything that went their way. Unicus used her small frame and agility to her advantage, hopping and rolling away from each attempted strike from Bisharp, though the steel type wasn't to be outdone. With each jab Unicus took, he would drop to a plank position, and then shoot off the ground after she'd continue her assault, frustrating the Sandslash.

"I can't believe Unicus is keeping up with Bisharp! That's nothing short of impressive!" Sawyer exclaimed.

"That's Unicus, for ya. She's definitely not someone to underestimate," Arcanine retorted.

As soon as the fire type finished speaking, Unicus took a devastating Slash attack to the chest, hurling her past Gray, who gasped. Rei, however, saw the opportunity to continue attacking, with the shrew struggling to push herself up, so she issued another command.

"Now's your chance! Send Unicus flying by using Iron Head!"

Once Unicus rose to her feet, her eyes went wide when, out of nowhere, Bisharp suddenly appeared slammed into her while enveloped in silver energy. As she flipped around wildly in the air, the Kanto Pokemon slowly opened her eyes and saw Gray covering her mouth with both hands in horror. However, when the two locked eyes, Gray grinned and punched her right fist forwards.

"Stay calm and use Dig!" she shouted, catching everyone by surprise.

Following through with her orders, Unicus suddenly dove towards the ground and spun like a drill while extending her arms past her head. As soon as she hit the ground, the Sandslash burrowed a hole and suddenly resurfaced on the other side of the battlefield. While most trainers wouldn't have been able to react in time, Rei was one of the exceptions, and she quickly threw kicked at the air.

"Dodge it with Feint Attack!"

Just before Unicus could land the super effective attack, Bisharp transported himself to Gray's half of the field and smirked, motioning for the ground type to pursue him. Angered by the taunting, Gray cracked her knuckles at the same time as Bellator, which caught the attention of Alain and his Charizard, who then glanced at each other.

"You're not getting away that easily! Magnitude!"

Without hesitation, Unicus slammed her claws into the ground as hard as she could, causing a wave of energy to shoot towards the dark type.

"Jump as high as you can and use Iron Head!"

"Finish this with Gyro Ball!"

Both Pokemon were coated in silver energy and took off towards one another. Unicus spun like a drill while Bisharp speared into her, and sparks of energy flew through the air. The combatants fought back and forth until Bisharp ultimately prevailed, launching the Sandslash past his trainer and into the wall behind her. As soon as she hit the ground, Unicus' eyes were closed, and Gray ran over to her.

"Unicus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!" Red yelled as soon as the brunette reached the ground type's side.

"Are you okay, Unicus?" Gray inquired, helping the Sandslash to her feet.

"I'm fine," she replied.

The eighteen year old smiled and helped Unicus over to the sidelines while also releasing Advena and Furcifer from their Poke Balls and spraying them with Full Restores.

"That was the best battle I've seen from you. Great job," the brunette opined, patting Unicus on the head before walking back to her trainer box, where she began running a hand through her hair.

"I just wish I could've done more."

Silence fell over all of Gray's Pokemon, and they looked back at their trainer, hanging their heads because of the worried look plastered on her face. Bisharp, meanwhile, began to huff and puff like a child, stomping as he demanded another opponent to step forwards.

"Don't worry about it," a confident voice told Unicus reassuringly, prompting the Sandslash to turn around. Bellator began walking towards Gray's side and he had a grip on both scalchops. "I can take it from here."

Everyone, including Rei and her Pokemon, watched Bellator as he patted Unicus on the back and stepped in front of Gray, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. Bisharp smirked at his opponent and began cracking his knuckles excitedly.

"I've been itching to get a shot at you," the dark type told Bellator, who opened his eyes and nodded in agreement.

"As have I."

Bisharp mimicked Bellator's movements, nodding and grinning anxiously. Even those not battling could feel the tension increasing with every passing second.

"That's good. You better not let me down, Bellator!" Bisharp shouted, pointing at the otter standing about twenty feet away from him. The Dewott remained silent and ripped both scalchops off his thighs, blades of water surging out of them. "Ah, I see. Just because you don't talk doesn't mean you're tough," the steel type remarked, hoping to get a reaction out of his opponent. Much to his frustration, Bellator remained calm and composed.

"Man, this is going to be such a great battle!" White exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Guys, we need to watch this as closely as possible to pick up on what makes them both so strong!"

With that, Red raised his arms and began speaking.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Bisharp! Begin!"

"Bisharp, use Slash to set the tone!"

"That's not happening! Bellator, charge and use Razor Shell!"

Bolting towards one another, both Pokemon let out fierce battle cries. Bisharp's arms began to glow white and turned into the shape of blades while Bellator's scalchops continued surging with water. Swinging violently, both Pokemon's attacks collided, though Bellator grinned and kicked things up a notch, catching Bisharp, Gallade, Rei, Sawyer, and Sceptile by surprise. Before any of them knew it, Bellator slashed the steel type across the chest twice and then kicked him in the face, sending Bisharp skidding along the ground on his back.

"Wow! How'd Bellator overpower Bisharp like that? I would've never thought that was possible!" Sceptile shouted in shock, causing White, who was smiling like an idiot, to turn towards him.

"That's Bellator in a nutshell: doing what everyone thinks is impossible."

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Bisharp jumped up from his laying position and landed on his feet, brushing the dirt off his back as he did so.

"Alright, use Psycho Cut repeatedly!" Rei commanded, punching her left fist forwards.

While his arms began to glow pink, Bisharp swung them violently and sent multiple crescents of psychic energy towards his shorter opponent. Despite the speed and power of the attack, Gray wasn't overwhelmed in the slightest, as she cleared her throat and stepped forwards.

"Dodge it and use a spinning Aqua Jet!"

Bellator suddenly shot off the ground while encapsulated in a dark blue veil of water, and he zipped through the air, evading each of the psychic slashes. Then, with just as much speed, he rammed into Bisharp and bounced back to Gray's half of the field. Despite the pain he was feeling, Bisharp refused to show signs of backing down, and he cracked his knuckles with an evil smirk.

"Retaliate with Iron Head!"

"Take that power and use it to your advantage! Revenge!" Gray countered shortly afterwards.

Bisharp was unable to stop in time due to the velocity with which he was traveling, and as a result, Bellator was able to use the power from his attack against him. While shrouded in red aura, the water type stood his ground and was crashed into by Bisharp, who was engulfed in silver light. Growling lowly, Bellator then grabbed Bisharp by the throat and punched him in the face, sending the dark type flying through the air before he landed on his feet, only for one leg to give out. Rei looked on in concern while Gallade stared at Bellator in awe, though the water type paid no attention and kept his eyes locked onto his opponent.

"Stay strong, Bisharp! Use Double Team and then Feint Attack!"

In the blink of an eye, the bladed Pokemon had completed a series of hand signs and he, along with his clones, were running in circles around Bellator, who spun around repeatedly, not knowing what to do to combat his multiple opponents. Much to Gray's dismay, one of the Bisharp slammed into Bellator while shrouded in black energy, knocking her Pokemon onto his face. As soon as he got up, Bellator was hit by another one of the fast Pokemon, and he fell on his back, grunting in pain.

Everyone on the sidelines watched and turned away slightly at the vicious blows Bisharp and his clones were delivering while Gray stood in shock.

"She needs to think of something, and quick," Alain commented, shaking his head as he did so. "Gray's not handling Rei's style well at all."

Noah nodded in agreement with the older trainer's assessment of the battle, and he began stroking his imaginary beard, thinking of ways Gray could overcome the relentless assault from Rei and Bisharp.

"It looks like Bellator isn't going to be able to overcome this," Owen muttered to himself, drawing a nod from his Charizard, Red, and Red's Charizard.

 _"Come on, Gray, think!"_ the brunette shouted in her head, biting her lower lip as she watched her Pokemon get pummeled. _"Wait, that's it!"_

"Bellator!" she yelled, prompting the Dewott to turn around for a second. "Close your eyes and focus! Then use Ice Punch!"

The aforementioned Pokemon stared at his trainer as if she were an idiot, but obeyed. Closing his eyes, Bellator took a deep breath and was hit a few more times before he was able to picture all of the Bisharp running around him. Suddenly, anticipating the direction that his attacker was going to come from, he opened his eyes and stepped to his right. Everyone gasped in shock when the attacker whiffed, and Bellator, with his hand glowing light blue, delivered a devastating left hook that launched Bisharp past Rei.

"Are you okay!?" the ninja yelled in concern, eyeing her downed Pokemon who grunted in response and easily pushed himself back up. "Okay, we need to stay on our game if we want to beat Bellator. Hit 'em with Shadow Claw!"

"Keep him at a distance by using Water Pulse!"

Bisharp's arms turned black and purple and he threw them out to his sides while closing in on his target. However, Bellator formed two spheres of water and hurled them, along with another dozen or so, which made the dark type's eyes go wide. Unable to evade the powerful attacks, Bisharp was clobbered and knocked onto his back. However, he got back up and charged once again, prompting Bellator to fire another wave of water orbs.

"Cut through those and attack with Slash, Bisharp!" Rei barked.

Bisharp effortlessly sliced every Water Pulse attack headed his way in half and then slashed Bellator across the face, throwing him past Gray and into the wall, which made the otter grunt in pain. Surprisingly, he wasted no time rising to his feet and making his way back onto the battlefield.

"How are you feeling Bellator?" Gray inquired as the water starter wiped the sweat from his brow, panting slightly while Bisharp did the same.

"I can keep going. Not a doubt in my mind," he answered, putting a smile on Gray's face.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Use Water Pulse on the ground!"

Bellator jumped and chucked yet another ball of water against the battlefield, creating a tidal wave that rolled towards Bisharp and Rei, the latter of whom grinned after clearing her throat.

"Heh, smart, but we can counter that," Rei whispered to herself. "Use Feint Attack to pass through it and then use Psycho Cut!"

Vanishing as he sprinted towards the water, Bisharp was able to pass through the powerful wave. When he reappeared, the steel type's arms began to glow pink, but he and his trainer were in for a shock when Bellator was already heading right at him, encapsulated in a veil of water.

"Now use Aqua Jet!"

Unable to brace for the attack, Bisharp was sent flying while Bellator planted his feet and watched with a slight smirk. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Bisharp was able to recover and he landed on his feet with an impressed look on his face. Both Pokemon nodded at each other subtly, and then their trainers spoke up at the same time, adding even more intensity to the already stellar battle.

"Bisharp, let's close this out with Iron Head!"

"Bellator, don't hold anything back! Spin and use Aqua Jet!" the girls screamed in unison.

Taking off at mach speed, Bellator and Bisharp let out their own battle cries before colliding in the middle of the battlefield, causing a wall of blue light and a wall of silver light to form behind each of the two, respectively. After a few seconds, an explosion occurred and hurled the combatants straight into the ground, which made everyone gasp.

"Is Bellator going to be okay?" Palpitoad asked Snivy, expecting a definitive answer from the grass type, who shrugged and turned her attention back to the massive cloud of smoke.

Once it settled, the group of trainers around the area were shocked to see both Bellator and Bisharp standing. Covered in bruises, cuts, and blood, the two grinned at one another before they both fell. Bellator, however, managed to catch himself while Bisharp landed on his face, prompting Red to run out onto the battlefield.

"Bisharp is unable to continue! Rei, choose your last Pokemon!"

"Holy crap! That was amazing!" White shouted, jumping up and down excitedly along with Unicus and Furcifer. Celsus let out a sudden roar in support of his teammate, and when Bellator turned, he locked eyes with Potens, who nodded at him. Mimicking the dragon type, Bellator then cracked a grin when he saw Gray smiling at him, and the brunette began rubbing his head affectionately.

Rei, meanwhile, walked over to Bisharp's side and helped the dark and steel type onto his feet, smiling.

"That was incredible, Bisharp! I've never seen such a great battle before!" the rookie trainer exclaimed as she lightly placed Bisharp on the bench a few feet behind her trainer box.

"I need to train more and get stronger. I won't lose to him again," Bisharp vowed while pointing at Bellator, who was turning back around so he could face the black haired girl. "Rei," Bisharp called, prompting his trainer to hurry over to his side. "Pick Gallade. He's the only one that can actually beat Bellator."

Overhearing the comment, Gallade was shocked by the words coming from Bisharp's mouth. Staring at the ground, he took a deep breath while Rei walked back into her trainer box and smiled at Gray and Bellator.

"No one's bested Bisharp like that before, let alone take as many hits as you did, Bellator. You guys really are the strongest team we've ever faced," the Kalosian commended, bowing as she did so.

"Thanks for the kind words, Rei. Other than Charizard and Pyro, I don't think anyone's ever pushed Bellator like this," Gray replied. "Bisharp's really well-trained."

Rei bowed once again while Bisharp waved to Gray thankfully.

"So, Rei, who are you going to choose?" Red asked politely, acting more as a fan than a referee. "I'm not trying to rush you in any way, I just really want to find out!" the twenty year old exclaimed, making Rei laugh along with Gray before the black haired girl turned to her other starter and nodded confidently.

"Are you ready to do this, Gallade?"

The psychic and fighting type turned away from his trainer and eyed Bellator, Gray, and everyone else watching the battle. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and walked towards the middle of the battlefield. While everyone stared at him in confusion, Gallade was relieved when he saw Bellator walk towards the middle, and they shook hands.

Making their way back to their trainers' sides, the two Pokemon turned on their heels and squared off in battling stances.

"Don't expect us to go easy on you, Gray!" Rei shouted to the older girl confidently, putting a grin on her face.

"We wouldn't want it any other way!" the brunette shot back.

"Gallade," Bellator called, grabbing the fully evolved Pokemon's attention. "May the best Pokemon win," he stated, punching his right fist straight out almost as if he were trying to go for a fist bump.

"Right back at you! Let's make this the best fight we can!"

Bellator nodded right away and then at Red, who immediately threw his arms upwards, wanting to watch the battle.

"This battle will be between Bellator and Gallade! Begin!"

"Bellator, show off your speed with Aqua Jet!"

Roaring as a sudden burst of water appeared around his body, Bellator bent his knees and took off towards Gallade like a rocket, catching the psychic and fighting type by surprise. However, the speed of the attack wasn't high enough to prevent the Kalosian duo from countering, and Rei quickly threw her arm forwards.

"Dodge with Double Team, Gallade!"

Grunting in response, the fully evolved Pokemon created several clones and Bellator passed through one of them before landing on the ground harshly. Immediately landing, the blue otter turned around swiftly and Gray, anticipating that, issued another command.

"Now hit 'em with Water Gun!"

"Jump out of the way and use Close Combat!" Rei retorted immediately.

Bellator reared his head back and unleashed a wicked blast of water from his mouth, but his opponent, having not been in any battles prior, was able to evade the attack with ease by performing a cartwheel. Then, once he was within a foot of Bellator, the psychic type unleashed a wicked barrage of punches at the speed of light. The Dewott grunted after each punch and was grabbed by his arms before being hurled towards Gray. Despite having little energy left, Bellator forced himself back up and slouched over, his arms hanging limply.

"Hang in there just a little longer and use Water Pulse!"

"Shadow Sneak, Gallade!"

Unable to lift his arms, Bellator couldn't follow through with his command. Gallade, on the other hand, slammed his right hand against the ground and traveled towards Bellator as a shadow. Springing out of the shadow, he delivered a vicious kick to the chin that sent the otter upwards, causing Gray's jaw to drop.

"Bellator!" she screamed as the water type, though barely conscious, rose to his feet. "Please, don't push yourself too hard. If you can't keep going, don't!" the eighteen year old pleaded, only for her words to fall on deaf ears.

"Gallade, end this with Psycho Cut!"

Jumping as high as he could, Gallade began to spin furiously while his arms were glowing pink. Then, throwing both of them forwards, the fighting type sent two crescents of pink energy at Bellator, and both exploded on contact. As a result of the devastating attack, the water starter flipped through the air and slammed against the ground face first. Gray, her Pokemon, White, her Pokemon, Noah, Arcanine, Alain, and Charizard stared in shock as the bipedal otter remained limp.

"We did it! We won!" Rei cheered as she jumped up and down. Her fully evolved Pokemon nodded in response, proud of the way he had battled, and began walking back to Rei's side while Red stepped forward and raised his arms.

"Bellator is-"

"No... way..." the water starter muttered weakly, pushing himself off the ground as slow as a snail. "No matter how many times I get knocked down, I'll keep getting back up."

"That's right!" Gray added emphatically, punching her right fist forward at the same time as Bellator, which made Advena recoil violently. Everyone turned to check on the psychic type, but when she pointed, they shifted their attention back to Bellator and Gray, who were mirroring each other's movements without hesitation.

"We're never giving up!" the two roared in unison as they looked up at the sky.

Suddenly, Bellator was encapsulated in a massive geyser of water, and everyone gasped in shock except for Advena, Unicus, Alain, and Charizard. Rei and Gallade stared in horror as a pair of gigantic gray eyes made up of light pierced through the water while a bright blue, vertical streak of light appeared just above the two eyes and ended at the base of them.

"That... that's the same thing that happened against Natalie," Noah said, stunned by the sudden transformation as Bellator let out a menacing roar, which created a gale force wind that nearly knocked Rei and Gallade onto their backs.

"Owen, do you know what's happening?" White inquired nervously, staring at the older trainer, who was beyond speechless. Seeing he wasn't going to respond, the brunette looked over at Charizard, who was also just as silent, his jaw hanging wide open.

"That's incredible. I've only read about this, but I never thought it was true," Red muttered, awestruck.

"What is it!?" White screamed, making Red turn to her.

"It's a type of evolution, one that's supposedly only achieved when the bond between trainer and Pokemon reaches its absolute limit. It's called Synchro Evolution, and it gives the user the same power that Mega Evolution does."

Everyone stared at Red and then turned back to Gray and Bellator, the last of whom roared at a deafening pitch.

"In the books I've read about it, only once every hundred years is it supposed to happen. To think Gray's the one that's able to use it... that's, I don't even know. No word can describe it."

"That's only the first half of it," Alain announced, making everyone turn to him. "There's another form he can go into. I don't know if it's Synchro Evolution, but it's unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"When did you see it?" Red questioned.

"About two weeks ago when we were in Nimbasa City."

Thinking back to their time in Nimbasa City, White gasped when she remembered Hugh's Greninja undergoing a similar transformation in order to defeat Malamar and Crobat. Shaking her head, White remained silent and decided to listen to the others' reactions.

"This is where the battle really starts, Rei!" Gray shouted to the younger girl, who nodded in response, intimidated by her opponent. Gallade wasn't though, and he gave a reassuring nod to his trainer, who suddenly regained her confidence and smiled. "Now give us your best shot!"

"Right! Now is the time we prove ourselves!"

"Yeah!" the psychic and fighting type yelled in response.

Suddenly, Rei put her hand over her Mega Bracelet and drew the attention of everyone while Sawyer and Sceptile waited anxiously.

"Gallade, let's combine our strength! Mega Evolve!"

("Sarutobi's theme" begins to play)

The dual type was encapsulated in a pink egg and, when he emerged, Gallade remained silent and folded his arms over his chest, showing off the massive blades that were extending out of his forearms. A cape also appeared from his back, and he locked eyes with Bellator, who continued staring through the water surrounding him with his gray eyes.

"This will be a continuation of the battle! Begin!" Red shouted.

"Use, Leaf Blade!"

"Match him with Razor Shell!"

Both combatants took off at mach speed and while Gallade sprung into the air, Bellator bent his knees and drew his scalchop, which was surging with water. Then, he launched himself after Gallade, and the psychic type, whose blades had grown exponentially and were glowing green, swung his arms at Bellator. The water starter did the same, and the attacks collided, causing sparks of blue and green light to fly through the air. Everyone stared in awe - even Red, Owen, and Alain, the last of whom had faced Bellator - until Bellator let out a fearsome roar and grabbed his second scalchop and slashed Gallade across the face, sending him crashing into the ground.

"Bellator managed to block both of Gallade's arms with one scalchop? That's..." Arcanine's voice trailed off and he continued staring at the Dewott, who slowly descended and landed in front of Gray, waiting for Rei and Gallade to attack.

"So, Rei, now that you're going up against this, what do you think? Impressive, right?" Gray inquired with a proud grin - even though she didn't know how the transformation was triggered - that drew a nod from her newest friend and rival.

"We are, but Gallade's just getting warmed up!" the Kalosian shouted as Gallade rose to his feet and nodded, brushing off the dirt covering his body.

Bellator narrowed his eyes at the fighting type and analyzed him for a split second before smirking, which confused Gallade.

"It's time we step things up! Double Team!"

Suddenly, about forty clones, plus Gallade, appeared around Bellator and began swinging their arms intimidatingly. Bellator wasn't fazed by the sheer amount of enemies, nor was Gray, and the two nodded at each other before the brunette threw her open hand forwards with a grin.

"Use Water Pulse on the ground!"

Hurling a pair of massive spheres against the ground, everyone watched as all of the clones were destroyed. Gallade, on the other hand, managed to jump over the massive tidal wave, which wowed White and her Pokemon while the others kept their composure.

"Get in close and hit 'em with Shadow Sneak!" Rei commanded, throwing her arm out to her side.

The psychic and fighting type dove towards the ground and, when his fists made contact with it, Gallade disappeared. A shadow then closed in on Bellator and Gallade resurfaced, delivering an uppercut that was weakened by the water surrounding the Dewott's body. Shocked by the shield-like capabilities, Rei's mouth was agape along with Sawyer's. Both Red and Owen turned to each other in shock while Gallade was frozen, perplexed by what had happened.

"Answer right back with Ice Punch!"

"Block it with Fire Punch!"

The two swung at each other while their fists were covered in ice and flames, and the attacks collided. Both Pokemon let out ferocious roars before Bellator overpowered his taller opponent, punching Gallade right in the face. The fully evolved Pokemon spiraled through the air and crashed into the ground in front of his trainer, worrying the black haired girl.

"Keep up the pressure, Bellator! Use Aqua Jet!" Gray called, grabbing Rei's attention.

Bellator roared once again while using the water around himself as a springboard, shooting forwards at mach speed. He then rammed into Gallade, which caused him to grunt in pain loudly. The Dewott, on the other hand, landed safely by Gray's side, and the water around his body was beginning to become more transparent.

"Gallade, are you okay?" the seventeen year old asked in concern, only for her starter to hop back up and nod furiously. "Okay, use Close Combat!"

Gallade charged towards Bellator and began swinging at the water type repeatedly, though all of the attacks were somehow avoided. Gray continued looking on for a while until realizing Gallade's assault wasn't going to stop, prompting her to think on her feet.

"Use that power and turn it against him! Revenge!"

Obeying the command, Bellator stood his ground and took each punch and kick head-on while the water spinning around him began to glow a feint red. After Gallade ended his assault, his target hurriedly swung his left fist. With unparalleled fortitude, Bellator punched Gallade in the face and sent him rolling along the battlefield until he planted his feet and used the momentum to stand himself upright. Then, the two creatures narrowed their eyes and their trainers swiftly issued another set of commands.

"Psycho Cut!"

"Water Gun!"

Both attacks were fired at the same time and collided. Upon impact, they exploded and a massive cloud of smoke formed over the battlefield, preventing anyone from seeing a thing. After moments of eager anticipation, the smoke dissipated and the two girls looked at one another with grins while their Pokemon remained idle, both panting wildly.

"This is it, Gallade! Everything comes down to this last move!" Rei shouted to her final Pokemon, who nodded while panting wildly. "Use Leaf Blade!"

"Don't hold anything back, Bellator! Razor Shell!" Gray screamed emphatically.

While the gigantic blades on Gallade's forearms began to glow an intense green, Bellator grabbed his right scalchop, which then had a blade of water shoot out of it. The two then sprinted towards one another and screamed as they did so. Swinging their arms at the same time, the Pokemon blocked each others' attacks and were suddenly engulfed in a prodigious tornado of green and blue energy, which spun out of control and exploded. Everyone was thrown backwards, including the combatants, and it took a few minutes for the spectators to rise.

Once Gray and Rei stood up, they locked eyes and then turned their attention to their Pokemon, who were barely standing. Despite the beating they had both taken, neither showed any signs of giving up until both Bellator and Gallade's legs gave out. Smacking against the ground, Gray and Rei gasped in shock, along with White, Noah, and their Pokemon.

"Gallade is unable to continue! That means Gray, Furcifer, Advena, Unicus, and Bellator are the winners!" Red declared as he focused his attention on the downed Gallade.

Somehow, Bellator had managed to catch himself before hitting the ground, and his Synchro Evolution ceased.

While Gray and her Pokemon, as well as White and Noah, sprinted over to Bellator, Rei and Bisharp helped Gallade off the ground and onto his feet. As soon as he stood, the psychic type reverted back to his normal form and sighed in disappointment, only to be comforted by his trainer.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. Bellator's a special Pokemon, and there's nothing else we could've done."

Gallade nodded in disappointment, hanging his head until he heard footsteps headed his way.

"That battle was the best we've had, Rei," the older girl stated while smiling. "No one's pushed us like that before, and your Pokemon are second to none," Gray concluded, extending a hand.

The Kalosian beamed in response and gladly shook her rival's hand while Bellator bowed to both Gallade and Bisharp, who did the same.

"I doubt this'll be the last time we meet up," Rei stated, causing Gray to react with a puzzled expression. "Something tells me we're going to have to meet up again. I don't know what it is, but I just have this feeling."

Nodding, Gray then turned around to see her friends, Sawyer, and Sceptile, and they began to clap.

"You two are going to go really far in your league tournaments," Red announced all of a sudden, making both girls bow in unison. "If you ever do have a rematch, for whatever reason, I'll be there."

"Thank you," the two replied.

"So, when do you think you're heading out, Rei?" Noah asked out of the blue.

The girl glanced at Sawyer, expecting him to answer, and he pulled out a pair of tickets. Upon reading them over, the Hoennian sweat dropped and handed Rei one of them.

"A couple of hours!?" Rei screamed, causing everyone to laugh. "Well, we'd better get ready."

Gray nodded along with her Pokemon and Bellator before shaking hands with the younger girl one last time. Then, after watching Rei disappear inside the Pokemon Center, Gray smiled to herself.

 _"I know we'll meet again, Rei."_

* * *

 **Now I know y'all haven't seen Rei's whole team, and I didn't want to spoil any of her captures in this crossover (which limited how awesome this battle could've been), but I'm still happy with how it turned out. With that being said, Gray will meet up with her again - with their full teams, of course - though that's _very_ far down the road, so don't expect the battle for 80-90 chapters. That could change, but I plan on sticking to my outline, so yeah. Next chapter will be the final crossover, and the character, as well as its creator, are complete badasses XD Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. How'd you like the battle? Do you think Rei should've won? Are you hyped for the full battle rematch?  
2\. Would you have liked to see Sawyer vs Alain?  
3\. Who do you think were the MVP's for each team?  
4\. When/How will Gray and Rei meet again? What do you think the circumstances will be? (Ex: Champion League, Friendly battle, etc.)  
5\. Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength"**_

 ** _The trip to Hoenn comes to a close, but before Gray and the others can leave, Owen and Red introduce them to the current Champion of the region, Blade. When an old friend returns with shocking news, Gray challenges Blade to a battle, and so does Bellator! Will either of the two be able to defeat the Hoenn Champion?_**

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 55: Bridge Brawl  
Chapter 56: ****Meeting a Diplomat  
** **Chapter 57: A Broken Bond: Bellator Quits!** **  
Chapter 58: The Master Miner** **  
** **Chapter 59:** **Two Roads, Two Powers** **  
** **Chapter 60** **:** **Teacher and Student** **  
** **Chapter 61:** **Sparks Fly! White vs Cheren!** **  
Chapter 62: Face-to-face with Confrontation**


	54. Blade and Bisharp: A Test of Strength

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and three other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle someone else)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, readers? New theme song's up, and it'll be the same until the end of the Icirrus Arc (it's based on X &Z's). Last chapter, Gray and Rei had an action-packed, 4 versus 4 battle that ended in a narrow victory for Gray. Bellator managed to take out both Bisharp and Mega Gallade, the latter of which required Synchro Evolution, and Red also talked about Synchro. This chapter will elaborate a bit more on that, and it will also be one last crossover! That's right. This time Blade, an OC belonging to ShadowDragon9000, will be making an appearance, and Gray will get to battle against him! Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Thanks! But how was Gallade the MVP? He didn't win a battle, but he did fight really well against Bellator. Hmm. As for the predictions, most of them were right. And the battle's going to be posted in Kalos: TLG too. It wouldn't make sense for me to only post it one (imo)_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Gray vs Blade hype! Bellator does quit, and something really bad will happen. What kind of bad thing? That's what you'll have to wait to find out ;) Thanks!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Hype train OD. Sounds intense XD It really was surprising that Bellator, yes, Bellator, was Gray's MVP. Bisharp was definitely Rei's MVP. Glad you liked the battle (thanks for the compliments, btw), and Sawyer vs Alain will happen in Kalos: TLG. Gray and Rei will also meet up again, with each of them having a conversation every once in a while, so neither will just "go away" per se. Thanks again!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks, and Advena's a beast. I put a very small tidbit of her power in the very first chapter she was in, but to be honest, I kind of forgot about it for a little while until the end of the Nimbasa Arc. As for this chapter, I've been looking forward to it for a long time (I wrote it during the Nacrene Arc), though rewriting it was a pain in the ass because I lost about half of the words :/_

 **Defender31415:** _Champion League hype tho? Maybe. It's very possible, considering how well Gray's done and how powerful Rei was shown to be. Ducklett would be a very interesting idea with the bridge chapter, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how it turns out. Also, yes, Bellator and quit are in the same title_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Haha, thanks! It took a while, so I'm glad you liked it! The rematch is going to be brutal to write (just in terms of length. I'll be aiming for 15-20,000 for it) but it's going to be so much fun to read over! And I'm with you! Screw both plots, and Grei can dominate. They actually will be traveling together for a little while at the very end of the story, but I won't elaborate on that. I also like the predictions :D_

 **davidtheman23:** _Wouldn't 57 be happening too early if Rei lost? Either way, I can assure you there are going to be several reasons for Bellator leaving, all of which will be revealed in these next few chapters, including this one. Alain and Rei will also have a battle, but that will be shown in Kalog: TLG instead of this, because I'd like to change up the crossover arcs a little bit. As for the Grei reunion, it won't be Team Genez, because they're not going to time travel, but I like where you're going with that ;) Blade's blind in this chapter, too! And if Gray were to beat him, which she won't, she would be using Ferus, so it'd be a bit more realistic. The Greninja puddle thingy is also a great thing to think about with the departure, but Bellator will legitimately leave :( I haven't paid any attention to Pokken Tournament at all, tbh, but I'd say Pikachu would be my favorite for no reason XD Thanks for the review!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Thanks a lot! Croagunk will become very strong, though for the time being (in Rei's story) he's going to be really weak until the Shalour Arc, I believe. Red will be around for the Unova League, and Kalos League, so he'll get to see Hugh-Ninja in action. Champion League hype (maybe)! And those predictions tho!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 41, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 37, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 34, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)  
Ferus, (m), level 62, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)**

* * *

After having watched Rei and Sawyer depart for Kalos, Gray, White, and Noah returned to the Pokemon Center, where Alain was waiting patiently. Once they sat down at the table he and Charizard were occupying, Gray leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"It's too bad she couldn't be traveling through Unova."

"Yeah, she was pretty," Noah said to himself, only to find Gray and White glaring at him. "I mean, pretty strong!" he shouted defensively, throwing his hands up as if he were surrendering. "Stop looking at me!" he screamed, his face turning as red as a tomato.

The girls eased their glares while Alain laughed at the younger male, knowing he had committed the number one mistake: talking about girls' looks in front of girls. Ferus, meanwhile, strolled over to the table and sat down by Gray's side, nudging her hand slightly with his nose as a way to subtly get her attention, which worked. After seeing the look in her Pokemon's eyes, Gray excused herself from the table while releasing all of her other Pokemon to draw the attention away from herself.

Once they reached the back hallway of the Pokemon Center, the eighteen year old looked down at her Johto powerhouse and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?" she quizzed as Ferus looked around for a few seconds.

"Uh, this is tough for me to say, so I'm just going to get to the point," the Houndoom started, drawing a nod from his trainer. "I think my time hanging around is done."

Shocked by what the fire type had just said, Gray fell back and slid down the wall before finally sitting down on the floor. Ferus held back laughter and then turned to his left so that he could get one last look at all of the Pokemon he had watched grow before his very eyes. Gray nearly gasped when she saw tears swelling in Ferus' eyes, but she held it back and began sniffling, grabbing her friend's attention.

"Are you sure? I mean, we could always use your help with training," the brunette proposed, only to be met with disapproval.

"No, you don't," he replied. "That's a strong team you have, a lot stronger than mine or the Kanto group. They can stand on their own two feet, I know it," Ferus proclaimed. "Besides, I need to help Durus whip the others back into shape if you decide to call on us for the Unova League. You know how lazy they can be."

Gray giggled and nodded as she thought of all of her Pokemon laying around her mother's apartment in Saffron City. She stopped, however, and stared at Ferus for a few seconds before hugging him tightly.

"We're all going to miss you," she whispered, drawing a nod from the dark type once Gray pulled away. "Alright. I guess we should let the others know."

With that, the two made their way back over to the table and Ferus cleared his throat while Gray remained by his side, her hand resting on his Poke Ball.

"Guys, I wanted to let you all know that I'm leaving today," he announced bluntly, causing all of the Pokemon, Noah, and White to gasp. "I need to head back home, and I'm glad I got to meet you all."

"We are too, Ferus. Are you sure you really want to leave?" White asked, while she watched her Pokemon say their goodbyes to the eldest of the group.

Ferus nodded right away, refusing to look at everyone so that he wouldn't cry.

"Well, make sure you call us every once in a while," Noah ordered, making the Johto native laugh. "Arcanine and I could always use some tips on how to get stronger."

The quadruped nodded at his friend, and Ferus nodded back at Arcanine before Alain and Charizard cleared their throats, catching the attention of everyone. After noticing the entire group was staring at them both, they sweat dropped, but spoke up after a few seconds.

"I know we weren't exactly friends the entire time we knew each other," Alain started, drawing a nod from Charizard, "but I'm glad we ended up on the same side."

The nineteen year old extended a hand, and Ferus stared at it for a moment before grinning and giving a paw.

"And Ferus, the next time we meet up, we're going to have a rematch. I expect you to be ready!" Charizard exclaimed as he extended his fist, which made Ferus wag his tail excitedly while tapping his paw against the winged lizard's hand.

"I look forward to it, and don't worry, I'll kick your ass."

The two laughed and Gray wiped another tear from her eye before taking a deep. However, she was prevented from speaking when Unicus rolled over to her friend and hugged him tightly.

"Make sure to tell everyone I said hi." the ground type told him, drawing a laugh and nod from Ferus. "And take care. I don't want to see you out of shape when I'm in peak condition."

Ferus nodded, waved to the others, and nodded at Gray before walking with her towards the transfer machine. Surprisingly, he was stopped by Potens, who locked eyes with him and remained still for a moment until finally cracking.

"The next time we see each other, I'll be stronger than you," she vowed, resulting in a shocked expression spreading across Ferus' face. Slowly, it turned into a smile, and he nodded at the tiny bat before him.

"I can't wait for that. Make sure you keep training hard," he said.

Potens bowed in response and waved while Ferus and Gray disappeared into the transfer room, where the Houndoom was zapped into his Poke Ball. Gray stared at it for a few moments until a smile stretched across her face, and she began dialing her home phone number.

 **000**

Unicus and Furcifer continued speaking to one another while Celsus, Bellator, Potens, and Advena stood around the battlefield. The alien, though unable to understand why her teammates were so sad, attempted to mimic their actions and remained silent. Then, she noticed Gray sulking at a table while sitting with Noah and Arcanine while Alain and Charizard were helping White, Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore train.

"Hey, I know it's tough having him leave, but you have to remember, it's not like he's going to be gone forever. You can always call him," Noah told the brunette, who mumbled in response. "And you still have the others."

"Shut up," Arcanine whispered harshly, silencing his trainer. "Gray, we're just going to leave you alone until you want to talk about this, okay?" the dog asked, which was met with a nod from the girl.

Arcanine then stood up and began walking away, motioning for Noah to do the same, which he did, albeit reluctantly. As soon as they did so, the two watched as four figures appeared in the corner of their eyes. Upon turning towards them, Noah and Arcanine saw Owen, Red, and both of their Charizard walking towards Alain who, once he saw them, stopped his training with White immediately.

"What are you guys doing here? Aren't you supposed to be going back to Kanto and Kalos?" the nineteen year old inquired, making Owen laugh sheepishly while Red shot the younger champion an annoyed look and shook his head.

"We were supposed to, but this guy ran out of the airport when he realized he forgot something," Red's Charizard answered, pointing at Owen. "And he refuses to tell any of us what it is that he forgot."

Raising his eyebrow, Alain eyed the trainer his age and waited for Owen to give an answer. The Kantonian did, though it wasn't verbally. Instead, he walked over to Gray after noticing she was all by her lonesome, and he sat down across from her.

"Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, looking around the area to check on her Pokemon. "Wait, where'd Ferus go?"

"He wanted to go back to Kanto. He said his time helping the others was up."

Owen nodded and watched Gray carefully as she lifted her head and locked eyes with him.

"It wasn't though! He could've stayed the entire time!" she shouted, making the older boy crack a smile, which angered Gray even more. "What's so funny, Owen? Do you like laughing at people's pain?"

After hearing the tone behind Gray's voice, Owen's Charizard walked over to the table and stood by his trainer's side protectively. Bellator immediately ran over to Gray and locked eyes with Charizard, who scoffed at the water starter.

"Hey, relax. It's funny to me, because you don't realize that you still have all of these Pokemon with you," the older trainer retorted, snapping Gray out of her crying state. "You realize all of them are mirroring the poor energy, right? And Ferus was sent back home, not released. Pick your head up."

Shocked by the agitated tone behind Owen's voice, the eighteen year old sniffled before taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked. "You didn't answer Alain's question."

Laughing, the nineteen year old grabbed a Poke Ball from his belt and put it on the table a few feet away from the girl he had lived across the street from during his younger years. When he watched her raise an eyebrow in confusion, Owen spoke up.

"Okay, I guess I'll open it. Go!"

Throwing the spherical device as high up as he could, Owen grinned when it opened and a stream of white light poured out. Slowly, a large creature materialized and stood next to Gray, who turned and gasped in shock along with Noah and Arcanine.

"Fortis!" the girl screamed before shooting out of her chair and embracing the Flygon, who laughed and hugged his trainer. "Why are you here? Is your training over?" Gray quizzed, prompting the dragon type to turn to Owen, who nodded.

"I guess so," he stated. "It's great seeing you again!" he exclaimed, which made Owen smile and walk over to Red. "Owen's workouts nearly killed me."

Gray giggled at the comment and waved at the Champion, who nodded in response before attempting to walk away. He stopped, however, when his phone began to ring. He answered it and began talking to someone.

"Huh? Yeah, we're at the Pokemon Center. Yeah, definitely. Wait, you're right by? Okay, we'll stick around."

Ending the call, Owen began whispering to Red, whose eyes went wide. The twenty year old then stared at Gray and Fortis before looking back at Owen, who nodded like an idiot.

"Owen, what's this necklace that Fortis is wearing?" Gray asked while eyeing the metal sleeve around her Pokemon's neck.

The aforementioned male face palmed and jogged over to the Flygon's side before patting Fortis on the back, which made him smile proudly. Confused by her Pokemon's reaction, Gray continued looking at Owen and waited for him to speak.

"Well, while we were training, we found this weird stone that looked pretty similar to some others that we found, so I took it and decided to have Professor Sycamore check it out. When he did, he told me it was Flygonite, and that it allowed Fortis to Mega Evolve."

Gray gasped in shock, at the same time as Alain, Noah, and White. Almost immediately afterwards, Alain and Charizard walked over to Gray and Fortis with excited grins on their faces.

"How about we have a Mega Battle? Is your Flygon strong?" Alain inquired, making Owen laugh.

"Is Fortis strong? Please, he's probably one of the strongest Pokemon I've ever come across," the Champion stated, drawing a nod from Red, which made Alain turn to Gray almost immediately.

While he continued asking the girl if she'd battle him, Gray's Unova team gathered together and stared at Fortis.

"Who the heck is that?" Celsus asked in confusion, prompting Unicus to speak up.

"That's Fortis, and he's really nice and strong," she answered with a smile. "He was one of the first Pokemon Gray caught, and he helped her get to the semifinals in the Indigo League, which is in Kanto."

The other Pokemon were silenced by the dragon type's supposed power. While her teammates were silenced by awe, Potens flew over to Fortis' side and landed next to him, grabbing the Flygon's attention.

"Oh, Fortis, this is Potens, and this is Bellator," the girl stated, pointing at the aforementioned duo, who bowed in response.

Fortis nodded at both Pokemon and then bowed to Alain and Charizard.

"Sorry, guys, but I want to meet Gray's Pokemon before I do any battling." The dragon type then turned his back and put a grin on Charizard's face while he walked away with Alain. "My name's Fortis, nice to meet you both."

"Likewise," Bellator greeted. "Gray's talked about you a little bit, but I didn't think we'd get the opportunity to meet," he continued, extending a hand, which made the older Pokemon laugh. He then turned to Potens and nodded at her, which put a smile on the smaller dragon type's face.

"It's an honor," she said, making Gray recoil slightly while giving her Pokemon a puzzled look, which Potens ignored. "My name's Potens."

Fortis nodded having already known that, and he turned his attention towards the others, who made their way over to him.

"Unicus! You evolved!" he exclaimed, putting a stupid smile on the ground type's face while she nodded. "Wow, I bet you've become a lot stronger since we last saw each other."

Unicus nodded once again while Gray stood by Fortis' side and spoke up.

"That's right. Unicus has been a really great battler and teammate. And these guys are Furcifer, whose quite the trickster in battle, Celsus, who's one of the leaders, and Advena, who decided to finally show us how strong she was earlier today. Guys, this is my buddy, Fortis, who I caught back in Kanto. He's one of the strongest Pokemon you'll ever meet."

All of Gray's newer Pokemon bowed, and Fortis did the same, which made the smaller Pokemon smile.

Meanwhile, Owen and Red looked off towards the street in front of the Pokemon Center as if they were waiting for someone, though they couldn't help but laugh at the greetings exchanged between Fortis and Gray's friends and Pokemon.

"Arcanine! Noah! Long time no see!" Fortis greeted, hugging the two at the same time. "How've you been?"

"We're hanging in there. How was your training with Owen?" Noah asked, prompting Fortis to give a thumbs up. "White, come here for a second." The girl did as she was told and walked over to the older boy's side. "Fortis, this is White. She's a rookie trainer that's traveling with Gray to get some experience," Noah stated. "White, this is Fortis."

The two bowed in unison before hearing Owen and Red laugh and clap, grabbing everyone's attention. The two teens and both of their Charizard were walking towards an unfamiliar trainer with a cane, and he was accompanied by a Bisharp that looked much stronger than Rei's, which intrigued Bellator.

"Guys," Red called, motioning for the group. When they reached the Champions, they turned to the unfamiliar train and stared at him. They instantly noticed his colorless eyes and White gasped in shock, making the male laugh while Red and Owen shot her angered looks.

"I guess they saw my eyes," he said, making White sweat drop and laugh sheepishly. "Owen, is the one you were talking about here?" he asked.

"That's right," the nineteen year old replied, putting a proud look on Alain's face as he prepared to shake the strange trainer's hand. "Gray, this guy standing before you is one of the strongest trainers in the world. Top three, to be precise."

The brunette's jaw dropped and she stared at the young man, who was staring at nothing and holding onto both his cane and the Bisharp's shoulder.

"I'm Blade, and this is my friend, Bisharp. It's a pleasure meeting you," the powerful trainer said as he turned and looked in-between Alain and Noah, which confused both of the boys.

Bisharp slowly moved and had his trainer turn with him so that he faced the brunette, and he apologized to Noah and Alain, who waved off the action.

"It's nice to meet you. My name's Gray Plain, and these are my friends and Pokemon," the brunette replied, pointing at Fortis and the six other creatures. Blade's remained the same and he continued staring at Gray blankly.

"Is this guy blind, or something?" Potens asked Celsus in a hush whisper.

"Haha, I am, actually," Blade responded, making the quartet of trainers and all of their Pokemon gasp in shock. "Everyone always has that reaction, but I don't get it. I mean, I have a cane and my eyes are, well, basically blank."

Gray immediately turned to Owen and shot him a disgusted look, but the Kantonian waved her off while Red spoke up.

"Blade's the newest Champion of the Hoenn region, just so you know," the World Champion announced, silencing everyone. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he muttered while shaking his head.

"He's actually here because I told him about that whole Synchro Evolution thing," Owen added, staring at Gray and Bellator.

The girl then looked at Blade and watched him nod along with his Bisharp.

"It's incredible to know that you have such a powerful bond with your Pokemon," the blind trainer opined. "May I ask what the Pokemon is?"

"I'm a Dewott," Bellator answered, putting a smile on Blade's face. "And I want to battle you!" he shouted, making his teammates and Gray deadpan, as well as all of the others.

Blade shook his head at the same time as Gray, making Bellator look around in annoyance. After watching Gray continue to shake his head, Bellator scowled at the brunette and folded his arms over his chest.

"Sorry, but Bisharp is the only Pokemon I have on me, and I think he's at too high of a level," the Champion replied. "Your Flygon is a whole different story though. He was trained by Owen, right?" Blade inquired, drawing a nod from Gray.

After a few seconds, the girl face palmed, remembering Blade couldn't see her reaction due to his lack of sight.

"Yes he was. How about we battle? Fortis and me against Bisharp and you, Blade?"

The Champion grinned at the proposition and nodded while Gray's other Pokemon cheered excitedly, except for Bellator, who continued glaring at his trainer.

 _"You're not strong enough, and you won't be if you stay with her,"_ a voice whispered in Bellator's head, making him flinch.

Paying no attention to it, the Dewott followed his teammates to the side of the battlefield while Gray and Blade occupied the two trainer boxes. Noah, meanwhile, acted at the referee with Arcanine by his side.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Gray and Blade! The battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to continue! Ready?" Noah asked as he turned to look at both sides, despite the fact that Blade couldn't see.

"Ready!" Gray exclaimed, punching her fist forwards.

"Same," the Hoenn champion added, drawing a nod from Noah.

"Now choose your Pokemon!"

"Fortis, I choose you!"

Springing forwards, Fortis let out a thunderous roar when his feet hit the ground, causing Blade to crack a grin before motioning for Bisharp to go onto the battlefield. Doing so without hesitation, the steel type grunted loudly and took a battling stance as he narrowed his eyes, prompting Fortis to let out another roar of excitement.

"This battle will be between Fortis and Bisharp! Begin!"

"Gray," Fortis started before his trainer could speak, grabbing her attention. "I want to see if this will work. Do you mind?" the Flygon asked, patting the metal sleeve around his neck. Gray nodded and waited until Fortis turned back to Bisharp.

"Let's put this to the test," she said, drawing a nod from her strongest Pokemon. "Fortis, Mega Evolve!"

Upon hearing Gray's words, Blade's ears perked up and his eyes went wide. Suddenly, Fortis looked up at the sky and let out an explosive roar as he was engulfed in a pink egg of energy. The egg then shattered due to an overwhelming wave of energy being emitted from Fortis' transformation, and the Mega Evolved dragon kept the same pose as before.

None of the colors of his body changed, though spiked armor appeared around his arms, and his wings became much more jagged. Three green rings were clamped around Fortis' tail and his claws were red and much longer than before. Dark green armor was also covering Fortis' knees and parts of his feet, and the covers over his eyes seemed to rotate so that they were longer than taller.

"Holy crap. Fortis can actually Mega Evolve," White muttered under her breath, drawing nods from Owen, Red, both of their Charizard, and Noah. Meanwhile, all of the Pokemon gaped at the sight of the wickedly powerful Pokemon as he roared and unleashed a Dragon Pulse so powerful it could've blown up the Pokemon Center.

"Heh, that's impressive, but you're not going to intimidate us," Blade informed his challenger, who kept her confident grin.

"We don't care if we intimidate anyone. As long as we work together, we know we're going to win!" Gray declared, drawing smiles from Blade and his Bisharp, who looked to be just as synced up as Gray and Fortis.

"That's right!" Fortis shouted, making the Hoenn champion's main Pokemon bring his arms up in a fighter's stance.

"Blade may have the first move because Gray issued the challenge!" Noah yelled, prompting the champion to nod and throw his hand forwards.

"Bisharp, Swords Dance!" Blade commanded, prompting the steel type to obey.

Without hesitation, the bipedal Pokemon that looked like a chess piece, crossed his arms and a ring of red energy spun around his body, greatly increasing his already massive attack stat. Looking even stronger than before, Bisharp threw his arms down to his sides and waited for Fortis and Gray to make their move, which they did immediately afterwards.

"Don't hold anything back, Fortis! Use Flamethrower!"

Rearing his head back as he inhaled dramatically, Fortis' eyes shot wide open as he threw his head forwards and unleashed a devastating blast of blue flames, taking everyone's breath away, except for Blade. His lack of vision was a huge benefit when it came to incredible attacks being displayed, as he was never fazed by them unlike everyone else. The same thing happened, and the confident trainer cracked a grin.

"Jump over it and use a double Sucker Punch!"

Bisharp easily sprung over the super effective attack that just barely missed Blade, and while his hands were glowing purple, the dark type let out a grunt. All of a sudden, he threw both of his hands at Fortis and two blasts of purple energy zipped across the battlefield and slammed into the dragonfly, who stumbled back in pain. He regained his balance rather quickly, though, and turned to nod at Gray as he took off towards Bisharp.

"Answer right back with Dragon Claw!"

Tucking his sharp wings in, Fortis began spinning like a top as his hands were engulfed in neon green energy, and he held nothing back while slashing Bisharp across the chest, launching the mercenary Pokemon flying. Somehow, Bisharp landed on his feet and broke into a dead sprint without a word from Blade, catching both Gray and Fortis by surprise while Red and Owen smirked, knowing exactly what Gray was thinking. Both Champions sparred against Blade and were at a loss for words when they had initially battled him.

"Strike with Iron Head, Bisharp!"

Bending his knees, Bisharp shot himself at Fortis as he was enveloped in silver light, and he rammed into the dragon and bug type's chest. Suddenly, Bisharp changed directions and smashed Fortis directly into the ground, causing the ground to crack instantly. Gray's jaw hit the ground at the same time as the rest of her Pokemon, White and her Pokemon, Arcanine, and Noah, and they watched as Fortis pushed himself back onto his feet with a noticeable grimace.

"Can you keep going, Fortis?" Gray asked the Mega Evolved Pokemon.

Fortis turned and gave Gray an offended look, making her laugh before she refocused and turned her attention back to Bisharp and Blade.

"Let's take control of the battle! Earthquake!"

Fortis angrily punched the ground with his right hand as hard as he could, causing the entire area to shake violently. Due to Bisharp losing his balance, he was unable to move out of the way of a rock column that had risen from the ground, and it struck him in the chin, dealing a significant amount of damage. Seeing an opportunity to continue his assault, Fortis flew after Bisharp, but was shocked when the steel type suddenly regained control of his body, allowing Blade to issue a counterattack.

"Hit Fortis away with Knock Off!"

"Block it with Dragon Claw!" Gray retorted instantly.

The powerful Pokemon wasted no time in powering their attacks, and they swung at each other at the same exact time. Fortis' neon green claws collided with Bisharp's extended black blade, and the two battle back and forth for several seconds before a wave of force sent them spiraling towards the ground. Much to Gray's dismay, Fortis crashed headfirst and Bisharp gracefully landed on his feet, not a scratch on his body. Fortis, on the other hand, was covered in bruises and had blood dripping from his mouth.

"Why is Fortis unable to keep up with Bisharp if they're near the same level? I don't get it," Unicus asked both Owen's Charizard and Red's Charizard, who looked at each other before answering the question.

"Well, Fortis may be within, like, seven to ten levels of Bisharp - which is actually significant, when you think about it - but at a certain point, Pokemon as strong as them are separated by the strength of their trainers," Red's Charizard explained, drawing nods from all of Gray's Pokemon except Bellator, who looked over his trainer and then Blade, unable to tell how their strength was judged.

"Like, Fortis can give both of us insane fights, but that's without trainers, or with Owen and Red acting as the trainers. It's not that Gray's a bad trainer, far from it, actually, but Blade is just on a completely different level," Owen's Charizard continued, shaking his head as he looked at the blind champion.

"Come on, Fortis! You can do it!" White cheered, wanting to ignite the comeback that seemed like a pipe dream.

Rising from the ground, Fortis let out another roar and eyed his opponent, disheartened by the lack of damage he had dealt. He didn't have any time to dwell on it though, as Blade gave Bisharp another command.

"Charge and use Iron Head!"

Flying forwards at a speed that matched Fortis' from earlier in the battle, Bisharp let out a powerful roar. Surprisingly, Fortis opened his wings as quickly as he could and Gray picked up on the subtle signal of what move her Pokemon wanted to use, allowing her to speak quickly enough to counter the incoming attack.

"Fortis, use Boomburst!" the brunette shouted.

Flapping his wings as hard as he could just one time, Fortis sent a massive crescent of white energy towards Bisharp. Due to the speed at which Bisharp was traveling, it seemed inevitable that the wicked attack would land, but Blade defied all odds and crushed Gray's hopes effortlessly.

"Dodge it and use Knock Off!" he commanded with the utmost confidence in his Pokemon.

Bisharp shot straight into the air and evaded Fortis' Boomburst, leaving everyone speechless. Keeping her eyes glued to Bisharp, Gray stared as the steel and dark type's arms began to glow black while he fell towards Fortis, no longer enveloped in silver light. Just as Bisharp prepared to swing, an idea popped into Gray's head and she grinned, catching the attention of Owen, Red, and Bellator.

"Grab Bisharp's arms and use Flamethrower!"

Fortis reacted at light speed and grabbed ahold of Bisharp's arms, stopping his attack cold. Smirking, Fortis whipped his head forwards and exhaled dramatically, releasing a wave of blue fire that engulfed the steel type, burning him to a crisp as he rolled along the battlefield in pain. Blade, shocked by the power of the attack just by hearing Bisharp's reaction, narrowed his eyes as a serious look spread across his face.

"Hang in there, Bisharp! Use Swords Dance again!"

While Bisharp's attack skyrocketed, Gray and Fortis exchanged glances and nodded, noticing the pained look on their opponent's face as the ring of red light around his body disappeared. Sensing the battle was nearing its end, Gray punched her fist straight forwards.

"Finish this with Draco Meteor!"

"Use Iron Head one more time, Bisharp!"

Fortis hurriedly unleashed a gigantic ball of orange energy into the air after it had glowed through his stomach, and it began to break apart once it reached its apex. The chunks of energy descended and Bisharp acrobatically evaded each of the deadly attacks. As Fortis dropped to a knee in exhaustion, he stared at Bisharp while the steel type maneuvered his way across the battlefield.

Then, jumping as high as he could while surrounded with silver energy, the bladed Pokemon zipped towards Fortis and they smashed into the ground with such ferocious a cloud of dust shot into the air and covered the entire battlefield. Once the dust settled, Gray ran over to Fortis' side when she saw he was down for the count. Blade, meanwhile, walked forwards with his cane and patted Bisharp on the back thankfully, drawing a nod from the victorious creature.

"Fortis is unable to battle! That means Blade and Bisharp are the winners!" Noah announced as he raised his arms, officially ending the battle.

As soon as Noah did so, Fortis reverted back to his normal form and got back on his feet fairly easily despite being exhausted. Upon standing, Fortis bowed to Bisharp, and the dark type returned the gesture while Blade extended a hand. Gray immediately took it and smiled at the superior trainer.

"Thanks for battling us, Blade. Fortis and I still have a long way to go if we want a chance at becoming Champion," the brunette said, putting a smile on Blade's face.

"You're not as far as you think," he replied, sounding like a sage. "You were really impressive, and a lot stronger than I thought you'd be."

The girl sweat dropped at the compliment before Blade and Bisharp suddenly began walking away and over to Owen and Red, who were camped out by the exit, which led to the street.

"Sorry for such an abrupt departure, but we all really need to get going. It was great seeing you again, Gray, and nice meeting you all!" Red and Owen shouted in unison before disappearing with Blade and Bisharp.

"Speaking of departures," White started, looking at her Pokedex, "our boat leaves in two hours. We need to get going."

 **000**

As she looked out at the port, Gray sighed and shifted her gaze to the water, which was beginning to expand. With each passing second, she was moving further and further away from not only Hoenn, but the experiences she had and friends she made in Will, Pyro, Lily Natalie, Nick, and Blade. Her battle with Rei flashed in her mind, as did the shocking meetings with Tyson, Team Demise, and Team Temporal. Turning away from the land, Gray hung her head. She was leaving everything behind and pushing it the back of her mind.

Unbeknownst to Gray, her return to Unova was surely going to create even more memories for better or worse, as well as new friendships. Two forces were looming and ready to being their plans of taking control of the world, though whether they'd compete or work together was a mystery. Hell was waiting to freeze over.

* * *

 **First, apologies if this wasn't good and felt rushed. I wrote a lot of it during the Nacrene Arc and it got deleted, so it was impossible for me to reignite the spark, but I digress. Fortis is back and more badass than ever, even though he got beaten down by Blade and Bisharp, and I know that may seem unrealistic given his training with Owen, but it was also his first time battling with Gray in a while, so they'll have to get used to each other again before he can turn into a beast. Also, thanks to ShadowDragon9000 for allowing me to use Blade! Make sure to read his story "All Out" because it's amazing, and his main character, Tristan, is awesome! Next chapter will be the start of the Driftveil Arc, where the action that ended in Nimbasa will pick right back up. Also, instead of doing a chapter preview, I'm in the mood to do a second-half preview which will go over the major things set to happen. Hopefully you like it!**

 **1\. Thoughts on Blade? Badass, right?  
** **2\. Are you happy Fortis is back? Are you sad Ferus is gone?  
** **3\. How'd you like the battle? What do you think's up with Bellator?  
4\. Mega Fortis tho?  
5\. Predictions for the highlights below?**

* * *

 **Upcoming Highlights for Pokemon Unova Adventure: A New Generation!**

 _ **\- Bellator Leaves:**_ _ **After his rage boils over, Bellator snaps and is released, making Gray's team significantly weaker! Will Bellator return?  
\- The Hunt for Advena: Flare and Plasma set their sights on Advena and finally meet face-to-face in an all out war, which Gray and the others are sucked into after learning that Advena's family is searching for her. What will become of the mysterious alien?  
\- GrayxNoah?: Noah finally confesses his feelings for Gray, but will they be reciprocated?  
\- Another Release: With her team still crippled by Bellator's absence, Gray is dealt another blow when one of her Pokemon discovers their true passion and asks to be released. Will Gray honor the request?  
\- White's Ascent: Training as hard as ever with Alain, White progresses at an exponential rate, not only as a trainer, but as a person! With her Pokemon reaching new heights of power and catching the eye of a trainer, everything becomes much crazier and more complicated for White. Will she be able to handle everything?  
\- New Faces: Two additions to the team struggle to fit in when they're exiled by the others due to being viewed as replacements of older members. Will either one be able to break through to their teammates?  
**_ _ **\- A Powerhouse Emerges: In the wake of a brutal loss, one of Gray's Pokemon unlocks a power that would have never awoken had Bellator remained! Who is this Pokemon, and what is the power it's unleashing?**_ _ **  
**_

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 55: Bridge Brawl  
Chapter 56: ****Meeting a Diplomat  
** **Chapter 57: A Broken Bond: Bellator Quits!** **  
Chapter 58: The Master Miner** **  
** **Chapter 59:** **Two Roads, Two Powers** **  
** **Chapter 60** **:** **Teacher and Student** **  
** **Chapter 61:** **Sparks Fly! White vs Cheren!** **  
Chapter 62: Face-to-face with Confrontation**


	55. Bridge Brawl

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and three other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle someone else)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey there, people! Last chapter, Fortis returned to Gray's team with Mega Evolution, and battled Blade, from ShadowDragon9000's "All Out" which you must read. Fortis ended up losing, and Bellator wanted to challenge Blade, but both he and Gray refused, which is the start of a rift between Bellator and Gray. The group then headed back to Unova and they'll be at the Driftveil Bridge this chapter, and I must say, the action's picking up right away. Now let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _XD Damn, I've been dealing too much hype to people I knew I'd get caught sooner or later. In all honesty, I was rooting for Blade too, since he's such a beast, and thanks! I wanted to give everyone the reactions I had when I found out he was blind, and highlight hype!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Yep_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Haha, just wait until later. The Driftveil Arc is just the tip of the iceberg for the hype that's coming, and I'm really glad you brought that question up. You'll find out the answer to that within the next two or three chapters, so keep an eye out for it, because it's pretty subtle (I think. I don't remember). Your answer to both number 3's tho XD_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Bellator is getting a bit overconfident, but it's rightfully deserved, considering he's bodied just about everyone he's faced. Then again, he's gotten wrecked by Frogadier and Keith's Hydreigon (before Giga Evolution). Also, two releases will be happening, and one of the three captures (not the two new faces) will also happen. And if you can figure out who her Pokemon are going to be, then you have to be some kind of genius XD_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Oh, I completely forgot to mention I got that from Pokemon Insurgence (a hacked game). You definitely should read "All Out" because you get to see the progression of Blade's badassness. Rough patch would also be an understatement for Gray, but there will be a light at the end that will get her out of it. Can't wait to introduce you to all the issues!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Lol, that's just stuff happening between now and the Opelucid Arc. Wait for the League and Flare/Plasma ones and you'll be so pumped. Unicus definitely won't be released, because she's Gray's starter, but Celsus is a possibility, considering he's going to start getting a lot more screen-time starting in the Mistralton Arc. EXILED! Also, don't worry about anyone dying for now. One of Gray's Pokemon will get the absolute crap kicked out of them, though, to the point where they need to go to the ER_

 **ThisIsSPARTA (guest):** _No. I've said it several times, Bellator won't evolve into a Samurott, even though I'm intrigued by the idea_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Yah, you should refrain from reviewing past midnight XD I like Fortis a bit more than Ferus just because he's stronger. Same character development, if not more so for Ferus, but Fortis is like Ash's Charizard, and Ferus is like Infernape, imo. Jealousy is setting in a bit for Bellator, and he won't go John Cena on anyone. He'll just say some hurtful things to Gray and vice versa_

 **davidtheman23:** _You're right that he wanted to show Blade how strong he was, but he and Gray don't know how to use Synchro, it just happens. There's a chance at him returning way later down the line, but he won't be taking part in the league. That much I know. Greninja's going to find a new rival from Gray's Pokemon, and it's going to be a lot more epic. And Fortis won't get a Synchro, those are just for anyone that doesn't have a Mega, and the new power will be something I've been wanting to introduce for a long time. Like, Fortis was originally supposed to get in Kanto, but he was already so OP I figured I'd lay off XD Also, the name you were looking for was Virtus. Thanks for the awesome review!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 41, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
Furcifer, (f), level 37, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Advena, (f), level 34, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)** **  
**

* * *

Each step they took sounded like a drum. While White led the charge, Gray and Noah yawned in exhaustion. Alain, meanwhile, kept his usual, unenthused look, though he appeared to be well-rested. Snivy, Boldore, and Palpitoad all walked with their trainer, each talking about how great their time in Hoenn was.

 _"I wish I could say the same,"_ Gray thought to herself angrily; a product of no sleep and having to walk hundreds of miles to reach her next Gym Badge. Sighing, she looked up at the sky and then glanced down to Unicus, who was humming a catchy tune while Arcanine scowled at her.

"I still can't believe you missed the tournament," Noah said to Gray, who sweat dropped as she remembered the reason for her absence. "There's no way you actually got sent into the future," he continued.

As soon as he heard Noah's second sentence, Alain's ears perked up and he sped up his walking to converse with the younger trainers.

"Yes I did! There were these two trainers who were working for some organization called Team Demise, and apparently they caught Hoopa! That's how I got sent into the future!"

Unicus nodded at her trainer's words while White, Noah, and their Pokemon rolled their eyes until Alain cleared his throat.

"It's entirely possible. There have been reports of Hoopa disappearing, and it's known for being able to travel to different dimensions and to different time periods. Maybe it's only famous in Kalos," the nineteen year old stated, resulting in a smile from Gray and Unicus while White and Noah were baffled by the information.

The group continued walking, though they remained silent with each step. It was broken, however, when all four trainers spotted the Driftveil Bridge.

"We should only be an hour and half away from Driftveil," White announced. "I think there's a tournament being held there for trainers with four or five badges, but I'm not confident."

Taking that as a cue, Noah pulled out his Pokedex and looked up the potential tournament. His face dropped, however, when he found the answer.

"There's a tournament next month, but I don't know if you want to stay here that long," he told Gray, who shook her head right away. "The winner does receive credit for three badges, though."

Unicus shook her head adamantly along with Gray while Alain eyed the two in confusion, not knowing why they wouldn't want to win the prize. Unicus was able to see the nineteen year old's reaction and she turned to him while still walking.

"We'd rather get the experience of battling the Gym Leaders. Winning the tournament would be awesome, but then we'd have to train on our own to keep pace with everyone else. It's good and bad at the same time."

Alain nodded understandingly and turned away, looking out at the water underneath the bridge. Placing his hand over Charizard's Pokeball, the Kalosian then turned his head and stared at White and Noah, who were chatting away with their Pokemon. He smiled for a brief moment and stopped to turn around.

"Is everything okay?" Snivy asked the older boy as she hopped onto White's shoulder.

Alain nodded slowly, lying. There was something following them.

 **000**

"That guy's got some good instincts," a man muttered while resting on one of his Pokemon, who was flying underneath the bridge, effortlessly shouldering his trainer's weight. "It's a shame we have to kill him."

The creature grunted in agreement, remembering the information its trainer had relayed after some weird, redheaded man had called and put a hit on two teenagers. Instead of second-guessing the request, the man riding on his Pokemon had accepted. Who would be crazy enough to turn down two million bucks?

"Remember, Fearow, we need to be quick with this. Got it?"

The flying type nodded, picking up on the seriousness behind her trainer's voice. With that, the fully evolved Pokemon zipped upwards and as quietly as possible. When she cleared the top of the bridge, Fearow landed gracefully in front of the boy that had nearly spotted her trainer. He was with three others, and she could tell, just by all of the Pokemon with them, that the looming battle was going to be fun.

White, who was at the front of the group with her three team members, took a few steps back while Noah and Arcanine immediately stepped up. Fearow saw the protective looks in each of their eyes, and she squawked fiercely. After doing so, she felt the weight from her trainer being lifted off her back, and the man patted her on the head thankfully before revealing himself to the traveling quartet.

Slowly stepping around his Pokemon, the man kept a scowl and looked at each of the trainers menacingly, catching them all by surprise, except Alain.

"Dominic? What are you doing here?" Gray questioned as the man in his mid-twenties folded his arms over his chest, sneering at the inquiry.

"Doesn't matter," he retorted, drawing a second Pokeball from his belt. "Typhlosion, go!"

As the Johto starter materialized from his Pokeball, Typhlosion let out a mighty roar and then nodded at Fearow. Shifting their gaze back to the quartet of trainers, both Typhlosion and Fearow looked ready to attack.

Seeing the look in their eyes, Alain hurled his only Pokeball and everyone watched as Charizard appeared a few feet in front of him. The winged lizard glared daggers at Typhlosion, remembering the outcome of their previous battle. Typhlosion, on the other hand, grinned and motioned for Charizard to charge, though it fell on deaf ears.

"Gray," Alain called, grabbing the girl's attention. "How about we get some revenge?"

Cracking a grin, the brunette nodded and grabbed a familiar Pokeball from her belt.

"You may have gotten the better of us last time, Dominic, but we're pulling out all the stops!" Gray shouted as the young man waited for her to reveal the Pokemon inside her capsule. "Fortis, I choose you!"

Erupting from the spherical device, Fortis slammed his feet on the ground and stared at Dominic before turning to Gray in confusion. Once the girl pointed at both Fearow and Typhlosion, Fortis saw the aggressive looks in their eyes, prompting him to growl and open his wings. Then, he turned and exchanged nods with Charizard before they roared in unison. As soon as both appeared, Dominic narrowed his eyes and looked over Fortis before catching a glimpse of Alain throwing his right hand over his Mega Bracelet.

"We're not letting you beat us again!" he shouted.

"Agreed! Let's show him what we're capable of, Alain!" Charizard yelled, drawing a nod.

"Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

Charizard stared up into the sky before being engulfed in a blinding light, causing everyone except Dominic and Typhlosion to shield their eyes. Then, the fire type was suddenly encapsulated in a pink sphere of energy, which exploded in a matter of seconds, revealing Charizard, who had transformed into his Mega X variant.

"Let's just get this over with," Fearow muttered.

"If that's what you want! Thunder Punch, let's go!" Alain screamed, throwing his hand forwards.

Charizard nodded and shot forwards as his wings opened wide. As he closed in on Fearow, Charizard let out a roar and loaded his right fist back as it surged with electricity. Dominic, however, scoffed at the attack and rubbed the area underneath his nose with his index finger.

"Typhlosion, intercept it with Eruption! Fearow, use Drill Peck on Charizard!"

Flexing and leaning back, Typhlosion let out an explosive roar that sent a wave of magma towards Charizard, who had to retreat in order to prevent being injured. Fearow then seized her chance to attack and zipped towards Charizard as her beak extended and began glowing white. Then, she spun like a drill and closed in on the fire and dragon type in the blink of an eye.

"Not on our watch! Fortis, catch Fearow and then use Boomburst!"

Much to Dominic's surprise, Fortis shot forwards and stood in front of his teammate, throwing both of his hands forwards. Somehow, he managed to stop Fearow dead in her tracks and then, while she flailed in an attempt to break free, Fortis flapped his wings as hard as he could, launching a crescent of energy at his opponent. Upon impact, the move exploded and hurled Fearow back to Typhlosion's side, making Dominic and his strongest Pokemon shift their attention to Fortis, who stood in front of Gray confidently.

"Dragon Claw, let's go!" Alain yelled, once again hurling his hand forwards.

Charizard shot forwards and his hands were engulfed in neon green energy, which transformed into two sets of claws. As he closed in on Typhlosion, the dragon type roared and his eyes shot wide open, though Dominic wasn't worried in the slightest.

"Don't even bother. Fearow, take care of him with Steel Wing and then use Drill Peck again! Typhlosion, charge at the Flygon and use Flame Wheel!"

Fearow flew in front of her teammate while her wings were glowing silver, and she swung both of them at Charizard's claws, blocking both slashes. Then, Fearow's beak extended while glowing white, and she spun after slamming into Charizard's chest, launching him past Alain and the others, who all turned around except for Gray and Fortis, who focused on Typhlosion as he was engulfed in flames and rolled towards them.

"We'll also use Dragon Claw! Go, Fortis!" the brunette commanded.

Fortis mimicked Charizard's movements and his claws were glowing neon green before he threw them forwards, colliding with Typhlosion. Both Pokemon put forth all of their strength and Typhlosion prevailed, demolishing the dragon type. Despite the power of his opponent's attack, Fortis quickly hopped back onto his feet and grinned at Typhlosion, who didn't appear to be as impressed with Fortis, irking the Hoennian.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower on Fearow!"

"Fearow, use Mirror Move! Typhlosion, Double-Edge!"

"Don't hold anything back, Fortis! Use Hyper Beam on Typhlosion!"

"Gray, we can't keep doing this," Alain whispered to his teammate, catching her by surprise. Despite the her initial reaction, the brunette nodded and turned her attention back to Dominic, who was sneering while both of his Pokemon stared their opponents down.

"So, before I finish both of your Pokemon off, I feel like I should at least let you know why I'm here," Dominic announced egotistically. "It's the least I can do for you," he concluded, sneering as he did so.

"Then spit it out already!" White shouted.

The man laughed at White's comment and wiped a tear from his eye before clearing his throat to speak.

"You see, the guy that hired me said something about one of you being a traitor, and I'd assume that'd be... Alain, is it?" Dominic asked the older teen, who nodded to confirm his name. "Yeah, he said Alain was a traitor or something, and that you, Gray, were a pest and trying to thwart his plans. A couple million dollars later, here I am, chasing down a pair of average trainers. There's another million or two if I bring him your head, Alain."

Offended by the last bit of her enemy's speech, Gray turned to Fortis and nearly made him attack until she remembered the condition he was in. Unicus stepped forwards, though, and came to Alain and her trainer's defense.

"Hey, they are not average trainers! Gray finished in the quarterfinals of the Silver Conference last year, and Alain's almost beaten every Mega Evolution!" she screamed as two Pokeballs opened.

Advena and Bellator, who were able to sense the conflict from inside their capsules, looked at Dominic and the latter scowled after recognizing him from the boat to Hoenn. Typhlosion glanced at Bellator for a second and raised his eyes, impressed by the water type's demeanor. He then began whispering something to his trainer while Gray did the same to Alain.

"Look, you need to get out of here," she stated, catching the Kalosian and his starter by surprise. "It's clearly not safe for you and Charizard, especially if you're traveling with us. You've got to get out of here," Gray concluded.

Alain turned back to Charizard and the two shook their heads as Typhlosion stopped whispering.

"No. We'll stay here and help you bring Flare down," the duo replied, making Noah and White smile while Gray and her Pokemon nodded.

"Typhlosion, take Charizard out with Flamethrower!" the mercenary demanded as soon as Alain - who hopped on his Pokemon's back - and Charizard took to the air.

"Palpitoad, come on out and use Muddy Water to extinguish the fire!" White shouted, hurling a Pokeball.

Once it opened, the water and ground type opened his mouth and stomped, causing a tidal wave of brown water to shoot high into the air and block the intense flames Typhlosion had shot out of his mouth. When the steam cleared, Charizard and Fortis had been healed by Full Restores, enraging Dominic. Typhlosion mirrored his trainer's anger and stepped a few feet forwards, prompting Bellator to do the same without hesitation.

"Make my day," he hissed, glaring daggers at the larger starter, who snarled and dropped to all fours.

"We're done here, Typhlosion. We can't keep doing this if they use Full Restores," Dominic informed his most trusted Pokemon, who nodded and rose to his feet. "Now that you know who I'm aligned with, I won't hold anything back the next time we meet. We're coming after you two, and that Dewott of yours. You can bet your life on it," Dominic vowed as he pointed at the group of teens.

With that, he threw a smoke bomb at the ground and, before he was swallowed by the dark clouds, Typhlosion pointed at Bellator threateningly, bringing a smirk to the Dewott's face. It vanished, however, when Typhlosion disappeared.

Looking around, the group was at a loss for words when Dominic was no longer present and showed no signs of reappearing.

"And just when I thought things were getting less hectic," Unicus muttered, drawing a laugh from White's two Pokemon and Arcanine. "Go figure they replace Alain with an even stronger and crazier guy."

While everyone else continued walking, Bellator stood back for a few seconds and stared at Gray, remembering the words Dominic had just said.

 _"If they're coming after me, then I'm putting everyone in danger. I can't let that happen,"_ he thought to himself before pursuing.

* * *

 **You know how I said Dominic would be a unique rival? Yeah, this is what I meant XD So it turns out Dominic, who bodied Gray and Alain on their way to Hoenn, is the guy Lysandre called at the end of 43, and he replaced Alain, except he's more of a mercenary. Even with Fortis and Charizard, the latter of whom Mega Evolved, the group didn't stand much of a chance against Dominic's wrath. Don't worry, they'll get a rematch with him pretty soon, and it'l be a lot closer. Also, Flare's main targets also include Bellator. Next chapter, Gray's going to get a ton of help from someone that knows all about Clay, and they'll solve the issues Potens has with Unicus and Furcifer. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Dominic working with Flare tho? Are you surprised he beat Charizard and Fortis?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Meeting a Diplomat"**_

 ** _While training for her Gym Battle against Clay, Gray stumbles upon an area perfect for battling; however, Potens starts a fight with Unicus and Furcifer! When an unfamiliar face appears with information about Clay and the ability to unify the feuding trio, they challenge Gray to a battle. Will Gray be able to defeat this new ally?_**

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 57: A Broken Bond: Bellator Quits!** **  
Chapter 58: The Master Miner** **  
** **Chapter 59:** **Two Roads, Two Powers** **  
** **Chapter 60** **:** **Teacher and Student** **  
** **Chapter 61:** **Sparks Fly! White vs Cheren!** **  
Chapter 62: Face-to-face with Confrontation**


	56. Meeting a Diplomat

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, and three other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle someone else)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome back to another chapter of U:ANG, everyone! Last chapter, Dominic had a double battle against Gray and Alain, which he probably would've won had Full Restores not been used. He also revealed that he was working with Flare and that they, along with Bellator, were targets. Then, things ended with Bellator having some dialogue about not wanting to put everyone in danger. This chapter will focus on Gray training for her battle against Clay, as well as the issues Potens has with Unicus and Furcifer (and vice versa) being solved. Now let's get going!  
Also, thank you, everyone for supporting this story! 400 reviews is incredible!**

 **davidtheman23:** _Yes! Yes it is! The way that he's going to be released will be very strange when you first read it happen, but... well, I don't want to give everything away, so I'll expand on that when we get there ;) The main reason Flare's after Bellator is because, if you remember, he went into that weird fox-form/Kyuubi transformation while battling Lysandre, and it has a shit ton of power, which they could use to achieve their goals. They'll eventually target Zekrom and Reshiram though. And you were asking what the name of the third new Pokemon was XD In regards to your question (which isn't weird at all. I like answering these), I do watch YouTube, and it can be anything from h3h3, which is a channel that makes fun of videos, to sports highlights, or anime. Basically anything, really. What do you watch?_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yah, Dominic's a beast. He'll get a pretty cool nickname later... probably XD And the confrontation should've gotten a lot more attention, but I actually wanted it to take a while, because it felt a bit unrealistic to have it solved immediately. However, mister Bellator kind of stole all of the attention, and now that he's heading out, I need to focus on a lot of other things. And thanks! The support means a lot!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lololol, he really is, and the more you get to know about him, the more you'll understand why he's such a beast. However, the next time he battles Alain, it's going to be way closer than the last two times. Gray catching things sounds fun (actually, the way I put it sounds weird XD), and so does a fight, both physical and verbal, between those three. Thanks for the support and compliment!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _It's a great word, but if you review would you mind adding a bit more? Thanks!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 41, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 37, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 34, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)** **  
**

* * *

Gray continued walking along Route 6 with Fortis by her side, Potens flying ahead, and the rest of her Pokemon trailing behind. She smiled while looking at the large group and laughed when she noticed the only ones talking were Unicus and Furcifer. Bellator, Celsus, and Advena simply listened to the two ramble on and on, and then the brunette turned her attention to Potens, who was flying around merrily.

"So Bellator's the strongest, right?" Fortis asked out of the blue, catching Gray by surprise. However, she nodded subtly and made the dragon type laugh to himself. "You know it's not bad to say that, right? It's not like you're saying he's your favorite, and most of the time everyone knows where they stand in terms of strength."

The Kantonian scoffed at Fortis' remark and he shot her a confused look.

"Speak for yourself, big guy. You're the one that refused to admit you were stronger than everyone else back before the Indigo League. Remember that?" Gray asked while poking the Flygon's shoulder, making him grin sheepishly.

"Well, that was different," he started, making Gray laugh before watching Potens swoop down and land a few feet in front of her. "What's up, Potens?" Fortis inquired, prompting the Noibat to speak up.

Before she did, Unicus and Furcifer rolled their eyes and began whispering to each other spitefully, which Bellator, Advena, and Celsus ignored for various reasons.

"Can you believe how much she sucks up to Fortis?" Furcifer asked, which made Unicus shake her head.

"I know, right? It's like she wants to be him!" the ground type replied, sounding like a fool. "I mean, it's-" Unicus was suddenly cut off by Potens flying over to her and Furcifer with an enraged expression plastered on her face.

The two friends looked at one another before scowling at Potens as they stopped walking, and Gray and Fortis turned around in confusion, unaware of what was about to happen.

"You do realize I can hear what you're saying, right?" the Noibat questioned, pointing to the gigantic ears on top of her head. "And if you have such a problem with me, then let's fight! I bet I could take both of you on!" she screamed, pushing both Unicus and Furcifer.

As soon as she did so, Potens was tackled by the Sandslash and Furcifer attempted to slash at her. While bringing her arm down to strike, Furcifer gasped when her momentum was brought to a sudden halt. Once she saw a thin line of blue energy around her limb, Furcifer spun around and glared at Advena, whose eyes and right hand were glowing light blue.

Celsus then ran forwards and knocked Unicus off Potens, causing the ground type to glare at her teammate. The giraffe refused to back down as he helped Potens to her feet, and he began swiping at the ground as if he were ready to charge.

"Guys, stop!" Gray shouted, her blood boiling.

All of the Pokemon immediately stopped and Celsus hung his head in shame while Advena waved to Gray, confusing the brunette.

"Is that not what you do to display remorse for your actions?" she asked while looking at her teammates, who face palmed in response. "I suppose not."

Gray shook her head at the alien's humorous question, suppressing laughter, and she turned to Fortis, who continued glaring at Unicus and Furcifer. The younger Pokemon refused to make eye contact with their superior, knowing that when they did, he'd terrify them.

"Fortis, can you take Bellator, Celsus, and Advena to train? I need to talk to these three," Gray requested, drawing a nod from the Flygon.

"You heard her, guys. Let's go!" Fortis shouted, prompting the three bystanders to take off at full speed in order to keep up with Fortis, who zipped through the air.

After watching the four disappear into the woods, Gray turned back around and scowled at the three Pokemon before her. None of them hung their heads, instead turning their backs to each other and sticking their noses up towards the sky.

"I want _one_ of you to explain what happened. If I hear anyone else even make a sound, I'll make you regret that. Go!" she ordered, prompting Furcifer to speak up.

"Potens decided to try and act like she was as strong as Fortis and accused us of talking badly about her," the ice type explained, tiptoeing onto a lie.

The eighteen year old turned her attention to Potens and waited for the dragon type to apologize, but she didn't.

"Actually, they _were_ badmouthing me! They've been doing it ever since you caught me, and I'm sick of it!" the dragon type snapped, caching Gray off guard while Unicus and Furcifer rolled their eyes. Seeing their reaction, Potens lunged at the two, but was slashed across the face by Unicus, sending her crashing into a tree while Furcifer cheered for her friend.

"Potens!" Gray shouted, running to the dragon type's side. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, helping the wounded Pokemon up to her feet.

Answering with a feral growl, Potens shot straight into the air while her wings were glowing blue, and she flapped them repeatedly, sending several blades of wind at her enemies. The attack struck both targets and threw them several dozen feet back, making Gray scream in a blind fit of rage, which grabbed the attention of not only her Pokemon, but the wild ones in the area.

"I've had it with you!" she shrieked, pointing at the two sides, who hung their heads in shame. "It's been _months_ and you still can't get along! No, you still choose to not get along!"

The three Pokemon mumbled in response, irritating the eighteen year old even more.

"Well, too bad if you don't like each other, because I'm not releasing any of you!" Gray yelled. "So learn to get along!"

Suddenly, the leaves of the tree that Potens had crashed into began rustling and grabbed the attention of the creatures and their trainer. Then, a strange Pokemon hopped down and eyed everyone closely before walking towards them. As it did so, the wild Pokemon was met with an unwelcoming response from Potens, Furcifer, and Unicus, which made the creature smirk. It then put its hands up as a means of communicating peace, which made Gray walk past her friends and over to the wild Pokemon.

"Sorry if I bothered you with my screaming," she said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck as she did so.

The creature waved off the apology and motioned towards its neck and then pointed at Gray's three Pokemon, prompting her to hand over a translator. After putting the device around its neck, the wild Pokemon smiled and began speaking.

"There's no need to worry about bothering me, especially when you still have training to do for that Gym Battle of yours," the odd Pokemon responded, freaking Gray out. "How did I know you were going to challenge the Gym? It's simple, really," the Pokemon continued while Gray pulled out her Pokedex to scan it. "I'm a Mawile."

The girl slowly put her Pokedex back into her backpack.

"Anyhow, hundreds of trainers come through these parts every year to train for that Gym Leader. He specializes in ground types, by the way, so using that Girafarig isn't a good idea," the Mawile informed Gray, who nodded like an idiot. "But that's not your biggest concern, not a chance. Those three are," he stated, pointing at Unicus, Potens, and Furcifer, who glared in response.

"Big words coming from a little guy," Potens shot back, making Mawile laugh.

He then made his way over to the three girls and examined them closely before bringing his hand up to his chin and nodding.

"What are you nodding about?" Unicus interrogated, bringing her claws up as if she were ready to fight the steel and fairy type.

"You're arguing over such juvenile things," he retorted, silencing the Sandslash. "You two are ganging up on her because she did something to one of you," Mawile began, causing both Unicus and Furcifer to tense up. "By your reactions, I'll assume it's you that was the victim," he added, pointing at the Sneasel. "And you just wanted to move on after maturing, but they did something to you. Right?"

Potens remained unfazed by the question, but reluctantly nodded after a few seconds, making Gray gasp while Mawile turned to her and grinned. He then returned his attention to the trio and pointed at Potens.

"Could you please explain what they did to you?"

"Of course. They were happy about Alder beating me into unconsciousness, and Unicus said, and I quote 'Yeah. Maybe now she won't be traveling with us,'" Potens told Mawile, who nodded and then sat down.

"And how does that make you feel?" he asked like a therapist, drawing an enraged facial expression from the Noibat standing a few feet away. However, the intense glare weakened, and she stared at the ground, making Unicus and Furcifer recoil.

"It makes me feel terrible, like I'm not wanted."

Gray brought her hands up to her mouth and stared at the wild Mawile, who had somehow managed to break Potens down. The steel type then turned his attention to Unicus and Furcifer before doing the same to them. The end result, one which Gray would've never imagined, was all three Pokemon sniffling and staring at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with each other.

"Okay. Potens, why don't you tell Unicus why you put hot sauce in her food?"

The dragon type slowly looked up and glanced at her teammate before turning away while taking a deep breath.

"I just wanted to play a little joke and make everyone think I was fun," she muttered.

Before anyone could blink, Unicus and Potens embraced while crying, and Furcifer joined in. Gray fell on her rear end in awe of Mawile's actions, and the steel type made his way over to the brunette with a confident grin.

"Wait for this," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," Potens announced while looking at her teammates, who wiped the tears from their faces. "I should've said that a long time ago."

"No, we should have," Unicus replied while Furcifer nodded in agreement.

"From here on out, we're friends. Deal?" the Sneasel asked as she extended a hand, prompting Unicus to do the same.

Potens, looking at the two, laughed and nodded. With that, the trio began laughing and they turned to Gray with bright smiles, leaving the Kantonian speechless. Mawile then stood up and bowed to all three of the girls before turning his attention to the right. Fortis, Bellator, Advena, and Celsus were walking over to the scene, and they stared at Potens, Unicus, and Furcifer before turning to Gray.

"You guys can go ahead," Gray stated, motioning for the group to return to Driftveil City. "I'll catch up."

Nodding, the seven Pokemon left the area while Gray stood up and smiled at Mawile. Then, she bowed thankfully, and the steel type laughed in response.

"I really can't thank you enough, Mawile. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" the young woman inquired, putting a grin on the steel type's face while he nodded.

"I want to help you take on that Gym Leader and win the Unova League!" he exclaimed, taking Gray back. "I know it's sudden and all, but I've never met a trainer that's actually been willing to talk instead of battle, and you seem to really care about your other Pokemon."

Gray stumbled backwards in response but Mawile grabbed her hand and helped the brunette regain her balance. Then, eyeing the intelligent and kind Pokemon, she laughed and grabbed a Poke Ball from her backpack and enlarged it.

"Wait, let me give a nickname first," Gray stated, drawing a nod from Mawile as she skimmed through her book and beamed upon finding the perfect name. "How about Dicax? It means witty, which you are," the brunette concluded.

"Sounds good to me!" Dicax replied, embracing his new moniker.

Tossing the spherical device at the Hoenn Pokemon, Gray watched as Mawile was sucked inside.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

Gray sprinted over to the capsule and held it up to her face. She had captured a new Pokemon, but another was going to leave.

* * *

 **Yuss to everything except that last line. Gray caught her seventh Unova Pokemon (which makes her team total eight), who's quite the intelligent fellow. Dicax, a Mawile, will provide her team with a major tank due to his being dual steel/fairy, and I know Mawile aren't built like tanks, but screw the rules! Dicax also helped solve the issues with Potens, Unicus, and Furcifer. Next chapter will be the one everyone's been dreading, and let's leave it at that. Also, Gray vs Hugh will be up later tonight or tomorrow. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Dicax?  
2\. Do you like that Unicus and Furcifer are friends with Potens?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "**_ ** _A Broken Bond: Bellator Quits!_** _ **"**_

 _ **Hugh arrives and challenges Gray to a full battle, which the latter accepts. With both sides giving everything they have and showing off all their tricks, it all comes down to Bellator and Greninja. Will Gray and her Pokemon be able to overcome their ever-growing rift and defeat their rivals?**_

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 58: The Master Miner** **  
** **Chapter 59:** **Two Roads, Two Powers** **  
** **Chapter 60** **:** **Teacher and Student** **  
** **Chapter 61:** **Sparks Fly! White vs Cheren!** **  
Chapter 62: Face-to-face with Confrontation** **  
**


	57. A Broken Bond: Bellator Quits!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Heyo. Last chapter, Gray met a Mawile that knew everything about Clay due to the amount of challengers that he had beaten, and he offered to help her train. While training, Potens got into a fight with Unicus and Furcifer, and that was addressed. There's still some tension, but they're becoming civil. Afterwards, Gray decided to catch Mawile and nicknamed him Dicax, which means smart. This chapter will be a battle against Hugh, and hopefully Gray can win. Also, Fortis will no longer be listed due to Gray having seven other Pokemon. Now let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Dicax is a fricking genius! The only thing is that he'll try to solve all problems with logic, and it's going to piss some people off so there'll be some mini fights stemming as a product of that. And the rift between Potens and the others will be gone for the most part, but they'll still be prone to arguing with each other. Thanks, and RIP you :(_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _There will be more conflict, just not for a little while. As soon as the other two captures enter, that's when shit's going to hit the fan for Gray's team XD And GrayxNoah isn't this arc, nor is most of the stuff that was listed in the upcoming highlights. All of it is happening between now and the Icirrus/Opelucid Arc. Bellator's departure will also be explained a bit at the end of this chapter, but I'll go more in-depth later_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yeah, Dicax has the most unique personality of the bunch, but he won't be the best battler. Still, he'll help everyone out and I doubt he'll be able to cushion the blow of Bellator's departure_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _He'll come back for an arc, but that's not a certainty at this point. He's kind of just going to disappear :/ Friendship for the world!_

 **davidtheman23:** _I have no idea what I'm going to do after these, tbh. I'll be in college by the time these are done, so I don't know if I'll have the time or desire to keep writing. And if you want to know both teams, just PM me and I'll send 'em to ya_

 **SPARTAcrobat:** _No, they're latin names. They have absolutely no correlation with english meanings, for the most part. Dicax is an interesting guy, and he won't get Mega Evolution_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Haha, yes we are XD Even though I don't keep track of the competitive scene, I've heard that Mega Mawile is insane. Dicax won't be getting a Mega though, since there's some evolution that'll happen to one of Gray's other members. And I'm not actually trolling this time, as sad as that is. He is leaving, since he wasn't originally supposed to be on the team, and everyone else needs to get more attention :/_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 37, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 39, Ice Punch, Revenge, Water Gun, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet*, Water Pulse* - (Dewott)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 37, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 34, Razor Wind, Gust, Bite, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 33, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 34, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 33, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)** **  
**

* * *

"Come on! Pick up the pace!" Alain shouted as Charizard sweat dropped at the vicious tone behind his yelling. "Do you want to be strong!?" the Kalosian continued, slamming his foot on the ground.

White, Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore were shaking in their places while Gray and Noah watched the training session from afar, the latter being more focused while his female counterpart was busy making sure Dicax was getting along with the others.

"So, how exactly did you convince Professor Juniper to let you carry eight Pokemon with you?" Noah inquired as he kept his eye on White and Alain with Arcanine right by his side.

Gray turned and smiled cheekily before glancing back to her Pokemon, who were all talking and getting along, which was nothing short of surprising. What took her back even more was the fact that Potens, Unicus, and Furcifer were sitting next to each other and laughing.

"Let's just say I told her I was almost killed and needed more protection," Gray said, winking.

Noah and Arcanine exchanged dumbfounded looks as the brunette continued winking, but she stopped once she realized the reactions weren't going to change.

"That's exactly what's happened," Arcanine muttered, making Gray face palm while shaking her head at herself.

"GO!" Alain screamed, making the eighteen year olds' necks snap towards the battlefield, where they saw all three of White's Pokemon collapse in exhaustion. "Come on! Keep pushing yourself!"

Rising to her feet to interject, Gray stopped she felt a hand fall on her shoulder, which turned out to be Noah's.

"Hold on. I can take care of this," he proclaimed valiantly, making Arcanine gag along with Celsus, Unicus, and Potens, who had overheard the comment. "Hey, Alain!" Noah called as he walked onto the battlefield nonchalantly.

"Get off my battlefield or I'll stomp you," Alain hissed threateningly, making Noah's face scrunch up in fear.

Turning on his heel, the Kantonian forced a fake laugh while waving back at Alain as if he had just been joking with an old friend, and when he passed Gray, he whispered,

"Yeah, that didn't work."

Upon hearing that, Fortis stood up and excused himself from the conversation he had been having with Gray's younger Pokemon, and he made his way over to Charizard while Gray walked up to Alain.

"Hey, guys, you need to calm down," Fortis announced confidently, drawing a nod from Charizard while Alain scowled in response. "White's just a rookie. You need to take things easy on her."

Alain folded his arms over his chest and sighed, nodding reluctantly.

"White, we're done for today," the nineteen year old stated, drawing cheers from the aforementioned girl and her Pokemon. "But we're getting up at five tomorrow to make up for lost work."

The foursome deflated and fell on the ground in despair, drawing a pair of laughs from Charizard and Fortis while Gray shook her head at the sixteen year old on the other end of the battlefield.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen her like that. I doubt anything could make her stand up," Gray said to Alain, who shrugged, not caring about the condition White was in. "Well, thanks for helping with that, Fortis," the Kantonian said, bowing to the powerhouse of her first journey, prompting him to do the same.

As Fortis did, Gray saw two figures appear out of the corner of her eye and she turned instinctively. While her Pokemon did the same, he was lost when Gray smiled and walked over to the unfamiliar duo and hugged the spiky-haired boy. Both Noah and Alain saw the interaction between Gray and the trainer, and the former made his way over along with Arcanine and Gray's other Pokemon.

"Hugh, long time no see... kind of," Noah greeted as he extended his hand and smiled at Gray's rival.

"Haha, yeah. I guess you could say it's kind of been a while," the Unovan replied as he shook Noah's hand. "It's nice to see you guys again. Hey, where's White?"

Upon hearing her name, the girl lifted her head off the ground. Once she laid her eyes on the person that had asked for her, White's eyes shot wide open and she bolted over to Hugh, knocking Noah onto his face in order to hug her friend's rival, which made Alain and Charizard laugh.

"Hugh!" White shrieked as she pulled away and beamed. "How have you been since..." White paused and glanced at Greninja, remembering how the water starter had undergone the same transformation Bellator had. "Nimbasa?"

The teen shrugged and placed a hand on Greninja's head, which seemed to bother the water and dark type. Noticing the annoyed look on the frog's face, Hugh took his hand off Greninja's head sheepishly. The annoyed look disappeared immediately, and everyone - including Charizard and Alain - watched as Greninja walked forwards and stopped once he was a few feet away from Bellator. Both water starters bowed to each other respectfully and then turned to their trainers, who knew exactly what was being asked of them.

"Already? Come on, Greninja, we just started talking," Hugh retorted before noticing Dicax, who stood off with Celsus and spoke. "Hey, when did you catch a Mawile?"

Gray turned and smiled when she locked eyes with Dicax, and then motioned for the steel type to meet Hugh, which he did without hesitation.

"Just yesterday, actually. His name's Dicax. Dicax, this is Hugh," Gray stated, pointing at the blue haired trainer. "He's one of my rivals, and a really strong trainer."

Dicax nodded and shook Hugh's hand before walking away, making the Unovan laugh. Then, turning back to his rival, Hugh smirked anxiously.

"So, how about we battle? Greninja's been dying for a rematch with Bellator."

As if on cue, Greninja pumped his fist in the air, while Bellator shook his head and grinned, almost as if he were trying to tell his rival that there was no chance he'd win for a second time.

"Sure! What should the rules be?"

Hugh rubbed his chin and looked up at the sky, pondering the question while all of Gray's Pokemon looked at each other, waiting to see who would be chosen for the battle. They stopped, however, when Fortis' wings shot open, making everyone scream.

"Sorry," he muttered sheepishly. "Why not have a full battle? It could help you train for your Gym Battle, and then you both can see how you stack up against each other."

Gray nodded while Hugh stared at Fortis, his jaw on the ground. Slowly, picking his jaw up, Hugh glanced at Gray and then back at Fortis, who smiled and bowed.

"Since when did you have a Flygon?"

 **000**

Fortis, Advena, White, her Pokemon, Noah, Arcanine, Alain, and Charizard stood along the side of the battlefield and watched Gray and Hugh step into their trainer boxes, Gray with the majority of her team and Hugh with Greninja. Seeing the empty referee area, Charizard flew for a split-second and landed inside the box.

"This will be a full battle between Hugh and Gray, where both trainers may substitute their Pokemon freely! The battle will be over when all six on either side are unable to continue! Choose your first Pokemon!"

"Lampent, let's go!" Hugh shouted, chucking his first Pokeball.

"Potens, I choose you!" Gray yelled, pointing straight ahead.

While Hugh's first combatant materialized from her capsule, Potens landed on the battlefield and screeched, making everyone cry in pain while covering their ears. Once she stopped, Potens locked eyes with the fire and ghost type that was serving as her opponent, grinning as she did so. Hugh chuckled to himself while looking over his opponent and Gray, the latter of whom shot him a puzzled look.

"It's about time you two got on the same page," he remarked, drawing laughter from Gray and Potens until Charizard interrupted.

"This battle will be between Lampent and Potens, and Hugh has the first move! Begin!"

"Setting the tone of battle is key! Lampent, Confuse Ray!"

Lampent spun for a few seconds and then fired several rings of orange energy at Potens, who scoffed at the lazy move and flew straight up to dodge. When she did, she saw another wave of rings headed right towards her, and she was taken back for a moment until Gray spoke up.

"Slice through that with Air Cutter!" the brunette commanded.

Potens obeyed and her wings began to glow light blue before she threw them forwards. Several crescents of energy were launched and cut through the Confuse Ray attack before slamming into Lampent and exploding on contact, hurling the ghost type several feet back.

"Wow, I didn't think she'd actually listen," Hugh muttered to himself loud enough for Greninja to hear. "Use Flame Burst repeatedly, Lampent!" he ordered as the fire type floated off the ground and nodded in response.

Then, she fired several blasts of fire from her mouth, which struck the ground in front of Potens, who had landed a few seconds prior.

"Take to the air and use Agility, Potens! Then follow that up with Bite!"

The dragon type shot into the air and evaded all of the fire type attacks, causing Hugh to bite his lip in concern. Then, Potens began appearing in several different areas across the battlefield, causing a ring of blue energy to spin around her body. As that happened, she descended and opened her mouth wide, ready to chomp down on Lampent, whose eyes went wide.

"Nice try, Gray, but we're not letting that happen! Will-O-Wisp!"

A purple flame appeared in front of Lampent and hit Potens, taking the Noibat out of the air as she cried in pain.

"Potens!" the Gray shouted in concern as she watched her Pokemon grimace and land rather harshly, putting a grin on Hugh's face. "Finish this off quickly, Potens, just like I know you can!"

Hearing the words of encouragement from her trainer, Potens nodded and shot into the air gracefully, ignoring the burning sensation on her right wing, which took Hugh by surprise.

"Awesome! Wing Attack!"

Taking off at light speed, Potens' wings began glowing white and she slammed into her ghost type opponent as hard as she could, knocking Lampent into the ground despite Potens' attack stat being lowered drastically by her burn. After landing in front of Gray once again, Potens grimaced and hunched over, making the eighteen year old behind her bite her lower lip.

"Hang in there, Lampent! Retaliate with Hex!"

"Finish this with Bite!"

Before Lampent could get off the ground, Potens swooped down and bit her as hard as she could, causing the fire type to shriek in pain before going unconscious, shaking Hugh's confidence while Gray let out a deep sigh of relief. Then, when Potens flew over to her, the girl rubbed her head and smiled, though neither of them realized Fortis smiling from afar.

"Lampent is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!" Charizard ordered, pointing at the spiky haired trainer.

"Come back for a rest, Potens," Gray called, prompting the Noibat to return to her side, where she was met with applause. "Dicax, I choose you!" the Kantonian continued, pointing straight ahead.

The newest member to the team trotted out onto the battlefield and nodded at his friends before shifting his attention back to Hugh and Greninja, the latter of whom folded his arms while his trainer pulled out a Pokeball and withdrew Lampent.

"Great work out there, girl. Thanks a ton," Hugh whispered, grabbing a second capsule with his left hand. "Let's go, Conkeldurr!"

Upon materializing from the hi-tech device, Conkeldurr let out a ferocious roar and slammed the concrete pillars in his hands against the ground so hard it rivaled the strength of an earthquake, causing Gray and her Pokemon to lose their balance.

"This battle will be between Conkeldurr and Dicax! Begin!"

"Conkeldurr, boost your power with Bulk Up!"

Nodding, Conkeldurr picked up both pillars of concrete and slammed them together like a pair of drumsticks, raising both his offense and defense, which made Gray smirk along with Dicax, who knew exactly what his trainer was thinking.

"That's not going to help you, Hugh! Dicax, Flash Cannon!"

Opening his mouth, Dicax charged an immense amount of silver energy before unleashing it, sending a ray of the same colored light towards his jacked opponent. As the attack closed in on the fighting type, Dicax began to pump his fist in the air, but he stopped when Hugh's voice rang in his ears.

"Block it!" the teen countered abruptly, throwing his right arm out to his side. "Then use Bulk Up again!"

Conkeldurr slammed both of the concrete pillars into the ground and used them as a shield while he flexed again, boosting his attack and defense stats even higher than before, causing Gray to bite her lower lip nervously. Dicax, too, appeared to be worried, but he refused to show any signs of weakness, and instead turned back to his trainer and nodded.

"Damn! Get in close and use Vice Grip!"

Dicax, despite lacking speed, charged at Conkeldurr and jumped over the massive Pokemon's weapons. Then, spinning around so that his fearsome jaws were facing his opponent, Dicax grunted and made them chomp down on Conkeldurr's right arm in hopes of injuring it so that the fighting type could no longer wield both pillars at once.

"Heh." Hugh laughed under his breath at the unsuccessful attack, as Conkeldurr didn't seem to be fazed by the fact that the Mawile he was battling had chomped down on his arm. "Dynamic Punch!"

Terrified by the command, Dicax and Gray had no time to react. The fully evolved fighting type then loaded his left arm back while his fist began to glow crimson, and he punched Dicax as hard as he could, sending the steel type spiraling through the air before he crashed into the ground with a loud thud. All of his team members flinched at the sound of the violent impact and turned away for a second while their trainer cursed under her breath.

"Dicax, are you okay!?" the brunette screamed worriedly as her barely conscious Pokemon tried to stand, only to fall on his face.

"End this with Rock Slide!" Hugh commanded.

Cracking his knuckles with a smirk, Conkeldurr slammed both of his hands against the ground as hard as he could, causing a sudden hail storm of rocks to crash down upon the struggling Mawile, who let out a pained scream before going unconscious.

"Dicax is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Charizard shouted, pointing at the girl he and his trainer were traveling with.

"Great work, Dicax. We'll get some revenge next time around," Gray vowed before turning to the other Pokemon and smiling. Then, after a few seconds, she nodded at one in particular, and it whinnied in response. "Celsus, I choose you!"

The quadruped galloped his way onto the battlefield and glared at Conkeldurr, who chuckled and punched one fist into the other in an attempt to shake his opponent's nerves. Despite his stature, the fighting type was unable to rattle Celsus, who lowered his head and swiped at the ground, ready to crush his mighty foe.

"This battle will be between Conkeldurr and Celsus! Begin!"

"Start by using Psybeam, Celsus!"

"Block it!"

As soon as Celsus reared his head back and fired a multi-colored beam of psychic energy at his target, the fighting type threw both of his concrete pillars down against the ground so that they acted as a shield, blocking the super effective attack completely. Despite its success, Gray grinned and rubbed her index finger under the bottom of her nose confidently.

"I thought you'd say that," Gray told Hugh, who gasped in shock when he saw Celsus leap over Conkeldurr's concrete pillars while his head was glowing light blue. Everyone else was just as shocked by Gray's cunning move, and she threw her hand forwards. "Zen Headbutt!"

Celsus let out a powerful cry before slamming his head against the bulky fighting type's, causing Conkeldurr to stumble backwards in pain, rubbing his aching head as he did so. He recovered very quickly, though, causing Gray to curse under her breath along with a few of her other Pokemon, namely Unicus and Potens.

"Fight back by using Chip Away!" Hugh demanded, drawing a nod from his powerful Pokemon.

While Celsus retreated, Conkeldurr shot forward like a gorilla, making Gray gasp in shock, and then he took the pillar to his right and swung it at the giraffe's side with a loud grunt. Despite being caught off guard by the sudden attack, both Celsus and Gray were able to counter after nodding at each other.

"Dodge by using Agility and then use Stomp!"

The Johto Pokemon vanished in the blink of an eye, causing Conkeldurr to trip due to his violent momentum. Falling on his face, Conkeldurr was unable to get up in time while Celsus, who was a few feet above him, crashed down and slammed his hooves against the fighting type's back, making him roar in pain.

"Shoot." Hugh spat. "Put your boosted strength to the test and use Brick Break!"

Rising to his feet with the help of his weapon, Conkeldurr jumped after Celsus, who was sprinting around the battlefield, and he smashed his glowing white hand against the psychic type's forehead, throwing Celsus ten feet backwards. As he tumbled around in pain, Celsus' eyes shot open when he heard Gray speak up, giving him a sudden jolt of energy.

"Celsus, let another Psybeam rip!"

Somehow, the yellow and brown Pokemon managed to plant his feet, stand, and fire a multi-colored beam of psychic energy from his antennae in one fluid motion, making Hugh gasp in shock while Greninja nodded out of respect for what his opponent had just pulled off. Conkeldurr, however, had a different reaction after being knocked onto his back. Pushing himself up with assistance from his incredible muscles, Conkeldurr pointed at Celsus threateningly and turned back to Hugh, who nodded.

"Hang in there and use Rock Slide to slow him down!"

"Wrap this up with Confusion!"

As Conkeldurr attempted to slam his fists on the ground, Celsus' eyes flashed light red and he fired a red beam of energy at the massive fighting type. Due to the speed of the attack, the fully evolved Pokemon was hit and let out a weak cry before collapsing with his eyes shut, eliciting cheers from Gray's Pokemon - excluding Bellator, obviously - as well as White and her Pokemon.

"Conkeldurr is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Nice work, Conkeldurr. That was just a tough opponent, and we'll make sure to beat them next time," Hugh vowed while grabbing a different Pokeball from his belt. "Liepard, let's go!"

When the spherical device cracked open, Gray eyed the four legged creature standing before her rival, and it hissed at Celsus, who grinned in response, whinnying shortly afterwards.

"Do you think you can go another round, buddy?" Gray asked the giraffe to her right, who nodded without hesitation while stepping forwards.

As he did, Alain shook his head, drawing the attention of Noah, White, and their Pokemon.

"That's stupid. Celsus doesn't stand a chance," he stated bluntly, receiving dirty looks from White and Snivy while Palpitoad and Boldore looked back at the battlefield and nodded in agreement.

"This battle will be between Liepard and Celsus! Begin!"

"Liepard, strike with Fake Out!"

In a matter of nanoseconds, Liepard threw her paws forwards and two waves of energy slammed into Celsus, causing the psychic type to stumble around for a few seconds before shaking his head in an attempt to regain his balance. When he did, the creature native to Johto swiped at the ground and locked his eyes onto the dark type standing before him.

"Hang in there, Celsus! Get in close and use Stomp!"

"Not on our watch! Night Slash!"

While Celsus charged across the battlefield and leaped at Liepard, the dark type threw her front right paw forwards, sending a black crescent of energy at the psychic type. After striking her opponent, Liepard gasped in shock when Celsus powered through the pain and slammed his front two hooves against her back, causing the leopard's legs to give out.

"Keep up the pressure and use Assurance!" Gray yelled to her Pokemon as he hopped off Liepard's back.

Spinning so that his tail was pointed at the dark type, Celsus grunted as he shot a blast of black energy, though that didn't surprise Hugh or his Pokemon.

"Dodge and counter with Shadow Claw!" Hugh retorted, stomping as he did so.

Springing over the attack headed her way, Liepard then bounded across the battlefield while her front left paw was enveloped in purple light. Three large claws then shot out and she slashed the Long Neck Pokemon across the face, sending him tumbling back to Gray's side.

"Stomp!"

"Spin and use Iron Tail!"

Before Celsus could get off the ground, he looked up and watched in fear as Liepard, who was spinning like a wheel while her tail was glowing silver, crashed towards him. Smashing her tail over the psychic type's head, Liepard let out a grunt and jumped back to Hugh's side of the battlefield.

"Celsus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Charizard demanded after seeing Celsus' eyes were closed.

"Liepard, return," Hugh said, zapping the dark type back into its Pokeball. "Fraxure, let's do this!"

Exploding from his Pokeball, Fraxure, who had evolved from Axew, slammed against the ground and roared, causing Gray and White to marvel at the sight, remembering how tiny and cute the dragon type had been the last time they saw him.

"Great work, Celsus. Take a nice rest," Gray told the giraffe, who nodded and hobbled over to his teammates, who cheered for him before turning back to Gray, waiting to see who she'd send out next. "Furcifer, I choose you!"

The ice type nodded and jumped onto the battlefield, swiping at the air aggressively as she locked eyes with her opponent.

"This battle will be between Fraxure and Furcifer! Begin!"

"Fraxure, pump yourself up by using Dragon Dance!" Hugh commanded, not wasting a second to initiate the battle.

Stomping with both feet, Fraxure roared and was shrouded in crimson light, which spiraled around his body for a few seconds before disappearing. Shortly afterwards, the dragon type punched his right fist against the ground, cracking it, which made Furcifer grin eagerly.

"If you're boosting your stats, we'll do the same! Furcifer, Agility into Quick Attack!" the brunette shouted.

"Meet Furcifer in the center with Slash!"

After appearing all over the battlefield, Furcifer took off at full speed, a streak of white light trailing her with each step she took. Fraxure, meanwhile, bolted and lowered his head while the claws on his right hand extended and began glowing white. The two met and before Fraxure could swing his arm forwards, he was checked by his opponent, prompting Gray to issue another command.

"Now blast 'em with Icy Wind!"

The Johto Pokemon opened her mouth and released a chilling blast of wind that caused frost to appear on Fraxure's body, making the dragon type shudder while Hugh cursed under his breath, shocked by the surprising power of the super effective attack.

"Hang tough and answer back with Dragon Claw!"

Shooting himself into the sky like a rocket, Fraxure roared as neon green claws appeared around his hands. Then, when he landed, the dragon type swung both of his arms and slashed the Sneasel across her chest, launching Furcifer several feet past Gray and the other Pokemon by her, making them all turn around and eye their teammate worriedly. They were relieved, however, when the dark type rose to her feet and snickered.

"That's the way to stay strong! Take the power of your teammates with Beat Up!" Gray ordered.

Throwing her arms behind herself, Furcifer grunted loudly as black energy appeared around her and her teammates, all of whom were caught by surprise. Then, six bullets were fired at Fraxure, though Hugh kept his composure and threw his open left hand forwards.

"Destroy it with Dragon Rage, Fraxure!" he countered with a grin.

Fraxure obeyed and fired an enormous ball of orange and red flames from his mouth, which engulfed the six bullets of black energy and exploded shortly afterwards. With smoke covering the middle of the battlefield, Gray smirked and cracked her knuckles, eager to take advantage of the conditions.

"Perfect! Leap through the smoke and use Feint Attack!"

Springing forwards with a mischievous smirk, Furcifer disappeared inside the cloud of thick, black smoke. Much to Gray's horror, Hugh had anticipated such a move and countered right away, showing no signs of backing down. Fraxure, sharing the same mentality as his trainer, charged at Furcifer as soon as she landed on the ground, catching the ice type off guard.

"Use Dragon Claw again!"

In the blink of an eye, the dragon type slashed Furcifer across the face with his neon green claws and sent her tumbling backwards. After coming to a halt, the Sneasel's eyes were closed, prompting Charizard to raise his arms.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" the winged lizard yelled, pointing at the brunette as she picked Furcifer up off the ground and smiled at her.

"You did your best, and that's all I can ask for, Furcifer. Thank you," Gray commended, patting the ice type on the head as she walked back to her teammates, who met her with a wave of support. "Unicus, do you think you can go out there?" the Kantonian asked, interrupting the applause while eyeing her starter, who nodded vigorously as she stepped forward, snapping her claws while staring down Fraxure.

"This battle will be between Fraxure and Unicus! Begin!"

"Fraxure, power up with Dragon Dance again!"

For a second time, Fraxure stomped with both feet and roared as he was shrouded in crimson light, which spiraled around his body for a few seconds before disappearing. Shortly afterwards, the dragon type took off towards Unicus, who narrowed her eyes and began snapping her claws eagerly.

"That's not going to scare us! Unicus, Magnitude!" Gray countered.

Unicus obeyed and slammed both of her claws into the ground as hard as she could, sending a wave of energy along the battlefield. After it slammed into Fraxure, the bipedal creature was sent flying past Hugh and Greninja, both of whom turned around in shock. Hugh then let out a sigh of relief when he watched Fraxure stand and walk back onto the battlefield as a ring of blue light spun around his body, signaling that his speed had been lowered.

"We can slow you down too! Scary Face!" the spiky haired teen demanded.

"Hide with Dig!"

Just as Fraxure sent a terrifying look Unicus' way, the ground type burrowed underneath the area she had been standing on, evading the move. Hugh cursed under his breath after the opposing Sandslash resurfaced and uppercut Fraxure, knocking him onto his back.

"Damn! Stand tall and use Assurance, Fraxure!"

In the blink of an eye, the second stage dragon was on his feet and roared, throwing his arms forwards. A blast of black energy slammed into the ground type and sent Unicus rolling into Gray, who helped her up shortly afterwards. The two then looked across the field and eyed Hugh, who was grinning along with Fraxure. Their grins vanished, however, when the brunette threw her right hand forwards and issued a command.

"Answer right back with Gyro Ball!"

Roaring as she began to spin like a drill, Unicus was enveloped in silver energy as she zipped through the air. Slamming into Fraxure without reluctance, Unicus let out another roar as the ground cracked underneath the force of her attack while Fraxure shrieked in pain. Upon returning to her trainer's side, Unicus saw that her opponent's eyes were closed, and she grinned while her teammates cheered.

"Fraxure is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Great work as always, Fraxure. Liepard let's do this!"

Springing out of her Pokeball, Liepard hissed as soon as she saw Unicus, hoping to intimidate the shrew. Much to her surprise, Liepard didn't see Unicus tremble in the slightest, instead feeding off the hostility. Charizard, meanwhile, paid no attention to the actions of either side and raised his arms.

"This battle will be between Liepard and Unicus! Begin!"

"Unicus, strike fast and hard! Gyro Ball!"

Taking off as quickly as her trainer spoke, Unicus spun like a drill as she was encapsulated in silver light, and she let out a battle cry while closing in on Liepard, who narrowed her eyes and grinned in response along with Hugh, who threw his fist forwards.

"Spike her with Iron Tail!" the Unovan shouted aggressively.

Gray gasped in shock as Liepard sprung into the air with her tail glowing silver, and she spun like a wheel before slamming it over Unicus' head, causing her to hit the ground. Due to the force of impact, the ground cracked slightly and Unicus shrieked in pain, making everyone except Alain and Bellator flinch slightly before Gray issued a counterattack.

"Jump up and fire away with Swift!" she commanded.

"Send them right back with Shadow Claw, Liepard!" Hugh countered right afterwards.

As Unicus pushed herself off the ground and slashed at the air wildly, several golden stars flew towards her dark type opponent. The quadruped hissed in response while an arm of black and purple energy appeared with massive claws, and Liepard swung it with reckless abandon, blowing all of the stars back towards Unicus. While being pelted by her own attack, the ground type grunted repeatedly, being pushed back by each one that hit her. Gray continued watching in concern and bit her lower lip until the assault ended, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Hang in there a little longer, Unicus! Use Magnitude to slow Liepard down!"

Slamming her claws into the battlefield as hard as she could, Unicus smirked as a wave of energy flew along the ground and closed in on her opponent in a matter of nanoseconds. Much to Unicus' dismay, Hugh and his Pokemon were more than capable of countering the lightning-quick attack.

"Jump to avoid it and use Night Slash!" Hugh shouted.

Liepard did as she was told and hurdled the ground type attack before bounding across the battlefield. Once she reached the center, she jumped and swung her tail as it was surging with black energy, sending a crescent of purple energy at Unicus. Too tired to move, the Sandslash was clobbered by Night Slash, and she landed on her back with her eyes closed.

"Unicus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Charizard shouted as Gray ran over to her starter's side and knelt, placing a hand on Unicus' head.

"Thanks so much for the effort, Unicus. You were amazing," Gray whispered, helping the injured Pokemon over to her teammates after spraying her with a Full Restore. "We're going to win this, don't worry," she reassured the ground type, who turned to Bellator and Potens.

The two strongest members of the team nodded reassuringly, bringing a smile to Unicus' face as she nodded, lifting Gray's spirits.

Turning around so that she could look Hugh in the eyes, Gray smiled and pointed at her rival, who waited in silence.

"I have to hand it to you, your Pokemon are all top-notch," the Kantonian commended, drawing a smile from Hugh as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He stopped, however, when Gray continued speaking. "But that's not going to stop us from winning! Potens, I choose you!"

Flying forwards and landing gracefully, Potens locked eyes with Liepard and glared daggers at her, causing the dark type to tremble, as she remembered her previous battle with Potens, which only ended in the dragon type's defeat because she had refused to listen to Gray.

"This battle will be between Liepard and Potens! Begin!"

"Potens, attack from a distance with Gust!" the brunette shouted while pointing at her opponent's Pokemon.

Obeying her command with glee, Potens flapped her wings as they were glowing white, and a gale force wind was created. Picking up the pace, Potens mustered up all of her energy and screeched, unleashing the most powerful Gust attack she could, which cut up Liepard's body and made her cry in pain before leaning heavily to her right.

"Jump out of the way and use Slash!" Hugh commanded, having to think fast on his feet in order to keep the leopard from capsizing.

Liepard's eyes shot wide open and she sprinted to her left, escaping the wicked winds. Then, as her claws extended and began glowing white, the dark type hissed wildly and jumped up to land a devastating blow to her winged opponent. Gray, however, wasn't going to let that happen, and she threw her arm out to her side before speaking up.

"Bite Liepard's arm and throw her into the ground!"

Potens smirked devilishly and descended at a much faster speed than anticipated, allowing her to chomp down on Liepard's arm, stopping the quadruped's Slash attack dead in its tracks. Then, with the strength of a thousand Rhydon, Potens flung Liepard into the ground, dealing significant damage to the already fatigued dark type. Hugh, who had watched in horror, was at a loss for words until Greninja slapped him on the shoulder.

"Stand up, please!" the kindhearted trainer cried out to his ailing Pokemon, who whimpered in pain as she attempted to put weight on her legs, only for them to give out.

"Keep up the assault! Air Cutter!"

"Block it with Night Slash!" Hugh screamed as soon as he heard Gray speak.

With her wings glowing light blue, Potens threw them towards Liepard, while the dark type rose and swung her tail - which was engulfed in black energy - towards the tiny bat. The crescents collided and caused an immediate explosion, which had such a powerful burst of force it nearly knocked everyone over. Once she uncovered her eyes, Gray gasped at the gigantic cloud of smoke in the middle of the battlefield before grinning and nodding at Potens, who seemed to pick up on her trainer's cue.

 _"Perfect! Let's end this right here!"_

The brunette's three traveling companions looked on in confusion, unaware of her intentions until Potens disappeared into the smoke, which was when Gray finally issued a command.

"Potens, use that to your advantage and strike with Wing Attack at max power!"

Unable to see what was going on, everyone waited in silence until a bright light crept through the thick cloud. When it did pierce the smoke, the light granted everyone in the area the gift of sight, though it wasn't much of a gift for Hugh. Liepard was down for the count but, Potens, on the other hand, flew back to Gray and embraced her, eliciting laughter from the Kantonian while Hugh turned to Charizard and waited for the winged lizard to speak.

"Liepard is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!"

"We will reach our goal, Liepard. I promise," Hugh whispered, staring at the capsule in his hand for a few moments until he took a deep breath and put it back on his belt. Grabbing a different one, he hurled it high into the air. "Excadrill, let's go!"

As soon as the mole materialized in front of her rival, Gray looked at Potens and shook her head, prompting the dragon type to fly back to her teammates while Bellator switched places with her, fully aware of the fact that he was the only other Pokemon that hadn't fainted.

"Bellator, I choose you!" Gray shouted, prompting the water type to step onto the battlefield and nod at Excadrill, who mirrored the action before opening his claws and slashing at the air repeatedly, similar to Unicus.

"Well, Gray's got this one in the bag. There's no way Bellator's losing to a ground type," Boldore opined, drawing an angry stare from Palpitoad.

"Hey, don't make fun of ground types!" he shouted as Snivy entered the conversation.

"But Palpitoad, you're also part water type. You should be rooting for Bellator," she argued, stumping the dual type, who sat down in frustration and began talking to himself, trying to argue both sides, which made Snivy and Boldore shake their heads and laugh.

"This battle will be between Excadrill and Bellator! Begin!"

"We're not wasting any time! Charge straight ahead with Drill Run!"

"That's not going to scare us! Bellator, spin and use Aqua Jet!"

The combatants took off at mach speed - Bellator encapsulated in a coat of water and Excadrill spinning like a drill with his arms acting as the blade - and they collided in the middle of the battlefield, where they battled back and forth for a few seconds. Eventually, a wave of forced launched both parties back to their trainers, and they locked eyes with grins.

"Hurry and use a combination of Hone Claws and Metal Claw, Excadrill!" Hugh shouted while slashing at the air.

Excadrill sprinted towards Bellator while his claws began to glow red, which then created a ring of red energy that spun around his body. Once it faded, the ground type's claws then started to glow an even lighter shade of silver before swinging at Bellator.

"Dodge them all and strike with Razor Shell when you have an opening!"

Bellator acrobatically evaded each of the steel type swipes and, as he grabbed his scalchops, he grinned. His eyes then narrowed when he saw Excadrill rearing both of his arms back, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike. Without hesitation, Bellator slashed Excadrill across the chest, dealing a significant amount of damage despite Excadrill not being hit far.

"Toxic!"

Gray gasped in shock when Excadrill fired a glob of purple poison at Bellator, and it landed. As a result of the attack, Bellator grunted in pain while purple static appeared around his body, forcing him down to one knee.

"Bellator, are you okay!?" the brunette asked in concern, drawing a nod from her powerhouse as he rose to his feet and pointed his right scalchop at Excadrill threateningly.

"Use Drill Run again!" Hugh ordered, not paying attention to Bellator.

"That's just what we wanted! Take it head-on and end this with Revenge!"

Excadrill took off like a rocket and spun wildly before slamming into Bellator. When he did, Excadrill grinned, but that was because he hadn't realized his opponent was shrouded in feint, red aura. Suddenly, Bellator roared and punched Excadrill as hard as he could, sending the steel type spiraling through the air before crashing into the ground harshly.

"Excadrill is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your final Pokemon!" Charizard decreed as he pointed at Hugh, who nodded and drew the fainted creature's Pokeball.

"Helluva job, Excadrill. Thanks for all the hard work," the Unovan thanked as he zapped Excadrill back into his capsule.

While he did so, Hugh glanced up to see Bellator grimace in pain due to the effects of Toxic, and he grinned while turning to his final Pokemon, who was standing by his side.

"Greninja let's do this!" the seventeen year old shouted to his starter, prompting the bipedal frog to walk onto the battlefield.

Eager to fight his rival, Bellator attempted to take a battling stance, only to be stopped when he heard Gray clear her throat obnoxiously. When he turned, the water type eyed his trainer in confusion.

"Take a breather, okay?" Bellator reluctantly obeyed and walked over to the others, exchanging nods with Potens as he passed her. Before Gray could say anything to her, Potens turned around to her friends and spoke up.

"Look, guys, I know I haven't gotten along with all of you for a long time, if at all," she started, drawing grins from Unicus and Furcifer while Dicax posed proudly. "But I wanted to let you all hear this before I go out there. I promise, I won't let your hard work go in vain. I'll fight to my last breath if I have to, and we'll win this thing!" Potens decreed, resulting in an explosion of applause from the others, including Bellator.

Along the side of the battlefield, Arcanine, Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore cheered in response to the moving speech while White, Noah, and even Alain clapped. Surprisingly, Hugh joined in on the cheering, as did Greninja, which made Gray smile at them. Seeing that, Noah began to steam, but he stopped when the older trainer standing next to him turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" the Kalosian asked, holding back a smirk.

Noah shook his head and cleared his throat so that his voice wouldn't crack when he spoke.

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice doing exactly what he didn't want it to, which made Alain laugh heartily.

Back near the battlefield, Gray knelt down and motioned for Potens, who walked over to her and leaned in as her trainer began whispering.

"You need to be really careful here, okay? Greninja's not someone to mess with at all, so your guard has to be up the entire time. Can you please give this battle everything you can?" Gray requested.

Potens backed away and stared through her trainer's eyes, unnerving the brunette until she saw a nod, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. With that, the tiny bat walked onto the field and glared daggers at Greninja, who bowed respectfully, which made Hugh flinch slightly. He was unable to play it off well and drew several looks - ranging from Alain, to Gray, to her Pokemon.

"Sorry, about that. It's just, well..." Hugh paused and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly until his starter nodded. "Greninja doesn't usually do that before battles. The only Pokemon that he's ever actually bowed to is Bellator."

Surprisingly, White was the only one to decipher what the meaning of Greninja's bowing was, and she jumped up and down like a pogo-stick, drawing attention from Alain, Noah, Arcanine, and her Pokemon.

"Bellator's the only one Greninja sees as his equal, which is why he bows to him, but now that he's bowed to Potens, that means he sees her as his equal, too!"

The ninja frog nodded subtly at the explanation while Bellator and Potens grinned at the same time and nodded at the water frog, causing him to blink a few times before regaining his focus.

 _"This should be interesting. I want to see Potens' strength,"_ Alain thought to himself.

"Wait, why did Gray take Bellator out? Wouldn't it have been smarter to leave him in since he was on a roll?" White asked all of a sudden.

Snivy, Palpitoad, and Boldore looked at both of the older trainers, anxiously awaiting an answer while they discussed who'd speak before Noah finally did.

"Well, you're right that he was on a roll, but you're forgetting that he's also tired from battling Excadrill and the effects of Toxic. Sure, Potens has battled twice, but she's taken a break, so she has a bit more energy. Plus, it's not like she's weak by any means, so it's really just Gray trying to get the most out of her last two."

Alain nodded in agreement, looking over the tiny bat standing before Gray and grinned as he did so while also doing the same with Greninja.

"This battle will be between Potens and Greninja! Begin!"

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Hugh shouted, throwing his left arm out to her side.

Jumping as high as he could, Greninja slammed both of his hands together and formed a gigantic, blue shuriken at the dragon type, who stuck her wings out and waited for Gray's counterattack, which came shortly afterwards.

"You know what to do, Potens! Air Cutter!"

Obeying the command, Potens' wings started glowing light blue. Throwing them forwards, Potens grunted loudly and sent a blue crescent at the shuriken. The attacks collided and instantly exploded, creating a thick cloud of smoke, which Hugh used to his advantage.

"Now use Feint Attack!"

Greninja suddenly appeared right in front of Potens and kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing into Gray, who was knocked over as a result. Despite being on the ground and having the wind knocked out of her, Gray somehow spoke to her Pokemon, who was closing in on the water and dark type.

"Slow Greninja down by using Bite on his leg!"

Potens smirked and bit Greninja's leg as hard as she could, making the ninja scream in pain. Hugh, cursing under his breath, managed to think of a way to help his Pokemon before the situation could get any worse.

"Answer back with Cut!" he yelled.

Without a moment to waste, Greninja wound his arm back as a blade of white light appeared in his hand. He then attempted to slash the Noibat in front of him across the face, but he was too slow due to a sudden wave of pain rushing into his leg.

"Dodge with Agility and then use Wing Attack!" Gray countered, throwing her fist straight forwards.

Potens smirked once again and disappeared in the blink of an eye, just barely avoiding the devastating Cut attack. Having moved to her right at the speed of sound, Potens then flew forwards as her wings were glowing white and she slammed them against Greninja's chest, knocking him onto his back.

"Greninja, please! You have to get up!" Hugh begged as his starter struggled to his feet. As he attempted to push himself up, the water frog cried out in pain and grabbed his right leg, putting a grin on Potens' face, as she was proud of the fact that she had managed to keep up with the powerful creature.

Fighting through near-insurmountable pain, Greninja rose to his feet and let out a deafening roar, tucking his arms into his sides and looking up at the cloudy sky as he did so.

"Wow, Greninja sure is tough. There's no way I could've overcome that," Boldore said to his teammates, who nodded in agreement and stared at the dark type in awe.

Potens, on the other hand, grinned at the power being displayed by her opponent, and she bent her knees in preparation for an attack, even though Gray wasn't planning on issuing one.

"Way to keep fighting, Greninja!" the brunette commended, drawing cheers from all of her Pokemon - not counting Bellator, who nodded - as well as Arcanine, White's trio, and Charizard.

The bipedal starter bowed appreciatively and turned back to his trainer, nodding confidently as he shook his right leg, holding back the pain in an attempt to lift Hugh's spirits.

Smiling, the teen then took a deep breath and looked across the battlefield at his rival before punching his fist forwards and turning his body to the side.

"Greninja, we're not giving up, no matter what!" Hugh proclaimed, prompting the aforementioned Pokemon to grunt and lower himself to the ground.

"Good! Give us everything you've got!" Gray replied as Potens flapped her wings and sent a powerful burst of wind to show Greninja and Hugh that she wanted to start the battle.

"Let's go, Greninja! Time to show 'em just how strong we are!" Hugh screamed as he and his starter mirrored each other's actions.

"Aagghh!" the two screamed in unison as a geyser of water encapsulated Greninja, taking everyone back.

Three dark blue spikes grew out of Greninja's head, while two white fins appeared from the sides of his neck, which resembled the collar of Hugh's vest. Its eyes also began to glow red, taking the color of Hugh's, and the water, though quite opaque, still allowed everyone to see Greninja's body.

"That's the evolution Red was talking about!" White screamed in shock, slamming her hands against her cheeks dramatically. "Holy crap!"

Startled by the transformation, Noah and Alain remained still, as did their starters. Gray's Pokemon, on the other hand, all turned to Bellator and watched as he began to grin. What they didn't see was that Potens had the same reaction, and Gray did too.

"The battle will resume, and it's Hugh's move!" Charizard announced, trying to speed up the bout, which made Hugh and Gray laugh.

"Right. Sorry about that, everyone," the Unovan replied, waving to the spectators and their Pokemon. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

Using the water around him as a springboard, Greninja effortlessly jumped fifteen feet into the air. Then, he formed two shurikens, both of which were bigger than the one he had made earlier, and hurled them at Potens, who opened her wings and glanced back at Gray.

"Send 'em right back with Gust!" the eighteen year old commanded, picking up on her Pokemon's actions.

The purple bat's wings began to glow white and she whipped them wildly, creating a wicked blast of wind, which was sliced through by the enormous weapons of water. Not only did Gray gasp in shock, but her Pokemon, friends, and her friends' Pokemon did too. Potens' eyes went wide as the attacks slammed into her and exploded, launching her into the air.

"Now wrap this up with Acrobatics!" Hugh roared.

While Potens attempted to regain control of her flight, she watched as Greninja soared above and slammed his glowing heel over her head, spiking the tiny dragon type into the ground so hard a cloud of dust shot up about forty feet.

After a few seconds of waiting for the dust to settle, Gray wasn't shocked to see Potens had fainted, prompting Charizard to raise his arms.

"Potens is unable to continue! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!"

As she picked the battered Pokemon off the ground and sprayed her with a Full Restore, Gray smiled at Potens, who frowned in shame.

"Sorry," she muttered while being placed on the ground with the rest of her teammates.

Much to her shock, Potens flinched when Gray's hand fell on her head, and the brunette smiled in response.

"Hey, there's no need to be. We're still gonna win this, and you were amazing."

Potens beamed at the answer and turned when she heard Bellator crack his knuckles.

"You did more than enough, Potens. Even though Greninja underwent that transformation, he's still tired, and I can do that too," the Dewott stated with the utmost confidence in his abilities.

The water type's teammates watched as he confidently strode onto the battlefield, and he turned halfway to nod at Potens, who grinned and did the same.

Upon turning back around, Bellator bowed to Greninja, and vice versa. The two then turned back to their trainers, nodded, and went into the same battling stance, which caught Alain's eye.

"Why are they moving so similarly?" he asked White, who turned with a smile and shrugged like a moron, making Snivy roll her eyes and sigh in embarrassment.

The unevolved starter then hopped onto her trainer's shoulder and grabbed Alain's attention by doing so.

"The first and only time they battled each other, Bellator kicked Greninja's butt, but then Greninja evolved and beat Bellator, which was his first loss. They're rivals; they're one in the same."

Nodding at the information, Alain bowed appreciatively before looking over Greninja, who had just whooped Potens while undergoing the same change Bellator had several times before. Then turning to the Dewott, Alain examined the shorter water type and grinned, knowing just how strong he was.

"This battle will be between Greninja and Bellator! Begin!"

"We've been waiting for a rematch," Hugh told Gray before issuing a command, which made her grin eagerly. "Now, Greninja, use Double Team and run in a circle around Bellator!"

 _"That's the same strategy Rei used with all three of her Pokemon!"_ Gray thought to herself as Greninja performed a series of hand-signs while sprinting towards his rival.

Much to Gray's shock, Greninja and his clones disappeared, only to pop up a few feet away from Bellator. The real Greninja and all of his clones then sprinted around their opponents' half of the battlefield, opting to confuse Bellator instead of attacking, a tactic that made Alain narrow his eyes slightly.

"No big deal! Bellator, use Water Pulse on the ground to send them away!"

"Feint Attack!" Hugh countered immediately.

Right as the ball of water exploded against the ground, Greninja and his clones reappeared right in front of Bellator and began beating him up relentlessly, causing the smaller Pokemon to cry out in pain and curl up into a ball in a feeble attempt to protect himself.

"Bellator, hang in there! Use Revenge!"

With all of the Greninja still hitting him, Bellator was surrounded by red energy and when he reached his boiling point, he roared and the light was thrown in all directions. All of the attackers were crushed by the energy, and as Bellator rose to his feet, he watched the real Greninja slam against the ground face first. Despite the attack being super effective, Greninja easily rose to his feet and wiped the dirt off his body, making Bellator growl and narrow his eyes.

"Cut!"

"Razor Shell!"

The powerhouses charged at one another and let out ferocious cries. Bellator quickly grabbed his scalchops, which had blades of water shooting out of them, and Greninja's arms turned into blades of white light. The two then slashed at each other relentlessly, each strike colliding with the opposing attack. White, Noah, Fortis, Advena, and even Alain and Charizard marveled at the swift movements of both Bellator and Greninja, but the sword fight was ended shortly afterwards, as Greninja kicked Bellator's legs out from underneath him.

"Now finish this with Acrobatics!"

In the blink of an eye, Greninja made his way over to his opponent and unleashed a wicked barrage of punches and kicks. After a few seconds, Greninja ended the assault with an uppercut, which hurled Bellator into the air. As soon as he hit the ground, the Unova starter was down for the count, making White cover her mouth with her hands while Snivy stared, her jaw on the ground.

 _"Come on,"_ Bellator thought to himself as he laid on the ground, unable to move. _"Come on! I need to Synchro Evolve!"_

Still unable to move, the water type was about to curse until he was stopped by a deep, intimidating voice echoing in his head.

 _"You're pathetic, just like all of them said,"_ it snapped, making Bellator growl. _"Flare's stupid for wanting you. You're nothing, and you'll always be nothing if you stay with these weaklings."_

Suddenly, Bellator grabbed his head in pain and screamed at the top of his lungs before going limp, leaving everyone in shock.

"What just happened? Is Bellator okay?" White asked in concern as Gray ran over to the water type's side, placing her hand on his head. "Noah? Arcanine? Have either of you ever seen that before? Snivy, did Bellator ever do that at Professor Juniper's lab?"

Noah knelt down and looked over the fainted Pokemon, turning to Arcanine and shrugging. The fire type then turned to White and mirrored his trainer's actions, causing her to wait for Snivy's response, which wasn't any different. She simply shrugged, and Gray continued trying to help her Pokemon regain consciousness while his teammates and Fortis looked on in silence.

Alain and Charizard, meanwhile, glanced at each other and nodded, though they said nothing, for whatever reason. While they remained silent, Hugh and Greninja sprinted over to their rivals and bowed about a hundred times each.

"Is Bellator okay? Maybe we went too far. Oh no! No!" Hugh screamed biting his nails while looking around.

He was calmed, however, when Fortis stepped over to the downed Dewott and picked him up off the ground. The large creature then made his way into the Pokemon Center with Bellator, and everyone else followed.

Gray remained still, however, not knowing what to do. With everyone disappearing inside the Pokemon Center the girl rose to her feet and looked around the battlefield, picturing Bellator screaming. Only one thought was on her mind the entire time she remained outside, though she didn't dare say it.

 _"What happened to Bellator?"_

 **000**

The group of seven Pokemon stared through the glass window and kept their eyes fixated on Bellator, who was unconscious and laying on a bed. Snivy, Palpitoad, Boldore, Arcanine, and Charizard stood along with Gray's Pokemon as well as Hugh's, and all five trainers were behind them.

"Fortis, do you know why he screamed like that?" Unicus inquired, turning to the eldest of her trainer's Pokemon.

Rubbing his chin, Fortis turned back to the ground type and sighed, answering her question. He then turned back so that he could keep an eye on Bellator, but spun when he felt a hand fall on his shoulder.

"Guys, go get some rest. I can watch him," Gray stated after watching Furcifer, Celsus, and Dicax yawn in exhaustion.

"Don't you need to sleep too?" Noah asked in concern, prompting Gray to shake her head.

"Don't worry about me. You guys go, and I'll stay here. Maybe I can get some fresh air, but that wouldn't be for long," the Kantonian replied, drawing nods from her traveling companions and their Pokemon.

With that, White, Noah, Alain, and Hugh waved to Gray, as did their Pokemon, and Gray waved back. She then watched her Pokemon reluctantly leave the area and head towards their room.

Gray took a deep breath after watching everyone disappear, and she turned her attention to Bellator, who was still down for the count. Yawning, the girl walked into the intensive care room and sat down in a chair by the side of Bellator's bed. She then slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, a quiet noise snapped Gray back into consciousness, and she looked around the room only to find that Bellator's bed was empty. Running outside, the brunette caught a glimpse of the backdoor closing, and she ran down the hall, bursting through the automatic doors to see her Dewott walking away.

"Bellator!" Gray screamed, stopping the water starter dead in his tracks. He didn't turn around, though, and kept his back to his trainer while she stood in the same trainer box as earlier. "You can't be training this late! Go back to the intensive care room!" the eighteen year old demanded.

Spinning on his heel sluggishly, Bellator locked eyes with Gray and made her flinch. There was something off about him, and the look on his face, as well as the on in his eyes, made Gray feel uneasy.

"You weren't supposed to wake up," the water type stared, "now you made things so much harder."

Chills ran down Gray's spine at the words her Pokemon had just uttered, but she closed her mouth and cleared her throat before speaking.

"What are you talking about? What's going to be so hard?"

The blue otter turned his back to Gray once again and remained still while the wind began picking up. Gray pushed her hair out of her eyes and behind her ears, waiting for the creature to give an answer, though he continued to stand in silence.

"Bellator, answer me!" she ordered, stomping while doing so.

The aforementioned Pokemon hung his head slightly and held back his emotions to the best of his abilities. Suddenly, the wind began howling, and Bellator looked straight ahead, out towards Route 6.

"We need to go our separate ways," he stated, the wind stopping as soon as he did so.

Gray recoiled violently at the response and nearly fell on her back, but she managed to remain upright and regained her composure. She attempted to take a step towards Bellator, but the water type spun around aggressively and glared at her.

"What... what is this all about?" Gray asked, her voice trembling as tears formed in her eyes.

"Gray, I don't want to do this. Just let me go, please," he responded without a sense of compassion. "I need to go down my own path, and-"

"It's because of what Dominic said, isn't it?" the girl interjected, catching her Pokemon by surprise. "How Flare's targeting you too? Is that why you don't want to be here anymore?"

Sighing, Bellator shook his head and turned his back to the young women, who sniffled as tears rolled down her face. Unable to get the picture of her crying out of his head, Bellator began to curse at himself under his breath until the voice from earlier began speaking to him.

 _"I'm going to tell her the truth, you pathetic piece of trash."_

Snarling, Bellator turned around with a completely different look on his face, one that made Gray gasp. It was almost as if he were possessed by something, though she couldn't tell if that was actually the case.

"I can't get stronger with you and the others!" Bellator snapped, making Gray step back in shock before turning away from the water type, whose possessed look disappeared immediately.

He then stared at Gray in horror before looking down at his hands, terrified by what he had said.

 **(Real Friends by Kanye West begins playing. The lyrics fit the scene more than the music)**

"Fine. If that's how you feel, then go," Gray replied, taking her Pokemon by surprise. "I guess what Red said about us was wrong. We're not friends," the brunette stated passive-aggressively, putting a scowl on Bellator's face.

Then, Gray pulled out Bellator's Poke Ball, and everything began moving in slow-motion. The otter watched as his trainer pressed the white button in the middle of the device, and a blue beam of light struck him. Tossing the capsule away as if it were garbage, Gray refused to look at the creature she had released, and he walked away in silence. However, a blur zipped through the air and slammed into Bellator's side, catching both him and Gray by surprise. The attacker then landed next to Gray and glared daggers at the otter that was rising to his feet.

"Potens? What are you doing?" the eighteen year old asked as she looked down at her Noibat, who continued glaring at Bellator.

"You can't be serious!" she snapped, paying no attention to Gray, who flinched at the harshness of Potens' words. "You're quitting because you think you're too good for us? I'll beat you into oblivion if that's what it takes to bring you back to reality!" Potens screamed, pointing at her ex-teammate, who, when he locked eyes with her, appeared to be possessed by some evil entity.

"Don't tempt me, you pest. I'll rip your wings off and stomp your head in!" Bellator shot back wickedly, causing Gray to stare at him.

The Dewott standing across the battlefield wasn't the one she knew. This one was evil, obsessed with power, and full of hatred. Potens wasn't intimidated in the slightest and refused to break her glare, drawing muffled laughter from Bellator.

"You're not worth my time, Potens. You never were, and you never will be."

With that, Bellator turned around and began walking away, but he stopped when he heard the dragon type speak up.

"So that's it!? You're just going to quit after you lose a battle? If anything, that speaks to how weak you are! You're pathetic, Bellator!" the Noibat screamed. "The fact that I even considered you to be a friend shows me just how blind I am."

The words stung, and Bellator stared straight out into the distance before turning halfway with a threatening look on his face.

"We were never friends."

Potens recoiled at the bold statement and was frozen. Both she and Gray watched as Bellator shook his head and began walking away, muttering something under his breath as he did so. With each step Bellator took, Gray felt her bond with him being torn right out of her chest. He wasn't the only thing that disappeared into the darkness. The friendships he made and memories others had of him were erased.

* * *

 **Wat. Yeah, Bellator lost, and he dished out some pretty harsh words to both Gray and Potens before leaving. The reason Potens appeared was because she was the closest to Bellator (other than Gray), so there's the reason. Now that Bellator's gone, one particular member of the team is going to steal the show and step into his role as powerhouse, though it'll take a while for that to happen. Also, Hugh's Greninja Synchro Evolved for a second time and obliterated both Potens and Bellator. Next chapter will be Gray's Gym Battle against Clay, so stay tuned. Till then, peace out.  
**

 **1\. Thoughts on Bellator leaving? Would you have preferred the last scene to be between just him and Gray, or should Potens have been replaced by someone else?  
2\. ****Who do you think's going to take over as powerhouse now that Bellator's gone?  
3\. Did you think I was trolling?**

* * *

 **Also, I'm in the mood to explain my rationale on this decision. I know I said he wasn't going to be released (a title in the Castelia Arc suggested it), but then I did some thinking and realized two things. 1) Gray's team and companions have gotten little attention, and 2) This was turning into PJA:ANG with Ferus, and I don't want that. Him leaving allows me to focus more on the rest of Gray's team, Noah, and White and her Pokemon. For those of you who like Bellator the most, sorry, but hopefully you'll get to like everyone else with the development they'll get. I also know that some characters won't get as much attention as others, but I'm going to try my absolute hardest. Thanks for reading and understanding, and have yourself a great day/night/whatever :)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Master Miner"**_

 _ **Having decided she's ready, Gray takes on Clay in hopes of earning her fifth badge. However, with Bellator sidelined and little to no advantages against her opponent, Gray must defy the odds and do the impossible! When turning to a pair of inexperienced members on her team, will Gray win and be considered a genius, or lose and be considered a fool?**_

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 59:** **Two Roads, Two Powers** **  
** **Chapter 60** **:** **Teacher and Student** **  
** **Chapter 61:** **Sparks Fly! White vs Cheren!** **  
Chapter 62: Face-to-face with Confrontation**


	58. The Master Miner

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Oh damn, the first chapter without Bellator. It's real, people. Last chapter, Gray had a full battle against Hugh and lost in the final match, which was between Greninja, who used Synchro Evolution, and Bellator. After Bellator got crushed, he tried leaving during the night, but Gray and Potens stopped him, and they learned that he wanted to leave because Bellator felt he couldn't get stronger with Gray holding him back. Gray then released him, and her team will really feel the effects of his departure in the next arc, but they'll will struggle to adjust very soon. This chapter will be the Gym Battle against Clay, so let's get going! Also, I scrapped White vs Cheren. It will happen in the Mistralton Arc**

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Yep, but if you pay really close attention, you'll pick up on something that I'm assuming most people will miss. Let's just say there were a combination of things that led to his departure, and he won't be coming back for the league. What I'm thinking is a potential return in the Flare/Plasma Arc, but having him come out of nowhere would be really weird. And thanks! I wanted Gray to show that she's not a pushover, despite being nice. Though I will say, she'll eventually have someone that is just as strong as Bellator, if not a little weaker_

 **davidtheman23:** _XD Bellator was harsh, to say the least, and he basically threw out his two strongest relationships. I like the idea about Potens wanting to be better than Bellator, as that's very likely. However, there are still a few contenders for the right to be powerhouse, so you never know. Flare may make a play to catch Bellator, and I was thinking about doing that, but I don't know at this point. Dicax will also be in the battle, and he's my favorite from a character standpoint, though, again, that could change with the way the team will develop now that Bellator's not hogging the spotlight. Also, I took the idea for Mega Flygon from Pokemon Insurgence, which I totally forgot to mention. And, I realized I didn't answer your last question, so better late than never XD My first starter was Cyndaquil in Crystal, and since I didn't know how to catch Pokemon, he was a level 97 at the Elite 4 XD_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Lolol, I know what you mean. You're right about Hugh and Greninja feeling like they'll be the reason for Bellator leaving (which, they are, to an extent), and Snivy was considered to be there, but then I figured White would've had to be there too. Potens has a chance to seize the role, as does Advena, so yeah. It's too early to tell right now. Dicax will also get to battle against Clay, so here's hoping he does well!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Hahaha, that's what I was telling him when writing the scene. And I love how he's either dead to everyone, or they just don't care that he's gone as long as someone fills his role XD And if I do end up saying something that often (and put it in the theme song), it's going to happen. I wouldn't go that far just to troll XD_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I'm thinking there could be a battle between him and Potens in the future, but it'd be really one-sided in favor of the former. If it does happen, I'll make sure the title gives it away so that there can be Potens vs Bellator hype. If he does come back, I guarantee you'll love him again, because the way I have it set up would make him such a boss. Then again, I have several ways to not incorporate him, so ya never know_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _That's the perfect word to describe Hugh's team. I felt Potens was easily the MVP, and Greninja or Liepard would win it for Hugh. And thank you for pointing out that last bit about Bellator's 'other side' saying those terrible things. It will kind of destroy the team once they learn about it, and if Bellator does return, it won't be a warm welcome, to put it lightly_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 37, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Icy Wind, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 40, Razor Wind, Gust, Super Fang, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 34, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 33, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)** **  
**

* * *

 _"I can't get stronger with you and the others!"_

Gray couldn't get the words out of her head as she, Unicus, Fortis, and her friends descended. They were in a mining shaft, and glowing crystals were slammed into the walls as a way of illuminating the otherwise dark void.

 _"We were never friends."_

Even though he hadn't aimed that towards her, the brunette couldn't help but feel that he was, in fact, talking to her and not Potens. Shaking her head, Gray sighed and suddenly shrieked when a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Gray, are you okay?" Noah asked in concern, staring his friend in the eyes. "We've been trying to talk to you for the past ten minutes, but you just kept staring at something."

Blushing in embarrassment, Gray nodded and bowed apologetically before returning to the same idle position she had been in. Noah, Arcanine, Unicus, White, and Snivy sweat dropped at their friend's actions while Fortis remained silent, knowing the reason for his trainer's distant mood.

 _"I can't believe he actually left,"_ Fortis thought to himself. _"I'd never met someone with so much potential, and he just threw it away."_

Suddenly, the group reached the bottom of the cave and made their way towards a pair of metal doors, which swung open and revealed a simple battlefield. Standing on the end furthest from the doors was a man dressed like a cowboy, and he laughed heartily as Gray stepped into her trainer box with Unicus by her side. As soon as the brunette took a deep breath, one of the capsules on her belt snapped open and Advena appeared.

"Welcome to the Driftveil City Gym, ma'am. Mah name's Clay, and I'm the leader of this fine facility."

"Thank you, sir," Gray replied, bowing as she did so. "My name's Gray Plain, and these are my partners, Unicus and Advena," the brunette continued, pointing at the two Pokemon beside her.

Clay nodded and then motioned for the referee to speak, which he did right away.

"This will be a three versus three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leader of Driftveil City, Clay! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue! Clay, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Gabite, dig 'er up!"

"Furcifer, I choose you!"

The aforementioned Pokemon sprung out of their Poke Balls and appeared on the battlefield with confident expressions. Clay grinned immediately after realizing Gray had the advantage due to her Sneasel being an ice type.

"This battle will be between Gabite and Furcifer! Begin!"

"Furcifer, use Quick Attack!"

The bipedal creature took off at top speed while a ray of white light trailed her body, and she closed in on Gabite before anyone could breathe. However, Clay managed to issue a counterattack to his first combatant.

"Send 'er flying with Take Down!" the southerner shouted.

Gabite roared and sprinted towards Furcifer while enveloped in a coat of bronze energy, and he lowered his shoulder while narrowing his eyes. Before he could crush his ice type opponent, Gabite was caught off guard by Gray smirking at the same time as her Pokemon. Then, the brunette threw her arm out to her side, prompting Furcifer to slam her hands against the ground.

"Dodge it with Agility and freeze his feet to the ground with Icy Wind!"

After performing a cartwheel, the ice type disappeared in the blink of an eye and popped up behind Gabite, who turned around and gasped in shock. Furcifer quickly reared her head back and released a freezing blast of wind that caused frost to form around the dragon type's feet, freezing him in place. Clay cursed under his breath before a lightbulb went off in his head, and he began grinning, which threw Gray and Furcifer off.

"Blow up the ground yer standing on with Dragon Rage!"

Suddenly, the dragon type reared his head back and he shot a massive ball of orange energy at the ground, blowing it up. Having freed himself from his icy prison, Gabite charged at Furcifer and let out an enraged roar.

"Don't hold anything back! Icy Wind!"

Furcifer snickered at the command and a ball of blue energy formed in front of her mouth, making Gray gasp slightly while Unicus and Advena, who were standing by her sides, recoiled. Firing the zigzagging beam of ice, Furcifer grinned when Gabite was struck by the super effective attack and cried out in pain as he fell on his back weakly.

"Wow! What was that!?" White shouted in shock, turning to Alain and Noah.

"Ice Beam," the older of the two answered swiftly. "Lucky break for Gray."

"You can say that again," Fortis stated as he turned to Alain and Charizard, both of whom nodded. "Now that she has a really strong ice type move, Furcifer should be able to take this battle without much of a problem."

After Gabite pushed himself back onto his feet, the ground type turned back to Clay and nodded at him, putting a grin on the man's face.

"Gabite, use Dragon Claw!"

"Finish this with Metal Claw!"

Both Pokemon charged at one another without hesitation, loading their arms back as they did so. While Gabite's claws extended and were shrouded in cobalt energy, Furcifer's claws extended and began to glow silver. The two swung at each other wildly and landed their attacks, sending each other flying into the walls behind their trainers. Slowly, Furcifer stood up while smirking at Gabite, who was unconscious, and she nodded at Gray and her teammates.

"Gabite is unable to battle! Clay, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee ordered.

"Great work, pal. Stunfisk, dig 'er up!"

When the Gym Leader's second Poke Ball opened, a disgusting fish landed on the ground and let out a creepy laugh, causing Gray, her Pokemon, White, Noah, and Alain to sweat drop. The brunette snapped out of her daze and then turned to her Sneasel, who was panting slightly and covered in bruises.

"Furcifer, I want you to take a rest," Gray called, zapping the ice type back into her Poke Ball. "Now, Bellator-" the Kantonian stopped herself, remembering the otter was no longer on her team, and then she felt something tugging on her shirt. As she turned to her right, Gray saw Advena looking up at her excitedly. "What's up?" the brunette quizzed, eyeing the psychic type, who looked back out at the battlefield.

"I would enjoy participating in the duel."

Smiling at the alien's wording, Gray nodded and motioned for her to step onto the battlefield, which she did giddily.

"You can do this, Advena!" White shrieked at the top of her lungs, making both Noah and Alain rub their ears in pain.

Fortis, meanwhile, leaned forward and sat on the edge of the bench, eyeing the psychic type intently.

"This battle will be between Advena and Stunfisk! Begin!"

"Advena, charge and use Zen Headbutt!" Gray commanded, punching her right fist forwards.

The Elgyem grunted in response before her eyes began glowing light blue. Then, her head started glowing the same color, and she flew towards Stunfisk, who continued laughing like an idiot even as Clay cleared his throat and prepared to speak up.

"Bounce!" he shouted.

In the blink of an eye, the electric and ground type sprung into the air, leaving Gray's friends speechless. The aforementioned trainer maintained her composure, though, and she grinned before snapping her fingers, which grabbed Advena's attention. Clay and Unicus also stared at Gray, and she threw her right hand forwards while issuing a counterattack.

"Grab Stunfisk with Psychic and throw it against the ground!" the young woman yelled.

Advena obeyed the command and pointed her hand at Stunfisk, confusing the stupid creature. Then, when her eyes and fingers began glowing light blue, a thin line of the same colored energy appeared around Stunfisk's body. Everyone watched as Advena nonchalantly flicked her wrist downwards, and her opponent was slammed into the ground at the speed of light, making Clay gasp while Fortis leaned back and shook his head with a grin.

"Are you okay, Stunfisk?" Clay asked, drawing a dumb laugh from his ugly Pokemon. "Retaliate with Thunderbolt!"

Suddenly, a zigzagging bolt of electricity was fired at Advena, and she was unable to get out of the way in time. Grunting in pain, Advena slouched over but quickly stood up straight. Gray smiled at the Pokemon's determination, Gray took a deep breath.

"Hang in there and use Psybeam!"

"Block it with Muddy Water!"

The combatants quickly performed their attacks and Gray cursed under her breath as the tidal wave of murky water rolled over the blast of psychic energy Advena had fired. Thinking quick on her feet, Gray's face lit up when the perfect counterattack popped into her head, which confused Unicus.

"Advena, throw it right back with Psychic!"

Nodding, the alien threw both of her hands forwards while her eyes were glowing light blue. The entire body of water was stopped instantly, and, with little effort, Advena threw the tidal wave back at Stunfisk, whose eyes went wide in horror.

"Endure!" Clay barked as quickly as he could.

Stunfisk flattened himself against the ground while red energy spun around his body, and when the water crashed down on him, he somehow managed to remain conscious. Gray, however, was unrelenting with her assault, and Advena was eager to finish the battle as well.

"Now use Rock Slide!" the brunette yelled at the top of her lungs.

Advena threw her arms downwards, causing a landslide of rocks to crash down upon Stunfisk, making the electric type shriek in pain before going silent. After a few seconds, Advena lifted the rocks off her opponent and the referee threw his arms upwards once he saw Clay's Pokemon was down for the count.

"Stunfisk is unable to battle! Clay, choose your last Pokemon!"

"That thing ya got there sure does pack a punch," Clay commended as he withdrew his fainted Pokemon while Advena floated back over to Gray's side and bowed to her thankfully. "Ain't seen an Elgyem in mah Gym before," the man continued while Gray nodded and patted the psychic type on the head.

"Thank you, sir," Gray replied, bowing while Advena eyed her trainer in confusion before mirroring her actions despite finding them odd. "Advena, I want you to sit for a little bit. Do you mind?" the Kantonian asked, only to watch her Pokemon sit down. Laughing at the alien's inability to understand human-speak, Gray said nothing about Advena's actions and drew another Poke Ball from her belt with a grin.

"Excadrill, dig 'er up!"

"Furcifer, I choose you!"

The creatures appeared at the same time and locked eyes, immediately showing their claws as a means of intimidating the other.

"Why is Gray going back to Furcifer when Excadrill's part steel type?" Snivy asked her teammates, who shrugged in response.

"Beats me. What I do know is that I wouldn't want to mess with that thing. It looks really strong!" Boldore remarked.

Palpitoad nodded in agreement before shifting his gaze to Noah and Alain, who were both giving looks to their fire starters, which were tough to read. White noticed the boys' looks, too and cleared her throat obnoxiously, making them both turn to her.

"She's just trying to wear it down a bit. Considering how well Furcifer battled earlier, I'm not surprised at all," Noah said in conjunction with Arcanine while Alain had a different point of view, one that Noah would've never thought of.

"She's also forcing Clay and Excadrill to fight in a way that they're not comfortable doing. By using Furcifer, an unpredictable and fast fighter, instead of Advena, who's a long-range fighter, their strategy has to do a 180 turn. It neutralizes her being weak to steel types."

Charizard smirked at the reactions from Noah and White, who were baffled. He then glanced at Alain and chuckled as the Kalosian folded his arms just like his dad usually did. Seeing his starter's reaction, Alain noticed what he was doing and stopped immediately.

"Let's give this everything we've got, Furcifer!"

"I can do that," the Sneasel replied with a grin before turning to the sideline, where she saw everyone nodding at her. Nodding back, the dark type let out a deep breath that put a smirk on Excadrill's face.

"Excadrill can tell yur strong. Wur ready!" Clay exclaimed, his southern drawl becoming more pronounced.

Nodding in agreement, Excadrill bowed to Furcifer for a second before taking a fighting pose, prompting the speedy Pokemon to nod in response.

"This battle will be between Excadrill and Furcifer! Begin!"

"Excadrill, Earthquake!" Clay called.

"Jump over it and use Agility!"

As Excadrill slammed his gigantic claws into the ground, Furcifer began running while a ring of blue energy spun around her body. Once it disappeared, she leaped as high as she could, but a column of dirt shot out of the battlefield and clobbered her, making Gray gasp.

"Now use Swords Dance and then Metal Claw!"

Before she could even utter a word, Gray watched as Clay's Excadrill jumped after Furcifer and slashed her straight into the ground with his glowing claws. After she crashed, the Sneasel screamed out in pain, causing everyone to flinch in shock and fear.

"Furcifer!" Gray screamed as the ice type continued writhing around on the ground.

Meanwhile, off to the side of the battlefield, Noah, White, Alain, and Fortis stared at Furcifer as she tried pushing herself back up.

"This isn't looking good. She just isn't strong or fast enough to get away from Excadrill," the Flygon stated, drawing nods from Alain, Charizard, and Arcanine. "Gray needs to withdraw her."

"Well, if the entire point of Furcifer battling was to tire Excadrill out, then why should Gray switch her?" White retorted.

The others remained silent for a few seconds until Noah finally spoke up.

"Because trainers care about their Pokemon, and they shouldn't want to watch them faint."

"Dive into 'er with Drill Run!" Clay screamed, ending the conversation.

"Speed out of the way with Quick Attack!" Gray countered.

Somehow, Furcifer forced herself out of the way of Excadrill's devastating attack, but her legs gave out and she fell on her face. Seeing that, Clay smirked while Excadrill returned to his side and continued snapping his claws.

"Finish this with Earthquake!" the miner roared.

Excadrill slammed his claws into the ground for a second time and a column of dirt shot out of the earth and slammed into Furcifer's face, launching her into the air. After smacking into the ground limply, Furcifer's eyes were revealed to be closed, prompting the referee to raise his arms.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

"You were amazing, Furcifer, take a long break. I'll get you healed up as soon as the battle's over," Gray reassured the dragon type she was cradling in her arms.

Furcifer weakly grunted in response before being walked over to the sidelines, where she was placed next to Fortis. Gray then sprayed her with a Super Potion and patted the feisty Pokemon on the head before returning to her trainer box, where she grabbed a Poke Ball off her belt and smirked.

"Clay, Excadrill, you guys are really tough, but we're ending the battle here!" Gray proclaimed, sticking the Poke Ball in her hand out as far as she could with a confident grin., making Clay laugh heartily.

"That's the kinda fire we like to see, young lady! Show us you can walk the walk!"

"My pleasure," Gray shot back. "Potens-"

"Advena!" Unicus screamed, cutting Gray off for a second time as the psychic type hopped onto the battlefield and narrowed her eyes at the same time as Excadrill. Clay, meanwhile, cried of laughter while Gray face palmed along with Noah and White.

Alain, Charizard, Arcanine, and Fortis on the other hand, were the only ones to smile at the psychic type's actions.

"Why are you four smiling? Potens is the better choice because she's more experienced," Noah argued.

"You don't hear us saying he's not," Charizard retorted, shrugging as he did so. "It's just nice to see some spunk from Gray's Pokemon, that's all. What about you?" Charizard quizzed, eyeing his trainer.

The Kalosian remained silent and looked at the ground with a smile still plastered on his face, making Charizard sweat drop until Fortis cleared his throat and grabbed the group's attention.

"You're all underestimating Advena. Just think about how well she did against Stunfisk, and that's without much practice with Gray. Now that they both have a feel of what the other's going to do, this should be a really good battle," the Hoennian explained. "But let's say Advena doesn't win and Gray only has one choice left," Fortis continued, glancing at both of his trainer's friends and their Pokemon, "Excadrill and Clay have had to change their battling style so much, it's wearing them out mentally and physically."

Noah, White, and their Pokemon looked at each other before turning back to Fortis, who sighed in frustration. He kept from repeating his actions when he noticed Charizard and Arcanine were just as lost as the others, and he sweat dropped.

"I guess my time with Owen hasn't only made me better in battle," he muttered in embarrassment.

"Yeah, it's made you a fricking genius!" White shouted bluntly, causing everyone - except Alain, of course - to laugh.

"So, you know how Alain was talking about Furcifer being a smart choice against Excadrill because she was fast?" the Flygon inquired, drawing nods. "Advena's a long-ranged fighter, which he also said. So, let's say Excadrill does win, and Gray does choose Potens, Excadrill would have had to overcome a speedy fighter, long-range specialist, and aerial fighter to win. The odds of that happening are slim to none."

"This battle will be between Advena and Excadrill! Begin!"

"Excadrill, be careful. That's one strong opponent right there," Clay informed his final Pokemon, who took note of the information and narrowed his eyes. "Now use Drill Run!"

"Stop him dead in his tracks with Psychic!"

While Excadrill zipped through the air and spun like a drill with his claws pointed at Advena, the Elgyem threw her right hand forwards as her eyes began glowing light blue. Somehow, Advena managed to freeze Excadrill in the middle of the air and she hurled him against the ground, dealing significant damage to her steel type opponent. Clay, however, tipped his cap and grinned while the large mole rose to his feet and bowed to Advena, who mirrored the gesture.

"Time to boost yur attack stat. Swords Dance and then use Metal Claw!"

Sharpening his claws by dragging them along the ground, Excadrill roared when a ring of red energy spun around his body. Then, he sprinted towards Advena while his claws were glowing silver, and he jumped as high as he could while spinning. Despite the speed the ground type displayed, Gray had more than enough time to respond.

"Advena, dodge it and counter with Hidden Power!" she demanded.

The psychic type threw both of her hands forwards and a ball of fire slammed into Excadrill right after he slashed Advena across the face. Both Pokemon were thrown back to their trainers and they got up with little effort, which made Gray and Clay smirk confidently.

"Show 'em yur grit! Drill Run!"

"Meet him head-on and use Zen Headbutt!"

Taking off at mach speed, both Pokemon held nothing back before slamming into each other. Sparks of white and sky blue light flew through the air before Excadrill overpowered Advena and rammed her into the ground. Shortly afterwards, he jumped back to Clay's side, and the old man hurriedly issued another attack.

"Now crush Advena with Rock Slide!"

In the blink of an eye, a landslide of rocks crashed down upon Advena, and Gray gasped in horror along with Unicus. Everyone watching remained silent and stared at the colossal pile of rocks laying on top of Advena, and the referee began to raise his arms.

"Aaaagghhhh!" Advena screamed, taking everyone back.

Suddenly, a tremendous amount of blue energy exploded from the rocks and shattered them upon impact, keeping the room silent until Clay finally gained the ability to speak.

"How is it still standing?"

"Because we leave everything out on the battlefield!" Gray replied, punching her fist straight out. "But I know we're going to need to take a break. Advena, return." The psychic type obeyed her trainer's orders and walked back into her trainer box, where she was embraced by Unicus.

"I thought you were saying how you gave everything you had," Clay said, teasing his challenger.

Gray smiled at the comment from the Gym Leader and grabbed a different Poke Ball from her belt and smiled at it for a few seconds before clipping it back on. She then grabbed another one and whispered something to it.

"You're right. Just because I recalled her doesn't mean she won't come back in. We may try our hardest all the time, but we're not stupid," Gray shot back, drawing a grin from her elder. "I know this is risky, but I have this feeling that you're my best shot," the Kantonian whispered to the capsule in her hand. "Dicax, I choose you!"

"Wait, what!?" Unicus shouted as she watched the Mawile materialize from his capsule. "Why not me!?" the Sandslash screamed, glaring at her trainer.

Unicus was silenced by Gray's hand falling on her head, and she looked into the brunette's eyes for a few seconds before nodding. Gray nodded in response and then stood up with an excited grin on her face.

"So another type disadvantage. I must tell ya, Gray, you sure do have a weird strategy," the Gym Leader stated, prompting Gray to shake her head while Dicax analyzed Excadrill.

"You may think that, but Dicax and I are going to win!" the eighteen year old proclaimed, drawing a nod from her newly caught Pokemon.

"This battle will be between Dicax and Excadrill! Begin!"

"We'll just put that prediction to the test then. Drill Run!" Clay demanded.

Excadrill took off at full speed, which made Dicax narrow his eyes and grin slightly, even as his opponent closed in with the super effective attack.

"We were hoping you'd say that," Gray told Clay, who flinched in response while her Mawile nodded. "Use Iron Defense, Dicax, and then grab a hold of Excadrill's claws with Vice Grip!"

Doing just as he was told, Dicax planted his feet and threw his arms forwards. As soon as he did so, his body flashed silver and a ring of green energy spun around him, showing everyone that his defenses had been drastically boosted. Then, turning so that the massive jaws hanging from his head were facing Excadrill, Dicax snapped them and caught his opponent, shocking everyone.

"Break free with Metal Claw!"

"Not on our watch! Flash Cannon!"

Before Excadrill could attempt to escape Dicax's grip, the Mawile slammed him against the ground and then turned while an orb of silver energy was forming in front of his mouth. Holding nothing back, Dicax unleashed the wicked attack and sent Excadrill flying across the battlefield. Slamming into the ground right in front of Clay, the bipedal mole forced himself back up and nodded at his trainer, who began grinding his teeth upon realizing how much damage his Pokemon had taken.

"Urgh. Time to deal some real damage! Earthquake!"

Excadrill slammed his claws into the battlefield once again. Confused by the attack, Dicax was unable to get out of the way when he saw a column of dirt shoot up from underneath him. When it slammed into his chin, the steel type began flipping through the air, but he kept his eyes open and smirked when he watched Excadrill nearly collapse.

"Hang in there and use Feint Attack!" Gray retorted, throwing her right arm out to her side.

Vanishing in the blink of an eye, Dicax suddenly appeared right in front of his opponent and speared himself into the ground type's knee, toppling Excadrill. The intelligent Pokemon then made his way back to Gray's side and nodded at her, making the girl give a thumbs up.

"What!? How'd you take his leg out?" Clay shouted while pointing at his challenger, who giggled before pointing at Dicax.

"It's simple, really. He battled at least once before I came in, and the first body part to tire out after performing dynamic movements are the legs. One good blow would take them out," the steel and fairy type informed Clay, whose jaw dropped along with everyone else's.

"Now let's finish this! Flash Cannon!"

Unleashing another powerful blast of silver light from his mouth, Dicax turned his back to his opponent and pumped his hand in the air victoriously even though the attack was still closing in on Excadrill. When it did, the mole was thrown past Clay and against the wall made of rock. Slinking down to the ground, Excadrill's eyes were shut tight, and the referee threw his arms in the air.

"Excadrill is unable to battle! That means Gray, Furcifer, Advena, and Dicax are the winners!"

"Way to go, Dicax! That was amazing!" Gray screamed as she ran over to the Hoenn Pokemon and embraced him. "Thanks so much for your help!" she exclaimed, putting a proud smile on the Mawile's face.

Clay, meanwhile, withdrew Excadrill and smiled at the victors while grabbing a badge from his pocket. After making his way over to Gray's side, the man tipped his cap and then cleared his throat.

"You and those Pokemon battled yur tails off, Gray. As a sign of yur victory, I give you the Quake Badge," Clay announced as he handed Gray the piece of metal, which looked like two plates hitting into one another.

The girl bowed along with Dicax, Advena, and Furcifer, who had been released from her Poke Ball.

"Thank you, Clay. We only have three badges to go before qualifying for the Unova League!" Gray hollered, jumping in the air with all of her Pokemon, which made Clay laugh. "Come on, everyone! Let's go!"

Sprinting out of the room, Gray and the others raced towards the elevator they had arrived in. Once it began ascending, the brunette put the tiny piece of metal in her badge case and immediately frowned while eyeing the other four.

 _"Bellator helped us get those,"_ she thought to herself before sighing inaudibly.

* * *

 **Well, somehow Gray managed to win that without Bellator, but hey, a win's a win. Anyhow, Furcifer, Advena, and Dicax pulled off the victory and the Gym Battles from here on out are going to be brutal. Next chapter will focus on Flare and Plasma, but that's really it. It's also really short, but no need to fret, because I'll be posting all of this arc tonight. Till then, peace out.  
**

 **1\. Advena and Dicax tho?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Two Roads, Two Powers"**_

 ** _Flare and Plasma begin planning their next moves, and the two, having targeted different things, devise plots that are bound to interfere with each other. What are Flare and Plasma's plans, and what are they targeting?_**

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 60** **:** **Teacher and Student** **  
** **Chapter 61:** **Face-to-face with Confrontation**


	59. Two Roads, Two Powers

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Well, we're back with another update, and yeah. Last chapter, Gray defeated Clay in a Gym Battle in which she used Furcifer, Advena, and Dicax. This chapter is really short, and is geared more towards building hype for Flare and Plasma, so it shouldn't take too long to read. Now let's get going!**

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 40, Razor Wind, Gust, Super Fang, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"So you're telling me you retreated because they had a bunch of Full Restores?" Lysandre asked Dominic while sitting in his apartment in Castelia City before taking a swig of wine. "That's the reason for not killing those two and taking the Dewott?"

Dominic and Typhlosion, who were standing in front of the redheaded man, nodded solemnly. Neither of the two looked like they were going to go back on their explanation, prompting Lysandre to put his glass of wine down on the table to his right. Then, rising to his feet, the businessman turned his back to the mercenary he hired.

"Very well. I want you to take the admins and kill them as soon as possible, do you understand me?" the wealthy man inquired, his back still facing Dominic.

The intimidating man grabbed the dog tag hanging around his neck and he closed his hand around it.

"Yeah. What about the Elgyem you were talking about? Should I try catching it too?" Dominic inquired while glancing at Typhlosion, who began cracking his knuckles at the thought of battling Fortis and Charizard again.

Turning ever so slightly, Lysandre smirked wickedly. Dominic, unfazed by the expression, remained still and waited for an answer, as did Typhlosion. Slowly, Lysandre began walking towards Dominic, and Pyroar, who had been laying down, got up after sensing his trainer's energy change.

"No. I'll catch it."

 **000**

Meanwhile, in the sewers of Castelia City, Ghetsis sat at a table across from the Shadow Triad, all of whom were bowing.

"You know, for being in a sewer, this office of yours is really nice, sir," one of the ninjas remarked before being smacked across the face by another. "Sorry. It's impressive, and I wanted to let him know," the masked person continued, making the other two ninjas shake their heads.

Ghetsis, however, laughed at the comment and nodded at the ninja that had complimented his office before shifting his focus to the several dozen guards around the room. Each of them froze up nervously and refused to make eye contact with the intimidating man, putting a wicked smile on his face. Rising from his chair, Ghetsis folded his hands behind his back and began walking around, shooting terrifying looks at the grunts.

"Listen up, people. We're about to do something that will change the fate of the world. If we can execute this plan successfully, it will be for the greater good of humanity," Ghetsis fibbed, drawing nods from all of the idiots. "The Shadow Triad has been working night and day with little to no sleep searching for the one that betrayed us several years ago. Lucky for us, they found traces of him in the woods by Mistralton City, which is where we will be going."

All of the grunts nodded in response, and Ghetsis snickered.

"Now get out of my office and bring Colress in!" he snapped.

The enormous group of grunts poured out of the room at a breakneck pace and began screaming for Colress, which made Ghetsis laugh heartily as he sat back down in his chair behind the oak desk. Putting his hands over his chest and kicking his feet onto the masterfully crafted object, he began whistling a harmonious tune until the sound of footsteps echoed through the halls of the sewers.

"Sir, would you like us to leave?" one of the Shadow Triad asked, resulting in Ghetsis shaking his head. "Very well."

The three ninjas remained silent and continued sitting in front of their boss until the man Ghetsis had called arrived. Once he did, the leader of Team Plasma motioned for Colress to make his way to the table, which he did immediately.

"You called, sir?" Colress asked quietly, drawing a nod from his boss. "May I ask what for?"

"Is your work with Mega Evolution ready?" the taller man questioned immediately. "Because I want you, these three, and myself to have it when we go to Mistralton City."

Colress nodded and began writing down notes on a piece of paper, causing Ghetsis and the three ninjas to raise their eyebrows in confusion.

"I'll have everything ready for you within the next day."

* * *

 **Well, that was insanely short, but hey, there are still two more chapters to read! Anyhow, Flare and Plasma are targeting separate things, and some insane stuff is going to go down! Next chapter will focus on how the gang is handling Bellator's departure. Till then, peace out.**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Teacher and Student"**_

 _ **Having learned about Bellator's departure, Gray's team suffers a serious case of depression, and everyone is lost. One member, however, decides to take matters into their own hands. What are they planning, and who is it?**_

* * *

 **Driftveil City Arc**

 **Chapter 61:** **Face-to-face with Confrontation**


	60. Teacher and Student

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Oh, look who's already here. Well, I guess I'll just recap some stuff. Last chapter, Flare and Plasma announced their plans to chase after certain targets, and that was it... huh, pretty underwhelming, if you ask me. This chapter will focus on how Gray and her Pokemon respond to Bellator's departure. Another chapter will be posted later tonight, but let's focus on this. Now let's get going!**

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 40, Razor Wind, Gust, Super Fang, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)** **  
**

* * *

Sitting in her room in the Pokemon Center, Gray took a deep breath before looking at Alain, Noah, and White. Then, she turned to each of her Pokemon and ran a hand through her hair. Everyone except Potens and Fortis looked around, anxiously waiting for Gray to finally explain why she had called them together. She continued taking deep breaths, however, and Alain began to groan in agitation, grabbing everyone's attention.

"I hate to sound like an ass, but could you please just tell us what's on your mind? White and I need to train," the Kalosian requested, drawing a nod from the brunette sitting a few feet away.

Then, opening her mouth to speak, Gray was suddenly cut off when one of her Pokemon spoke up.

"Hey, where's Bellator?" Celsus quizzed, making everyone look around furiously while Gray stared off into space. Once he noticed Gray wasn't doing anything, Noah began tapping the others to make them stop, and they all stared at Gray in shock after realizing what her reaction meant.

The Pokemon, however, didn't quite understand what the trainers did.

"When did he leave?" White asked gently as she approached Gray, who shook her head. White immediately backed away and she caught a glimpse of Fortis nodding at her as if he were trying to say that her gesture was appreciated.

"Last night," Potens answered, making her teammates gasp at the same time as the trainers. "I could've stopped him," she continued, shaking her head while staring at the ground. "I could've stopped him."

"So what happened!?" Unicus shouted, turning to Gray and then back to Potens, both of whom remained silent.

Everyone waited, and the silence of the room began taking on a life of its own, swallowing the voices of the Kantonian and her Noibat. Unicus walked up to Gray and stared her in the eyes, hoping to get an answer from the girl. Somehow, her tactics worked, and Gray cleared her throat.

"I fell asleep, and then when I woke up, I saw Bellator walking out of the Pokemon Center," the eighteen year old started, staring into space. "I followed him and asked where he was going, and he told me I made things harder by waking up."

Potens continued hanging her head as she listened to Gray recap what had happened the night before, which caught Fortis' attention. However, he didn't make anything of it, instead remaining silent just like everyone else in the room.

"Then he told me... he said..." Gray paused and looked around to see the shocked expressions on everyones' faces. "He said we were holding him back," she whispered, eliciting screams of rage from all of her Pokemon. Even Advena, who was detached from human and Pokemon emotions, was enraged by Bellator's comment.

"There's no way Bellator would say that... right?" Celsus proclaimed before looking around, not knowing the answer after seeing how Gray was slouched over. "Potens, tell me he didn't do that."

Every one of Gray's Pokemon turned their attention to Potens, and White, Noah, and Alain looked at one another before the second called for Gray's attention.

"We're going to go outside and let you guys talk about this on your own. It's really not our business," Noah explained, drawing a simple nod from the emotionally destroyed girl, who continued staring at nothing as if she were a zombie.

Once the door closed, all of the Pokemon turned to Gray and waited for her to say something, but she didn't. Instead, she rose to her feet and walked over to her bed, collapsing into it limply. Fortis turned away from the brunette, not wanting to see her in the condition she was in, opting to look at the younger bunch of Pokemon.

"Fortis, what do we do? Bellator was the strongest on the team," Furcifer asked the dragon type, who was caught off guard by the question. As soon as it was asked, Potens' facial expression changed from one of sorrow to that of rage.

"Yeah, he was far and away the best battler. Hell, he beat Charizard and even Ferus couldn't do that!" Unicus exclaimed before falling on her rear end. "We're done for. There's no way we can win the Unova League without him."

Each question that reached her ears made Potens scowl even more until, finally, she snapped and spun around to glare at her teammates.

"You're all ridiculous! Do you know that!? Just because we lost _one_ strong teammate, we're done just like that?" she shouted, looking at each of the Pokemon before her, who didn't make a sound. "How do we get over losing someone so strong?" the Noibat asked in an obnoxious voice as a means of mocking the others. "It's not rocket science! You train!" the dragon type screamed at the top of her lungs, snapping Gray out of her funk immediately.

While the five other Pokemon were at a loss for words and looked at one another with defeated expressions, they all shook their heads.

"You don't get it, Potens. Bellator was special," Unicus muttered, silencing the purple bat.

With that, Potens stormed out of the room while the rest of Gray's Pokemon sat down, not knowing what to do. Looking around the room, Fortis shook his head and left Gray and the lost Pokemon. As soon as he entered the hallway, Fortis turned to his left and walked towards the battlefield behind the building. Upon pushing the door open and stepping foot outside, the dragon and ground type saw Potens flying around, performing attack after attack after attack.

Smiling at the sight, Fortis stood in silence and continued watching the smaller dragon train for what had to have been two hours. Eventually, the bat landed on the ground and slouched over, panting furiously. The older Pokemon, figuring Potens had finished her training, attempted to walk forwards, but stopped when he watched her resume training.

 _"It's like she isn't going to stop,"_ the Flygon thought to himself in shock as Potens continued performing attacks without letting up. _"This is incredible!"_

Another thirty minutes or so passed before Potens finally stopped training. Landing on the ground, the dragon type's legs gave out and she landed on her face, panting wildly, which made Fortis fly over to her side. Before he landed, he noticed Potens began pushing herself up, bringing a smile to the larger Pokemon's face.

"Hey," he called, landing a few feet away from the Noibat. "Are you okay? You got really fired up back there," Fortis continued, pointing at the Pokemon Center, which made the younger Pokemon scowl.

"They're idiots," she spat, turning away from the Flygon before nearly collapsing. "Bellator's replaceable. Everyone is," Potens continued spitefully. "What are you doing out here?"

Fortis laughed at the hostility and looked up at the sky before responding.

"Whenever something serious happens, I always go outside and look at the sky. It calms me down," the Hoenn Pokemon responded. "I can tell that what they said bothered you, though."

Potens recoiled at the statement and glared at Fortis, who lowered his head and locked eyes with her, refusing to be intimidated by the tiny creature. Seeing the intense look in Fortis' eyes, Potens turned away and hung her head.

"I need to get stronger," she whispered, making the larger dragon's ears perk up. "I won't let what he said be true," Potens added, looking up at her trainer's strongest Pokemon. "Now if you don't mind, I need to train," she said, trying to kick Fortis off the battlefield. However, her legs gave out and she slammed against the ground face first.

"Here, let me help-"

"No."

Stepping back after hearing the determination behind the Noibat's voice, Fortis cracked a grin and folded his arms over his chest. Watching closely, he was shocked when she pushed herself off the ground and began flying. However, Potens was unable to keep herself airborne and she crashed into the ground once again.

"Potens," Fortis started, suppressing a grin. "What did he say to you?"

The dragon type stopped trying to fly, and she looked up at the sky in an attempt to calm herself down, making the Flygon flinch slightly. Looking at the purple bat, Fortis saw himself instead.

"You're not worth my time, Potens. You never were, and you never will be," the Noibat replied, quoting Bellator, which made her snarl wildly.

Fortis grinned at the response and extended a hand to the younger dragon, who refused the help.

 _"I knew it,"_ Fortis thought to himself, while nodding, which puzzled Potens.

"You and I are going to train together every day and night for the rest of the time I'm here starting tomorrow. I'll make sure Bellator's wrong about you," Fortis stated as he turned his back to Potens and began walking inside, leaving the Noibat with an ear-to-ear grin on her face.

 _"Bellator may be special, but Potens... she has once in a lifetime strength."_

* * *

 **Wow! That's some high praise coming from Fortis, and it looks like Potens is kinda destined to become the new powerhouse. Speaking of which, if any of you remember me talking about one of Gray's Pokemon being Fortis2.0 back in Johto, well, it's Potens. It has been, and will be Potens. Next chapter will set the stage for an epic arc filled with action (potentially), so make sure you bring an extra pair of underwear, or whatever the hell you want. Remember, there's still another update coming later tonight, so make sure to check between 8:30-9:30. Till then, peace out.  
**

 **1\. Powerhouse Potens hype?  
2\. Do you like the idea of Fortis and Potens (or Fortis2.0) training together?  
3\. Also, no arc preview because I might add another chapter to this one**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Face-to-Face with Confrontation"**_

 ** _On their way to Mistralton City, the group is stopped by a familiar face who warns them of looming danger. Who is this person, and what kind of danger is the group getting into?_**


	61. Face-to-Face with Confrontation!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Well, here's the fifth and final update for today. Last chapter focused on the emotions of Gray's team, which is basically just everyone quitting, except Potens, who's going to be taken under Fortis' wing, no pun intended. He then went on to say Potens had once in a lifetime strength, so yeah, she's going to be an absolute monster in the future. So long, Bellator XD This chapter will focus on an upcoming hype bomb, so let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yes, yes I did :D Thanks for the idea, by the way. It won't be Mega Evolution per se but their Pokemon will be supercharged by Colress' invention. And Bellator is pretty special, considering the thing Red said about Synchro Evolution (which will be moot later), and the fox transformation he has, but you're right. Somehow he will become replaceable thanks to Potens and Fortis XD Thanks!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Fortis training Potens is going to be huge for Gray's league hopes, Potens will become a lot more vocal, more emotion is set to come (not all the time, but hopefully more frequently), and Unicus will be a complete noob along with the others for a short while XD_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _She is, but she's not at the same time. Hard to explain really, but yeah. Sadly, no Mega Noivern (as badass as that would be), but she'll get some kind of boost. Any reason for wanting Potens to train on her own, or is it just something in your gut?_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yis, powerhouse hype is so real right now! She'll be stepping up soon, but when she recognizes her full power is unknown :/_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 40, Razor Wind, Gust, Super Fang, Wing Attack, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Let's go, Potens! Come at me!" Fortis shouted, motioning for the smaller Pokemon to attack.

Potens, who was covered in scratches and bruises, attempted to push herself off the ground, but her wings gave out and she face planted. Fortis shook his head in disappointment, firing up the Noibat, who shot off the ground and soared through the air at a breakneck pace. Then, while enveloped in neon green energy, she began flying in random directions before crashing into Fortis at an unprecedented speed.

Alain, White, and Noah watched from the sidelines in shock while Gray and her Pokemon remained silent, moping in their own sorrow. Even as an explosion occurred only a few dozen feet away, the brunette refused to look up. The other Pokemon did, however, and began cheering for Potens, who let out a powerful roar in response. After bowing to Fortis, Potens flew over to Gray and smiled at her, hoping the girl would look up.

"Gray, did you see that?" White shouted as she ran over to her friend and shook her wildly. "Potens was amazing!"

Slowly lifting her head, Gray saw the dragon type standing in front of her with a smile, but she grunted in response, crushing Potens' joy. As soon as she did so, Gray heard an angry pair of footsteps close in on her, and she looked up blankly to see Alain glaring at her.

"Are you going to say anything?" he interrogated, waiting for Gray to speak to Potens, which she didn't do. "You know what, Gray? You've been nothing but a pain in the ass these past few days, moping around like someone killed your cat or something," the Kalosian continued, glaring daggers at the younger girl. "I've had it! We've had it! Your Pokemon have had it!"

Gray, still unfazed by the screaming, waited for Alain to catch his breath and watched as he ran a hand through his hair. Then, taking a deep breath to calm himself, the black haired trainer locked eyes with Gray, waiting for a response.

"Is that it?" she replied monotonously.

Charizard watched Alain's right eye twitch as if he were a lunatic, and the nineteen year old nearly rung Gray's neck. He was stopped, however, by Celsus stepping in-between him and his trainer. He then turned to Gray and saw that her facial expression hadn't changed, and he shook his head along with the others.

"He's right, Gray. It sucks that Bellator's gone, but we all have to get over it and start working as hard as we can. In a way, it's a good thing that he left, because now we can't rely on him."

Gray continued staring at the giraffe before sighing. Before she could make another remark, the girl felt a gust of wind blow against her back, and she turned to see Fortis glaring at her. Staring into the dragon's red eyes, Gray gasped all of a sudden and seemed to be snapped out of her trance. Almost immediately afterwards, she hugged Potens and then Celsus, which put a stupid smile on White's face, and a slight grin on Alain's.

"I'm sorry guys. I know Bellator left last week, but I know it's going to take a while to get over," she announced, drawing nods from all of the Pokemon except Potens, who glared at her and stomped.

"Forget about that jerk! I'll make sure you don't ever have to think about him again!" Potens proclaimed, making Fortis laugh to himself while Gray patted the purple creature on her head.

Rising from her seat, Gray then bowed to Fortis appreciatively.

"Thanks for helping Potens train, Fortis. And that Acrobatics attack was amazing!" the brunette commended, prompting the dragons to bow in response. "How much longer do you think it's going to take to get to Mistralton from here?"

Noah opened his Pokedex and searched for the answer to Gray's question before looking up at her and smiling.

"It should only be two days, and that's including breaks. So it's really not that far if we want to get there as quickly as possible."

The group nodded and everyone sat down on the grass while listening to wild Pokemon scurry about. A pair of eyes stared at the group intently before the owner of said eyes vanished, drawing the attention of Fortis and Charizard.

"What's wrong, guys?" Arcanine quizzed, turning to the strongest Pokemon of the group, who glanced at one another before shrugging, not knowing what they had sensed. "Wait a second, have you two battled yet?" the fire dog asked.

Both Pokemon shook their heads along with Alain and Gray, making Arcanine jump slightly.

"That would be a great battle! Alain wants to beat every Mega Evolution, and Fortis is definitely strong enough to give Charizard a run for his money!"

The two duos looked at one another and grinned before getting up, and they immediately prepared to battle. While doing so, the same set of eyes that had been watching them returned with another pair, and they began to whisper to each other. What neither of the stalkers realized was that Boldore, Palpitoad, and Snivy were staring directly at them, as was White, and the brunette immediately acted.

"Use Power Gem, Hydro Pump, and Leaf Tornado," the girl whispered, drawing nods from the three.

Suddenly, Boldore shot a blast of white energy, Palpitoad fired a dark blue stream of water, and Snivy sent a spiraling wave of leaves at the same time. Unaware of the triple attack, the two stalkers were launched out of the tree, but they managed to land on their feet, causing everyone to turn around in shock. Once they realized they were the center of attention, the recipients of White's attack sweat dropped before bowing to the group.

The male's long green hair immediately grabbed Gray's attention, and she gasped, along with White and Noah, when the trainer and his Pokemon looked up with fearful expressions.

"N? Zoroark?" Noah, White, and Gray asked in unison.

The male and his Pokemon, who were panting wildly, ran over to the group and immediately spoke up in fear.

"Please, we need your help."

 **000**

"I've detected the Elgyem's power," a blue haired woman announced as she turned to her counterparts.

Women with green, red, and purple hair all nodded in response, but they stopped when a bulky man wearing red goggles stepped forwards with his Malamar, who gave off an evil aura.

"Good, now all we have to do is follow the boss' orders, and we'll take that thin in no time," the man replied, drawing nods from each of the four women. "Aliana, Celosia, Mable, you three will go together and take out the kid with the Arcanine and the girl with the Snivy."

"Right," all three replied in unison.

"Bryony, you kill the girl with the Dewott, and make it quick before that thing can go into that weird fox-form."

"Not a problem, Xerosic," the woman answered while saluting alongside her Bisharp. "So who are you going to battle?" Bryony asked shortly afterwards, causing Xerosic to sweat drop.

"My job is to take out Alain and Charizard. Nothing too-"

Xerosic was cut off by the sound of someone chuckling, causing him to turn around, only to spot Dominic, who was shaking his head at the foolish scientist. As he walked over to the Flare admins, Dominic looked around along with Typhlosion, and he rubbed his chin.

"Your job, actually, is to report back to Lysandre," the mercenary stated, making everyone laugh at Xerosic while his face turned bright red. "Killing Alain and his Charizard is _our_ job. Right, Typhlosion?" the intimidating man asked his strongest Pokemon, who grunted in response. "Just make sure you don't get in over your heads, okay? I want this to be quick."

"Yes, sir," the Flare admins replied.

"Good. Now let's go."

 **000**

"So the King got away, did he?" one of the Shadow Triad asked a grunt, who nodded. "Very well. Lord Ghetsis, Colress, should we go after him?" the ninja questioned, drawing a nod from his leader. "Okay. Guys, let's go. We have a job to do."

With that, the ninjas disappeared in the blink of an eye and began searching for N and Zoroark.

"My lord, what may I do to assist?" Colress quizzed, turning to his boss, who shrugged in response.

"I don't know, do whatever you want, I guess," Ghetsis replied, causing his lead scientist to sweat drop. "All I know is that I'm ready to crack some skulls. I don't care who stands in my way, I will kill N!"

* * *

 **Oh, oh dear. This is getting bad very quickly, isn't it? So, this chapter was really rushed, but I think the action that ensues will be more than able to make up for it. Basically, Flare and Plasma are going to attack the group at the same time, and we're going to have a repeat of the Nimbasa Arc, except the organizations will meet and battle one another. Next chapter will the beginning of the attack, and I'm thinking I'll also add in a lot more detail in regards to N and Zoroark showing up out of the blue. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Predictions for this arc's chapters?  
2\. Flare vs Plasma hype?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Hunt Begins"**_

 _ **With the group right in the crosshairs of both Flare and Plasma, utter chaos ensues when the two organizations attack! When everyone is separated and forced into battling, who will make it out alive?**_

* * *

 **Cosmic Arc**

 **Chapter 63: Potens' Potential! Beat Bisharp!  
Chapter 64: Fortis vs Hydreigon: Enter Ghetsis!  
Chapter 65: Power vs Potential!  
Chapter 66: All Out War: Flare vs Plasma!  
Chapter 67: Goodbye, Advena**


	62. The Hunt Begins

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Heyo! Time for the first chapter of the Cosmic Arc, and this is where things start to get hectic. Last chapter, Potens learned Acrobatics during her training with Fortis, Gray seemed to have gotten over Bellator (that won't be the case a little later, but for now I needed that to happen), and things ended with Gray and Fortis getting ready to battle Alain and Charizard, only to be interrupted by N and Zoroark appearing. This chapter, Flare and Plasma will be attacking, and there'll be a mini battle along with all of the battles for the arc being set up. Now let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Very bad situation XD The entire arc is just them trying to kick the group's ass and the group trying to make it out alive, so hopefully it's good. Update spam hype!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Wooh! Cosmic Arc hype! I'm 100% confident that you're going to be blown away by one of these chapters (I won't name it), and there's going to be a battle unlike any other I've written_

 **dragonplayer18:** _There won't be a Mega duel between them, but there's going to be a massive battle. Like... enormous. I really can't overstate it (actually, I can, but whatever), and there are going to be a lot more people than just those two. Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure Ghetsis isn't even in that battle_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I don't know what you mean by her missing things, but thanks for answering. And evolutions (in this story) can happen at any level. With Potens, I've held it off for a while so that it'd at least be semi-realistic if she were to evolve early as opposed to, say, 32. Why would you hope for Advena getting taken? XD I mean, that'd make things a lot more interesting now that I think about it... but still, come on man! In all honesty, I forgot about the poll, but thanks for letting me know!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _You have no idea how badly my eyes burn or how out of whack my brain is after writing those. Holy shit. Nice predictions (eyes hurt too much to say anything else)_

 **Defender31415:** _Ayy! Fortis will be battling at least twice, and Potens will be battling at least once. It may not seem like much, but they're both going to be in really long battles, especially Potens. And I like the idea of having one of the teams turn Bellator against Gray, which was something I was thinking of doing_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 40, Razor Wind, Gust, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

The group stood around while N had a terrified expression on his face, almost as if he had seen a ghost. While panting, the older trainer put his hands on his knees and hung his head while Zoroark, realizing her friend wasn't going to talk, spoke up.

"We have a problem," the dark type informed each of the four other humans, who tilted their heads in confusion. "Gray, Noah, White, you know about the Shadow Triad," Zoroark continued.

The bipedal Pokemon watched the aforementioned trio nod, which perplexed Alain and Charizard, the former of whom cleared his throat loudly in order to gain the attention of his traveling partners. Upon doing so, each of the three sweat dropped and Alain walked towards N.

"Alain and Charizard, that's N and his friend, Zoroark. We helped 'em out back in Castelia City when Team Plasma was trying to attack both of them," White explained while looking at the Kalosian, who nodded in response and extended a hand. "N, Zoroark, these are our friends, Alain and his Charizard," the sixteen year old continued. "They're both extremely strong and-"

"Nice to meet you," Alain greeted, shaking N's hand while Charizard and Zoroark nodded at one another. "So, who's this Team Plasma?" the nineteen year old inquired while cracking his knuckles, hiding the fact that he knew the answer.

Charizard glanced at his trainer and gnashed his teeth, remembering his encounter with the Plasma grunts that had tried stealing Alice's Solosis in Nimbasa City, as well as the few seconds he had seen the strange, blonde-haired man that wielded an Aggron, which had lost to Gray and Ferus. Zoroark watched as N stood up straight and nodded at Alain, tipping his cap shortly afterwards as a sign of respect.

Then, shifting his attention to Alain's attire, the green haired trainer recognized the black haired trainer after seeing his Mega Bracelet, which immediately brought back memories of the time he had watched Charizard Mega Evolve from the roof of a building in Castelia City.

"It's a pleasure," the green haired trainer replied. "So, as Zoroark was saying, Team Plasma is currently pursuing us, and she managed to find you all just in time."

Raising their eyebrows in unison, the four trainers turned to one another before Charizard, Arcanine, Fortis, Unicus, and Snivy began to grin. Recognizing the looks on the faces of their Pokemon, Gray, White, Alain, and Noah sighed before turning back to N and nodding.

"We'll help you out," Noah stated, putting a thankful smile on N's face. "Besides, if it's just those three ninjas that Gray crushed a few months back, how hard could it be now?" he asked rhetorically.

Ironically, a blue orb struck the ground in the middle of all five humans, and they shouted in shock while diving in several different directions. Once the smoke created from the explosion cleared, everyone looked up and saw a Lucario with its arm wrapped around N's neck, charging an Aura Sphere attack in his other hand. Putting the attack closer to N's face, the fighting type shifted its eyes between the large group and began backing away.

"Sceptile, Energy Ball," a person whispered to their Pokemon in the trees.

For a second time, everyone dove out of the way of a green sphere of solar energy, and it exploded as soon as it hit the ground. After a few moments, the smoke dissipated and Gray grabbed all of the Poke Balls on her belt to withdraw her Pokemon except for her Noibat. White did the same while Potens flapped her wings as hard as she could, creating a gale force wind.

Charizard and Fortis assisted the smaller Pokemon and the result of the combined effort was the leaves of all the trees in the area being torn off the branches. After that happened, three people dressed in ninja attire were revealed, and two of them were standing next to a Sceptile and a Toxicroak. The third, who was alone, suddenly appeared a few feet to the side of Lucario and pointed at N, causing everyone else to flinch slightly.

"Listen up. All we want is to take N and Zoroark, and we'll be on our way," the ninja announced calmly, hoping to avoid any confrontation with Gray, White, Noah, and Alain, the first of whom grabbed a capsule from her belt subtly. "We don't have any issues with you, and we just want to get out of here."

Zoroark snarled at the Shadow Triad member before her, but stopped when the person's Lucario put his Aura Sphere attack an inch away from N's face. The two ninjas, Sceptile, and Toxicroak then appeared by their ally's side and looked as if they had no intention of fighting.

"Not a chance," Gray retorted, making the three scowl underneath their masks. "Advena, Psychic!"

After tapping the button on her Pokemon's capsule, Gray threw her hand forwards and watched as Advena materialized from the light. As she did, the psychic type's eyes began to glow light blue and lines of the same color appeared around the bodies of all three ninja's and their Pokemon. N slowly made his way back to his friends' sides and bowed to each of them thankfully at the same time as Zoroark before glaring at the Shadow Triad.

"Let's finish these guys, Charizard," Alain said coldly, making the evil trio curse. "Dragon Claw, let's go!"

Shooting forwards to knock out the three Pokemon that were being held in place by Advena, Charizard let out a menacing roar while his hands were engulfed in neon green energy, which took the shape of massive claws. Then, spinning acrobatically, the winged lizard attempted to slash all three Pokemon, but little did anyone realize a third party was lurking and ready to enter the fray.

"Intercept it!"

Before Charizard could land his attack, a gigantic figure appeared in-between him and his targets, grabbing a hold of the winged lizard's hands, which made everyone, including the Shadow Triad.

Stepping out of the woods and into the opening, an all too familiar face smirked while stretching their arms out wide. Much to the dismay of Gray, White, Noah, and Alain, three other people followed the first and shared a wicked smile. Behind the trio were a Drapion, Weavile, and Druddigon, all of which had eager expressions plastered on their faces.

"Who are they?" N and Zoroark asked in unison rather loudly as Advena, who had exhausted her energy holding the Shadow Triad and their Pokemon, suddenly dropped to her knees.

The three women in red with goggles covering their eyes scoffed at the question while the man that they had followed cracked his knuckles and then his neck, intimidating everyone in attendance except Alain and Charizard.

"Team Flare," Arcanine replied as he stepped forwards, glaring at the Drapion and its trainer. "They attacked Nimbasa City after Team Plasma destroyed it," he continued while turning to the confused duo.

"Yeah, the three women are admins, and that guy behind the Rhyperior's named Dominic," Unicus added, snapping her claws while Potens and Fortis checked on Advena along with Gray. "Be careful, because they're all really strong."

"Noted," Zoroark replied while lowering herself to the ground as if she were about to charge.

"Rhyperior, Hammer Arm!" Dominic shouted, grabbing the attention of everyone.

Suddenly, the bipedal rhino reared his arm back while it was surging with bright red energy. A strange noise filled the air and both groups unaffiliated with Flare stared in awe once they realized Rhyperior's attack was the cause of the sound. While the others remained silent and awestruck, Noah stepped forwards with Arcanine.

"Not on our watch! Arcanine, take off with Extreme Speed and strike with Iron Tail!" the eighteen year old commanded.

Arcanine took off at the speed of light, and he was engulfed in bright white energy. Upon closing in on Rhyperior, he jumped up while his tail was glowing silver, and he spun like a wheel in hopes of spiking the rock type into the ground. However, Dominic's allies hurried to his aide.

"Keep Arcanine at a distance with Cross Poison!" Celosia shouted to her Drapion.

The imposing dark type quickly threw both of her arms like an 'X' and sent a purple blast of energy in the same shape at Arcanine. Upon seeing the trajectory of the Flare admin's attack and that it was going to hit Arcanine, White stomped with her right foot and glanced at Boldore.

"Destroy it with Flash Cannon, buddy!" she yelled.

Boldore took aim and shot a powerful blast of silver energy from his mouth, which collided with Drapion's Cross Poison. Despite his attack being overpowered, Boldore cheered along with Palpitoad and Snivy after watching Arcanine strike Rhyperior and evade the poison type attack. Once he was hit, Rhyperior lost his hold on Charizard and stumbled backwards while holding his head.

"Now use Lead Blade on Rhyperior!" one of the Shadow Triad members barked.

Due to their inactivity, the Plasma members were able to take Dominic and his subordinates by surprise.

"Keep those other three busy with Sludge Bomb, Toxicroak!"

"Help out by firing Aura Sphere repeatedly!"

All three Pokemon obeyed and sprinted towards their targets, who had all flinched in shock. Sceptile let out a loud roar before slashing Dominic's Rhyperior across the chest with his glowing, light green blade, sending the rock type flying back. Meanwhile, Toxicroak shot several bullets of poison at Drapion, Weavile, and Druddigon, who were pelted by the powerful move. Before they could have any time to think, Lucario's wave of Aura Sphere attacks slammed into the three Pokemon, who cried out in pain while being thrown backwards.

While the Flare group's Pokemon rose to their feet, the Shadow Triad and their Pokemon jumped several feet back to form a triangle of sorts, which created even more tension. All three groups began glancing at one another, waiting for someone to make a move until Dominic spoke up with a smug look on his face.

"So who do you idiots think you are?" he questioned aggressively, causing the three ninjas to scowl.

"Servants to the most powerful trainer in the world, that's who," the one on the far right replied, his Toxicroak nodding in agreement. "What about you and those three freaks?"

Chuckling at the comment, Dominic turned to his three associates, who had red, blue, and purple hair.

"Team Flare," Aliana replied while her Druddigon roared.

"We'll crush you like the bugs you are when we rule the world," Celosia added, licking her lips sadistically while Drapion snapped his pincers as if he were preparing to behead someone.

"And there's no chance in hell you can beat us," Mable concluded as Weavile sharpened his claws. "Let's kick their asses!"

While the two groups bickered back and forth, Noah, Gray, and White withdrew their Pokemon and started tiptoeing away with Zoroark and N while Fortis, Charizard, and Alain remained still. The youngest of the group looked at her friends in confusion after noticing Alain and the winged creatures hadn't moved a muscle. Due to stopping, the group drew the attention of Dominic and the admins, as well as the Shadow Triad, which made White and Noah sweat drop while Gray and N froze up.

"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" the enemies shouted in unison, causing them to look at each other before glancing back at the fleeing group.

"Enough's enough. We're settling this right here, right now! We're going to kill you two and take the Elgyem and Dewott!" Mable shouted while Celosia nodded and grinned at the proclamation. "Weavile, Metal Claw!"

The bipedal ice type sprinted along the grassy area while his claws began to extend and glow silver, but White's quick thinking was able to counteract the speedy Pokemon.

"Palpitoad, help us out with Muddy Water!" the rookie screamed, hurling a Poke Ball from her belt, which released her first caught Pokemon.

Appearing a few feet in front of the group, Palpitoad stomped on the ground, creating a tidal wave of disgusting, brown water. As it crashed along the grass and rolled towards Weavile, the ice type smirked before hurdling it, making White and Palpitoad gasp in shock. However, their broken focus was shielded by her friends' composure, prompting one to step forwards.

"We can't sit by and let everyone else do the al the work!" N shouted to Zoroark, who nodded and charged at Weavile. "Shadow Claw!"

The bipedal creature howled while her arms were shrouded in black and purple energy before lunging and swinging at Mable's Weavile, who she overpowered with relative ease. While releasing a victorious howl to the sky, Zoroark was too consumed by her emotions to realize she had presented both groups of opponents with an opportunity to deal a devastating blow.

"Now's our chance, Lucario! Force Palm!" one of the Shadow Triad members ordered.

In the blink of an eye, the aura-wielding Pokemon appeared right next to Zoroark while a bright ball of yellow light shone out of his right palm. Much to the dog's dismay, Zoroark evaded. However, she slipped and landed on her back, putting a wicked grin on Lucario's face.

"You forgot about us, pal!" White shouted slickly, grabbing the attention of the ninja and his Pokemon. "Hit 'em with Mud Shot!"

Palpitoad swung his tongue and sent dozens of mud bullets at Lucario, who was unable to dodge. As a result of the multiple hits, the steel type skidded along the ground and grunted in pain while trying to rise to his feet, giving the group of travelers a chance to discuss strategy.

"Guys, I think if we split up, we can take both groups," N announced, drawing shocked reactions from Gray and Noah while White and Alain nodded in agreement. "White and I will stick together," the green haired trainer concluded while exchanging a high five with White.

"I want Dominic," Alain hissed while clenching his right fist tightly, drawing a pair of nods from Noah and Gray.

"Okay. Fortis, stay with White and N, and don't let anything happen to them, no matter what," the brunette ordered, drawing a nod from her Flygon, who spread his wings and let out a roar. "Let's go, Noah!" Gray screamed, grabbing the attention of both groups before she and her friend took off with Arcanine in tow.

While they did so, Alain and Charizard locked eyes with Dominic, and the man in his mid-twenties snickered at his targets' confidence. Then, drawing a Poke Ball, he enlarged it and pointed at the younger duo.

"Remember, this is your death wish!"

"Bring it on!" Charizard and Alain roared in unison while the latter hopped onto his Pokemon's back.

While the winged lizard took off in the direction opposite of Noah, Gray, and Arcanine, Alain watched as Dominic released his Fearow and pursued. After a few seconds of flying, the fire type landed in an area with little space due to all of the trees, and Dominic's Fearow did the same before being withdrawn.

"I'm going to make sure this is the last time you both breathe," the mercenary announced, putting a smirk on Alain's face. "Typhlosion, go!"

 **000**

Meanwhile, as she continued sprinting, Gray began to lose steam. As soon as she did, the girl was grabbed and she screamed while her speed increased dramatically. Before she knew it, Gray was sitting on Arcanine's back, and the fire type was navigating his way through the woods with little trouble. Noah, who was in front of her, turned back and flashed a smile that made her laugh. She stopped, however, when a large wave of light flashed in her eyes.

"Hey, there's an opening right up ahead!" she exclaimed while pointing past Noah, who nodded in response and tapped Arcanine's side.

Arcanine grunted in response and continued sprinting until he exited the woods. Upon doing so, the fire type stopped immediately and slammed his heels on the ground while his eyes went wide. Both Noah and White had the same reaction, and they screamed after seeing a sudden drop-off. Somehow, Arcanine managed to stop just a few inches away from the edge, and he, along with the eighteen year olds, let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks a ton, Arcanine. Now we just have to-" Noah stopped speaking as soon as he saw a black crescent of energy in the corner of his eye. Recognizing that it was aimed right at Gray, he pushed the brunette out of the way and ducked just in the nick of time.

"Ah, shit. Just missed," a feminine voice remarked, causing both Gray and Noah to look around wildly. Arcanine, however, shot a Flamethrower right above one of the trees of the forest, causing two figures to jump out of it.

Once they landed, the two snickered and stared at Gray.

"Bryony? When did you get here?" the Kantonian interrogated, drawing laughs from the woman and her Bisharp.

"We've been waiting for our shot at you. After that debacle in Castelia City, Bisharp's been wanting to get even with that Dewott of yours, so show it."

Arcanine, Gray, and Noah flinched at the demand, piquing Bryony's interest before a smirk crept across her face.

"I see, it's not with you anymore. That makes our job a lot easier, Bisharp," the green haired woman remarked. "Enough talking, though. Kill her!"

Instinctively reaching for Unicus' capsule while Bisharp took off at mach speed, Gray let out a scream when the sound of a Poke Ball opening filled the air. A loud clank followed, and when Gray opened her eyes, she gasped while Noah and Arcanine's jaws dropped.

Potens somehow managed to chomp down on Bisharp's arms, and she let out a cry of pain before being kicked in the stomach. Once she hit the ground, Potens forced herself back up and glanced down after tasting blood in her mouth as a result of blocking Bisharp's attack.

"Oh, what's this we have here? A little Noibat?" Bryony taunted while Bisharp snickered and began sharpening the blades on his forearms. "That won't stand much of a chance, but I guess it's better than nothing."

"Hey," Arcanine called, prompting the Flare admin to turn her attention to him. "Don't forget about us."

Noah nodded and made his way over to Gray's side while Arcanine did the same and stood next to Potens, who nodded at him. Bisharp slowly turned back to Bryony and whispered something to her, prompting the woman to grin in response.

"You'll wish you never said that. Bisharp, Guillotine!"

* * *

 **Geez, looks like Gray and Noah are going to be in for one helluva a fight against Bryony with Fortis not being around. Next chapter will focus primarily on the battle between Bryony and Gray and Noah, but there'll be a little bit about Lysandre and/or Ghetsis. AND PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE ON MY POLL. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Which battle are you looking forward to the most? (I vote Alain vs Dominic)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "**_ ** _Potens' Potential! Beat Bisharp!"_** _ **  
**_

 _ **Noah and Gray take Bryony on, but soon find the Flare admin is far more powerful than before. Eventually, when Bryony and her Bisharp get the upper-hand after dealing a devastating blow, Potens' sense of desperation kicks in, and a new power is unlocked! Will she be able to defeat Bisharp?**_

* * *

 **Cosmic Arc**

 **Chapter 64: Fortis vs Hydreigon: Enter Ghetsis!  
Chapter 65: Power vs Potential!  
Chapter 66: All Out War: Flare vs Plasma!  
Chapter 67: Goodbye, Advena**


	63. Potens' Potential! Beat Bisharp!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (A Pokemon begins transforming and its eyes turn purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, folks? Last chapter, a lot of stuff went down with N and Zoroark siding with the group, Flare and Plasma appearing, and then everyone split up to battle. This chapter will focus primarily on Gray and Noah's battle against Bryony, and that's it. Now let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lolol, I can't help but feel like I said that to you (probably didn't). You're right about it being a hype buildup chappie, since I had no intentions of writing battles, so I figured I'd set 'em up_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Huzzah! This chapter, as well as the rest in the arc, are going to be intense and I think there's a chance one of them ends up being more than 10,000 words, possibly around 15,000. White's training will pay off and Potens is going to shock everyone with how strong she's going to be (and Arcanine too, since he's gotten bodied in every battle XD)_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Super effective! Fortis vs Hydreigon's going to be hype as hell_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Well, Shadow told me to put up five a few days ago, so I did, lol. And then I have midterms for the next week, so I'll be uploading pretty quickly. Thinking about it, I really need to update Kalos XD_

 **Defender31415:** _All of them will be. Just wait. And I laughed when I saw that I put Chase in the ending XD He and Tara will come back at some point, though I'm not sure if they could return earlier than I expect. They will have roles near the end of the story, though_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Sí, they are. Graoh, tho! XD There won't be much made of Bellator being gone in this chapter, but word will eventually get to Lysandre, and let's just say things won't look too good for everyone's favorite/least favorite otter. Alain vs Dominic's going to be absolutely insane, and I'm pretty sure I mentioned the power was going to be coming from Potens. Shit, now I have to check that XD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 40, Razor Wind, Gust, Super Fang, ****Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noibat)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Bisharp, Guillotine!"

Taking off without hesitation, the dark and steel type let out a terrifying scream while his hands were enveloped in red energy that took the shape of large blades, similar to meat cleavers. In the blink of an eye, Bisharp managed to get within five feet of Potens, who flew back in shock while Noah and Arcanine were quick to react, catching Bryony by surprise.

"Flamethrower!" the eighteen year old countered.

Arcanine stepped in front of his teammate and opened his mouth wide, sending a wave of orange and red fire at his opponent. Because he was traveling at such a high speed, Bisharp was unable to get out of the way of the super effective attack and let out a pained cry while skidding back to his trainer's side. Arcanine, meanwhile, turned back and nodded at Potens, who let out a sigh of relief and nodded back.

"Take out that pesky hound with Stone Edge!"

"We're not letting that happen!" Gray retorted. "Potens, send it back with Gust!"

Bisharp threw his arms forwards and sent several dozen stones towards Arcanine, but Potens flew forwards and landed in front of her ally. Then, flapping her wings wildly, she created a powerful blast of wind that was overpowered. Gasping in shock, Gray watched as her Noibat was pelted by the wicked attack, and she was launched past her trainer.

"Bisharp, crush her by using Aerial Ace!"

Before Gray could do anything, Bisharp appeared a few feet above Potens and slammed into her while streaks of light flew off his head. The ground cracked due to the force of impact, and she let out a pained cry before Noah and Arcanine sprung into action.

"Extreme Speed!"

Arcanine roared before ramming into Bisharp while engulfed in a coat of white light, but the steel type managed to stand his ground and grabbed a hold of Arcanine's mane, taking both Gray and Noah by surprise. Bryony, on the other hand, snickered to herself before throwing her right hand forwards.

"Slash!" the green haired woman yelled.

The bipedal Pokemon grunted while rearing one arm back, and he slashed Arcanine across the face, making him yelp while rolling back to Noah's side. Then, doing several backflips, Bisharp stopped once he was a few feet in front of Bryony, and he smirked as Arcanine winced in pain. Potens, meanwhile, struggled to get up and was covered in bruises. However, her will to continue battle remained, which put a smile on Gray's face.

"Potens, we're not going to give up!" Gray shouted to the tiny dragon type, who shrieked in response, causing both Bryony and Bisharp to cover their ears. Air Cutter!"

Shooting straight into the sky while spinning, Potens' wings began glowing light blue and she threw them towards Bisharp, firing several crescents of blue light at her enemy. Much to her dismay, Potens watched as the dark type slashed through every single one of her attacks as if they were nothing. Bryony shook her head in disappointment, making the Noibat scowl.

"Feint Attack!"

Suddenly, Bisharp took off while lowering his head and Gray flinched at the speed of the creature. Then, he disappeared and Arcanine was thrown backwards, shocking Noah. Looking up from his Pokemon, Noah saw Bisharp materialize in front of him with a wicked smirk but Arcanine shot off the ground and bounded towards the Flare admin's Pokemon.

"Chomp on 'em, Arcanine! Thunder Fang!"

The fire type sprinted towards his target while electricity surged from his mouth, and he lunged while opening his mouth. Bisharp attempted to get away from his attacker but threw his arms forwards when he realized there was no chance of dodging. Arcanine quickly bit his enemy and zapped him repeatedly, but that didn't bring Bisharp to his knees.

"Shake Arcanine loose and use Stone Edge!"

Bisharp punched Arcanine right in the nose, making him lose his grip and stumble backwards. As soon as Arcanine shook his head to regain his balance, a wave of stones slammed into him, which created lacerations all over his body. Suddenly, the fire type's legs gave out and he hit the ground limply. Noah and Gray stared in shock as Arcanine whined in pain, but Potens stepped forwards and stood in front of the downed dog and extended her wings as far to her sides as possible.

"So you're back for more, huh?" Bryony asked tauntingly while pointing at Potens, who narrowed her eyes.

"You're not going to win this battle!" the bat retorted, putting a smirk on the green haired woman's face.

"That's right!" Gray added, drawing Bryony's attention. "Potens, Acrobatics!"

The purple Pokemon shot into the air once again while enveloped in teal light, and she began to change direction at the drop of a dime. Then, once she saw an opening, Potens let out a roar and descended, keeping her eyes fixated on Bisharp the entire time. An explosion occurred upon impact and Gray pumped her fist excitedly along with Noah, and the two continued cheering as Potens landed a foot in front of her trainer.

"Amazing job, Potens! There's no way Bisharp's still standing!" Noah exclaimed, putting a smile on the dragon type's face.

Much to their dismay, Bryony began clapping while the smoke around her Pokemon cleared, and she began cackling while Bisharp appeared to have not taken any damage. Potens' jaw hit the ground while Bisharp brushed the dirt off his shoulders and then cracked his knuckles threateningly. Arcanine, who was still on the ground, attempted to stand up, but was unable to do so, making Noah run over to his side.

"I've had enough of this. Bisharp, kill the Arcanine with Guillotine!" Bryony demanded.

Gray and Noah gasped in horror at the vicious command, and they were too slow to do anything to stop Bisharp, who sprinted towards Arcanine while his hands transformed into the shape of meat cleavers. After jumping, Bisharp let out a loud scream before throwing his arms downwards, but before he could strike his target, Potens zipped forward and shielded Arcanine. Letting out a deafening scream, Potens hit the ground lifelessly, and Gray ran over to her.

"POTENS!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs, kneeling by her Pokemon's side. "Potens, please answer me!" the young woman continued, putting her hand on the wounded dragon type's head.

"Stone Edge!" Bryony roared, pointing at Gray and Potens.

The brunette's neck snapped towards the sound of her enemy's voice, and her eyes went wide as jagged stones flew towards her.

"No! Gray!" Noah shouted as he shoved the girl out of the way of the attack. Both Arcanine and Gray attempted to scream at the sight of Noah being injured by the devastating attack, and he fell on his back while grunting in pain.

As soon as she rose to her feet, Gray sprinted over to her friend's side and looked over him quickly, noticing blood pouring out of his chest. Putting both hands over the wound, Gray began crying and continued applying pressure to the area in an attempt to keep Noah from bleeding out. Arcanine was still down on the ground and tried his damnedest to help, but he was unable to move his legs.

"Noah, keep your hand on this area!" the eighteen year old shouted while turning to Potens and looking at the lifeless Pokemon, who was covered in her own blood while her eyes were closed.

"It's such a shame your Pokemon and boyfriend have to die here," Bryony began as she and Bisharp walked towards Gray, who was sobbing while covering her face with her hands. "But you'll join them soon enough. Bisharp-"

"No."

Much to Bryony's surprise, Potens got off the ground and stood in front of her trainer while sticking her wings out to her sides as if she were trying to act as a shield. Bisharp sneered as he saw the deathly look in Potens' eyes, and she looked to be on death's door.

"You're...not...hurting...Gray."

Lifting her head up from her hands, Gray saw Potens, who was covered in blood and bruises. Bisharp then punched her in the face, knocking the wounded Pokemon to fall on her back, and he began kicking her while Bryony cackled. With each blow, Potens' screams grew weaker and weaker until, finally, she didn't make a sound. Unable to do anything after seeing what had just happened, Gray stared at Potens and didn't move a muscle as Bisharp moved towards her.

"Guillotine her."

Grunting in response, Bisharp took his time, relishing the moment. What he didn't realize was Gray staring right at her Noibat, who slowly began to open her eyes. As the steel type began loading his arms back in preparation of the kill. He stopped, however, when the girl kneeling before him cracked a small smile.

"Noah, Arcanine, I'm sorry I couldn't have helped you more," the brunette whispered while glancing at the two, who grunted in response weakly.

"Don't blame yourself," Arcanine replied while his futile attempt to stand failed once again. "If I could just get up, this wouldn't be happening."

"And if I wasn't such an idiot, I wouldn't be bleeding out," Noah added with a smiled, which confused Bisharp and Bryony. "At least we get to go out together," he whispered to Gray, who flinched at the statement.

"Would you shut up!?" Bryony snapped, silencing the trainers and Arcanine. "Bisharp, end this!"

Obeying, Bisharp began swinging his arms down like hammers, but he stopped for a second time when a blinding blast of light flashed in the corner of his eye. Turning to see what the source of the energy was, the green haired woman and her Pokemon gasped while Gray, Noah, and Arcanine's jaws dropped.

Potens, who had been watching the whole time, was engulfed in white light, and she began to transform.

The tiny wings grew exponentially, as did her ears and legs. A long tail also grew and rested on the ground, and once the light around the newly evolved Pokemon began to dim, Bryony shook her head.

"Evolving won't do anything except delay the inevitable!" she shouted at Potens.

As soon as the Flare admin finished speaking, the light around Potens continued dimming, but two purple eyes opened. Then, two pairs of wings shot out of her back while the ones Potens originally had began to contract and turn into arms. Her red claws remained, however, and a spiked ball appeared at the end of her tail while the fur around her neck transformed into purple aura.

In the blink of an eye, the white light disappeared, and Potens was revealed. Gray then scanned the evolved Pokemon with her Pokedex and stared at the picture in confusion.

"Noivern, the Sound Wave Pokemon, and the evolved form of Noibat. They fly around on moonless nights and attack careless prey. Nothing can beat them in a battle in the dark. New moves learned: Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower."

"What... what is that!?" Bryony shouted at the top of her lungs as Potens, who looked nothing like the picture in Gray's Pokedex looked up to the sky and shrieked at the top of her lungs, creating gale force winds.

As a result, the green haired woman and her Bisharp were sent tumbling along the ground while Arcanine, Noah, and Gray stared at the enraged Noivern. Slowly making her way over to Gray and Noah, Potens' purple eyes scanned them and she noticed the wound on the boy's chest. Once she did, the dragon type turned and glared at Bisharp, who began to tremble in fear.

"Are you okay?" the Noivern asked gently, even as she was enveloped in twisting purple aura.

Gray nodded slowly while Noah grunted in pain but nodded, as did Arcanine. Satisfied with the answers, even though she knew Noah and Arcanine had lied, Potens turned to face her enemies as her eyes began to glow an even more intense purple.

"You will pay for your actions!" she screamed, pointing at Bryony and Bisharp with the strange arms she had developed as a result of the purple aura. "Gray, let's destroy them!"

The brunette snapped out of her funk and nodded while rising to her feet. Then, grinning as she looked up at the green haired woman, Gray threw her left hand forwards.

"Don't hold anything back, Potens! Flamethrower!"

Rearing her head back, the dragon type roared as she unleashed a wave of blue fire from her mouth. Due to the speed at which it traveled, the fire type attack struck Bisharp and exploded on contact, hurling him into the woods. Shortly afterwards, he reemerged and panted heavily while his body was covered in severe burn marks, which took Bryony by surprise.

"That's enough. Feint Attack!"

"Take him head-on and use Acrobatics!"

Both combatants were engulfed in energy, Bisharp's being black and Potens' teal, before taking off towards each other. When the two collided they began to battle back and forth for supremacy, putting a smirk on Bryony's face as she threw her hand forwards to issue another command. Much to the Flare admin's dismay, Potens overpowered Bisharp at that very moment and rammed him into the ground so violently the entire area cracked instantly.

Shortly afterwards, Potens flew back to Gray's side and reverted back to her normal appearance. Once she did, Potens grunted in pain and dropped to a knee, catching Gray's attention. Hurrying over to her Pokemon's side, Gray put a hand on Potens' head and smiled at her before they turned their attention to Bryony, who was staring at her unconscious Pokemon.

"Consider yourself lucky, Gray," the woman spat, causing Gray to scowl. "Whatever the hell your Noivern did just then was a stroke of luck, and nothing more. If we ever do battle again, Bisharp and I will kill you."

Before she could say a word, the Kantonian watched her enemy disappear into the shadows of the forest as she withdrew Bisharp to his Poke Ball. Cursing under her breath, Gray turned around and checked on Noah and Arcanine, the former of whom was still bleeding.

"Do you think you're going to be okay?" Gray asked while examining the wound in Noah's chest, which wasn't even close to being as bad as she had originally thought. "I mean, it's going to need to be treated, but you'll live."

Noah laughed at the remark and nodded while being helped to his feet by Potens and Gray. He then turned to Arcanine and grabbed a Full Restore, spraying the dog with it right away. After a few minutes, Arcanine was back to being at full strength, and he grinned at Potens, who had also been healed.

"Saying we were lucky that you evolved would be an understatement," the fire type remarked, making Potens chuckled and nod. "But what was with that purple aura and transformation? Was that Synchro Evolution?"

Gray and Potens turned to one another before the eighteen year old shook her head and put an arm around her Noivern.

"No, it was something different," she stated. "But way to evolve! You're so much stronger now!" Gray exclaimed.

Potens bowed thankfully and then looked out in the distance in hopes of seeing something that would let her know how the others were. Luckily for her, an enormous explosion occurred and a cloud of smoke that was about a hundred feet tall floated over the trees.

"That has to be Alain or Fortis. We need to go check on them," Noah opined.

"Are you sure you can handle another battle? Either of you?" Gray questioned.

Arcanine and Noah grinned and nodded in response, making Gray giggle before she hopped on Potens' back. While doing so, Noah hopped onto Arcanine's back, and the two took off at full speed before seeing another enormous explosion a few hundred yards away from the first.

"I'll head towards the first. You get the second," Potens told Arcanine.

With that, both Pokemon headed towards their destinations at full speed, hoping to arrive before anything could happen to their friends. While Gray looked around the forest in hopes of spotting anyone, she turned back to Potens and began rubbing her head.

 _"If it wasn't Synchro Evolution, then what was it?"_

* * *

 **Well well well, Potens went absolutely ham. At first, the battle was basically Arcanine vs Bisharp, but then Potens evolved and underwent another transformation that won't be revealed for another twenty chapters or so. Next chapter will focus on White and N's battle with Flare and Plasma, and then it'll escalate to Fortis vs Ghetsis' Hydreigon. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Thoughts on Potens evolving?  
2\. What do you think happened to Potens?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Fortis vs Hydreigon: Enter Ghetsis**_ ** _!"_** _ **  
**_

 _ **White and N continue battling Celosia, Mable, Aliana, and the Shadow Triad, but the intensity reaches an all-time high when Ghetsis and his Hydreigon appear and engage in combat with Fortis! Will the Plasma King defeat Fortis?**_

* * *

 **Cosmic Arc**

 **Chapter 65: Power vs Potential!  
Chapter 66: All Out War: Flare vs Plasma!  
Chapter 67: Goodbye, Advena**


	64. Fortis vs Hydreigon: Enter Ghetsis!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens transforms while battling Hugh and Greninja, and her eyes start glowing purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Bonjour, amigos! Those are from different languages, but screw the rules! Last chapter, Gray and Noah got destroyed by Bryony (and nearly died), but Potens evolved and underwent some transformation that made her freakishly strong. This chapter will be a battle between Fortis and Ghetsis' Hydreigon, so things are going to heat up. Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Hahaha. You're actually on the right track even if that was just a joking answer (your first few words, I mean). Potens was an absolute monster and I really wanted to hold it off for the Mistralton Arc, but this just felt like the perfect time to do it. Also, I like that you mentioned that, because it will lead to some stuff in the near future ;)_

 **Defender31415:** _He was supposed to XD I felt that would've been too trollish to just have Noah die there, and I doubt he actually will. Potens' evolution was early, in terms of levels, but I did mention at some point in this story (I think the first chapter, but I'm not sure) that levels were only an indication of how strong they were, and that evolutions could happen at any time. Now, I didn't follow that with any of the other evolutions, but it gave me flexibility to bump up some of them, and push off others, which will happen later. And it isn't a Mega Evolution she underwent (that'd be sick though). It'll be revealed eventually ;)_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _XD Potens will have a lot of competition with Gray's next capture, and possibly her final, but given how badass she is and the fact that she has some special transformation, who knows? Bad things will happen with Ghetsis around (not immediately), but the hype is going even higher than before!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Well, she didn't evolve at 40, it was actually 45 (impossible to tell really, but I digress). Whenever there is an evolution mid-battle, just assume that they already gained levels. She was originally going to evolve around the mid-fifties, but that felt like way too high a level. And you are right with the second! Huzzah!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Uh, idk XD Noivern's debut was planned to happen about ten chapters down the road, but screw it! All of the battles with Flare and Plasma are going to be savage/brutal, with Bryony's only being the tip of the iceberg. Alain vs Dominic will be a lot more violent, but Fortis vs Hydreigon won't be all that long (at least in this chapter). Dragon battle hype tho!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 45, ****Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Fortis quickly dove in front of White and grabbed Sceptile's arms. Then, spinning around wildly, he hurled the grass type into its trainer and teammates, disorienting the Shadow Triad.

"Thanks, Fortis," the rookie trainer said to her friend's Pokemon, who nodded in response. "Now use Power Gem on them, Boldore!" White shouted, pointing at the three ninjas.

"Help the girl out with Cross Poison, Drapion!" Celosia added, prompting her Pokemon to attack.

While Boldore fired several blasts of white energy from his head, Drapion threw its long arms in the formation of an 'X' that sent a similarly shaped attack that was purple. As both moves closed in on their targets, everyone anticipated an explosion, but they were shocked when a large body appeared in front of the Plasma members and created a green bubble that acted as a shield.

Gasping, the Flare admins, White, N, and Fortis watched as the smoke cleared and a man with long blonde hair appeared alongside a Hydreigon. After the man snapped his fingers, Hydreigon charged two attacks with its tiny heads and shot separate blasts of fire at Celosia, Mable, and Aliana's Pokemon. All three creatures evaded the fire moves and glared at their new opponent while N trembled in fear.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Fortis asked the green haired trainer, who remained silent while Zoroark turned and spoke up for him.

"That freak is Ghetsis, the leader of Team Plasma," she began. "He tried using N to take over Unova."

Fortis nodded along with White, Boldore, Snivy, and Palpitoad, but they stopped when the man began to cackle like a psychopath. As he began walking towards his former ally, Ghetsis grabbed three Poke Balls from his belt and tossed them, releasing a Cofagrigus, Eelektross, and Bouffalant. The beasts glared at their enemies in red while Hydreigon flew over to his trainer's side and locked eyes with Zoroark.

"I've been waiting years for this, N," the man announced while N remained silent. "It's time I finally put an end to your pathetic life. Hydreigon, Fire Blast!"

"Not on my watch!" Fortis shouted before unleashing a Dragon Pulse attack.

While Hydreigon shot a star-shaped body of fire from his largest head, Fortis released a blast of multicolored energy that turned into the shape of a dragon. Surprisingly, it swallowed the Fire Blast attack and then hit Hydreigon, exploding on contact. The dark type let out a grunt of pain as he was thrown backwards, causing Ghetsis to stare at Fortis for a moment before scowling.

"You're not going to lay a finger on N, got it?" White asked rhetorically while pointing at the leader of Team Plasma, who scoffed at the girl's vow. "Palpitoad, show 'em we mean business and use Mud Shot!"

Doing just as he was told, the water type swung his enormously long tongue and fired several bullets of mud at Hydreigon, who was pelted. Despite the amount of times he was hit, the winged, blue beast acted as if he hadn't taken any damage, crushing Palpitoad's confidence.

"Don't get involved, White, I can handle this," Fortis stated, putting his left arm in front of the girl while stepping in front of N. "Zoroark, make sure N's safe. White, Snivy, Palpitoad, Boldore, don't attack anyone. Just try to block their attacks."

Drawing nods from the aforementioned group of his friends, Fortis opened his wings wide and locked his eyes onto both Ghetsis and Hydreigon. Without another word, he took off at a furious pace at the same time as Hydreigon. Both dragon types let out roars as they began charging their attacks, and everyone watched in awe. Fortis, whose hands were enveloped in neon green energy that took the shape of claws, spun twice before swinging at Hydreigon, who had two gigantic orbs of yellow energy forming in front of his smaller heads. Using them to protect himself, Hydreigon threw both of his arms forwards and they collided with Fortis' attack, creating an explosion. The cloud of smoke covered the entire area, swallowing everyone whole.

Fortis quickly flew into the air in order to see, and when he did, he was shocked to see Hydreigon right above him. Before he could do anything, the Flygon was clobbered by a devastating Dragon Rush attack, which slammed him right into the ground. The force of impact created such a powerful gust of wind that freed the area of the thick smoke cloud.

"That should do it. Good work, Hydreigon. Now let's kill those idiots in red," Ghetsis said to his Pokemon, who grunted in response while attempting to fly over to the Flare admins.

"Fortis, are you okay!?" White shouted while cupping her hands around her mouth to add volume, grabbing the Plasma leader's attention.

Rising to his feet with no trouble, Fortis waved back to White nonchalantly before grinning at his opponents, both of whom were perplexed as a result. Brushing the dirt off his shoulders, the Flygon spread his wings once again and cracked his knuckles.

"How are you still up?" the longhaired man shouted in shock while pointing at Fortis.

The dragon and ground type laughed in response while N, Zoroark, White, and her Pokemon stared at him in awe.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

 **000**

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Alain commanded, hurling his right fist forwards.

"Give it right back, Typhlosion!" Dominic shouted furiously.

The fully evolved starters unleashed their devastating attacks, and the waves of fire collided. Forming a ball of intense heat, the attacks then exploded and sent everyone flying backwards as a cloud of smoke shot up a few hundred feet into the air. Charizard easily cleared the area by flapping his wings and checked on his trainer for a split second before hearing Dominic clapping.

"I didn't see this kind of power in our last battles. I like it," the mercenary commented, causing Charizard to snarl while Typhlosion scoffed at his opponent's reaction. "Let's see what you're really capable of," the man in his mid-twenties said to himself. "Typhlosion, Flame Wheel!"

While Typhlosion rolled like a wheel and sped across the grass, leaving scorch marks behind him, Charizard waited for Alain to speak. When the black haired teen finally did, he threw his arm out to his side.

"Dragon Claw, let's go!"

Charizard obeyed the command and while claws of neon green energy formed around his hands, he spun and slashed at Typhlosion, dealing a wicked blow to the pure fire type, who was thrown into a tree as a result. After slinking to the ground, Typhlosion smirked at Charizard and pushed himself back up with little trouble, but the winged lizard kept his scowl.

"Typhlosion, it's time we stop messing around," Dominic told his strongest Pokemon, who nodded in response before the back of his neck emitted an intense stream of flames. "Why don't you show us your full power, Alain? You should make things more interesting for us before we have to kill you and your Charizard," the Flare associate said tauntingly.

Alain and Charizard didn't even have to look at one another, as they both had the same thought on their minds. With the nineteen year old putting his hand over his Mega Bracelet, he watched as Charizard's Mega Stone began to emit blinding beams of light.

"Keystone, respond to my heart! Beyond evolution! Mega Evolve!"

After he was encapsulated in a large, pink egg, Charizard broke out of it and let out a menacing roar. He looked completely different, with his skin being black and blue flames shooting out of his mouth, and a wave of power was radiating from his body.

Dominic and Typhlosion both cracked their knuckles at the same time and the former attempted to issue a command. However, he was kept from doing so when something flying over the trees appeared.

"Dragon Pulse!"

A multicolored beam of energy was fired from the flying figure, and it transformed into the shape of a dragon opening its mouth. Typhlosion effortlessly dodged the attack, but it exploded on contact with the ground and created a large crater that destroyed several trees within the vicinity. Then, when it landed, the creature let out a deafening cry while a girl hopped off its back and rubbed the Pokemon's head affectionately.

"Sorry to interrupt. We couldn't help but join the fight," Gray said to Alain, who grinned and nodded until he and Charizard saw the Noivern a few feet away. "Oh yeah, Potens evolved," she added nonchalantly.

"So you're not using that pesky Flygon of yours?" Dominic inquired smugly, causing Gray and the others to turn. As she did, the brunette locked eyes with her enemy and pushed a strand of hair out of her colorless eyes.

"Don't worry, he'll be here," Gray fibbed while reaching for the dragon type's Poke Ball. As she did so, the Kantonian accidentally tapped her Mega Bracelet, sending a beam of energy through the woods, which caught everyone off guard.

"But we won't need him to beat you!" Charizard shouted, playing off the strange incident, which made Dominic chuckle. "Potens, let's finish this guy!"

 **000**

Scoffing at Fortis' response, Ghetsis looked around and searched for what could possibly be Fortis' trump card. As if on cue, two figures emerged from the woods, one sitting on the other's back. As soon as the light revealed their identities, Fortis let out a sigh of relief and moved his hand away from his Mega Stone, which had began glowing in the back left area.

"Noah! Arcanine!" White shouted as she, her Pokemon, N, and Zoroark ran over to the eighteen year old, who carefully dismounted and lightly landed on his feet. "Holy crap! What happened to you?" the rookie asked worriedly as soon as she spotted the blood near his chest, which had seeped through his shirt.

Looking down at the stain on his chest, Noah waved off the concern before turning his attention to Ghetsis and Hydreigon, as well as Fortis. Arcanine rushed forward and stood by Fortis' side while growling at Team Plasma's leader, making the man sigh agitatedly.

"So are we going to battle or not?" the evil man shouted, glaring at Gray's Flygon.

"Of course," Fortis retorted while glancing back at the others, knowing that there wasn't enough space for them to not get sucked into the bout. "But why don't we take this somewhere else? I don't want your lackeys to see me kick your ass."

Taking the bait, Hydreigon roared in a fit of rage while Ghetsis put his hand on the dragon's largest head reassuringly.

"We're not idiots. Crush him with Dragon Rush!"

Speeding towards Fortis at an unexpected speed, the three-headed dark type let out a barbaric roar while enveloped in cobalt energy that resembled the body of a dragon. While stumbling back, Fortis gasped in shock and was unable to perform a counterattack in time. Lucky for him, his friends were there to help.

"Spike him into the ground by using Iron Tail!" Noah countered.

"And then use Flash Cannon, Boldore!" White yelled.

Arcanine bounded forwards and leaped while his tail began glowing silver. Then, spinning head over heels, he smashed his tail over Hydreigon's largest head, sending the speeding beast spiraling into the ground. Once he crashed, Hydreigon struggled to get up and was suddenly engulfed by a ray of steel type energy that Boldore had fired.

While the group celebrated, Fortis was suddenly struck by a beam of light that had emerged from the forest, catching everyone by surprise. Without hesitation, the Hoenn Pokemon turned towards the source and narrowed his eyes.

"I need to get Gray," he informed his friends while his Mega Stone began to glow an intense shade of red, drawing nods from White and Noah while N remained shaken by Ghetsis' presence.

Taking off with a powerful flap of his wings, Fortis began to fly towards Gray, but Ghetsis and Hydreigon weren't keen on letting their opponent escape.

"Pursue him! Now!" the longhaired man shrieked as he hopped on his Pokemon's back.

Before they knew it, White, N, and Noah watched as Ghetsis and Hydreigon left the area and attempted to close in on Fortis, only to be left in the ground type's dust. Their gaze was suddenly snapped, however, when Mable cleared her throat obnoxiously.

"I don't know what the hell just happened, but we're going to kill all of you and then move on to your friends," the blue haired woman proclaimed while pointing at the traveling teens. "Celosia, Aliana, it's time we kick things up a notch!"

"Pfft. You think you're the only ones with a trick up your sleeve?" one of the Triad members asked rhetorically, drawing scowls from the three women. "It's time we show off that research Colress did, guys."

The other ninjas nodded, as did all three of their Pokemon, and the masked trio each grabbed a strange device from a bag one of them had been holding.

"Mega Evolve!"

* * *

 **Oh, oh dear. The most intense battle of the story (up to this point) looms. With Gray's reappearance and ordering Fortis to help her search for Alain, shit's about to hit the fan. Even though y'all don't know who's going to be battling, I will say a three-way double battle looms. Next chapter will be White, Noah, and N vs the Shadow Triad vs Mable, Aliana, and Celosia, so buy some hype train tickets. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Three-way Triple Battle hype tho?  
2\. Which group do you think will come out on top next chapter?  
3\. Can you tell what's about to happen with Alain and Gray vs Dominic? (Here's a hint: they're not alone)  
4\. Not a question, but please make sure to VOTE ON THE POLL ON MY PROFILE**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Power vs Potential**_ ** _!"_** _ **  
**_

 ** _With Teams Flare and Plasma holding nothing back, Noah, N, and White are backed into a corner. When things look their darkest, one of White's Pokemon enters the fray and, upon being pushed to the brink, evolves! As momentum shifts every turn, which trio will emerge victorious?_**

* * *

 **Cosmic Arc**

 **Chapter 66: All Out War: Flare vs Plasma!  
Chapter 67: Goodbye, Advena**


	65. Power vs Potential!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens transforms while battling Hugh and Greninja, and her eyes start glowing purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Ha! You've activated my hype card! Welcome back to another update, everyone, and this time we're finally getting to the good stuff. Last chapter, Ghetsis appeared and had a short battle with Fortis that was interrupted by Noah and Arcanine, and Dominic also had a mini battle with Alain that was interrupted by Charizard Mega Evolving, and Gray and Potens appearing. This chapter will be a three-way triple battle between the groups Noah, White, and N, the Shadow Triad, and Celosia, Mable, and Aliana. Now let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Well, they didn't try to join forces yet, and they will at some point. Super hype!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Why? XD Make sure you have several tickets, because another flight's taking off after this one. And yeah, Advena's leaving. Did I not put that title in the other chapters?_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Hopefully. The next chapter's going to be even longer than this one, and Lysandre will be helping Dominic out! (But wait, there's more!)_

 **Defender31415:** _Huzzah! Insane hype! XD I'm really hoping this chapter and the next can make up for what has been, in my opinion, a pretty lackluster arc (compared to what I was originally planning)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yes! Yes it is! And while it's horrible writing a battle this long, it's really fun whenever I remember what the circumstances are_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Get back to work? What on Earth would be working on? :3 The feels you get when you mention two of the biggest blunders (Suicune and JD) in the original series, which was plagued with incredibly terrible decisions and execution of ideas... yeah, I don't think about that at all XD_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _That's good to hear. Fortis will be in for one hell of a fight next chapter (which is set up at the end of this one), but he'll definitely kick some ass. Responses to the questions were on point, btw_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

As each of the Shadow Triad raised their arms high and pressed a button on each of the devices in their hands, their Pokemon were encapsulated in pink eggs of energy, catching everyone by surprise. In a matter of nanoseconds, Sceptile and Lucario emerged in their Mega Evolved forms while Toxicroak, who lacked one, was shrouded in yellow aura.

Despite the power emanating from each of the Pokemon, Noah remained confident in his and his Pokemon's abilities. Stepping forwards after seeing neither White nor N were mentally in the looming battle, the eighteen year old glanced at both groups opposing him and his friends.

"Arcanine, we need to make the first move," he whispered, drawing a nod from the dog. "Let's kick things into high gear! Extreme Speed!" he shouted, hurling his right fist forwards, which grabbed the attention of all six evildoers.

"Dish out damage to that pest, Weavile! Metal Claw!" Mable commanded confidently while flicking her wrist upwards.

The bipedal ice type took off at a breakneck pace, but Arcanine wasn't to be outdone. Before Weavile could take another step, he was slammed into by his fire type opponent. Just as he was about to be rammed into the ground, the evolved Pokemon managed to scratch Arcanine's face, making him yelp in pain despite the attack not being very effective.

"Capitalize on the opportunity and use Sludge Bomb on both of them!" one of the Shadow Triad, who was to the far left of Noah, called while pointing at Arcanine and Weavile.

The bipedal frog wasted no time firing a series of poisonous bullets of mud at his targets. As the powerful attack closed in on the shocked Pokemon, N snapped out of his daze and Zoroark disappeared into thin air, grabbing the attention of the six other trainers.

"Use Shadow Claw to protect Arcanine and slash through all of those!" the green haired trainer commanded.

With Zoroark suddenly materializing in front of Arcanine while snickering, both trios of villains gasped. Then, Zoroark's claws were enveloped in black and purple energy, and she slashed through all of the bullets headed her and Arcanine's way, protecting her teammate, who nodded thankfully before running back to his trainer with Zoroark by his side. Celosia, however, wasn't going to let them both get away.

"We're taking one of them down right here, right now, Drapion! Cross Poison!" the purple haired woman demanded.

Drapion roared into the air before throwing both of his glowing pink arms over each other, sending a purple 'X' flying towards both Arcanine and Zoroark. Arcanine didn't have a chance to react, as Zoroark pushed him out of the way and was clobbered by the attack, which exploded on contact and sent her straight into the air.

"Send Zoroark right into the ground with a spinning Blaze Kick attack, Lucario!" the middle Shadow Triad member shouted.

With the aura-wielding Pokemon taking off at the speed of sound, all three Plasma admins cheered as they watched Lucario spring high into the air. While his foot was coated in intense flames, Lucario was unaware of a lurking enemy, who was provided the perfect opportunity to strike. Eager to seize her chance to have an impact on the battle, White hurriedly threw her arm forwards, inadvertently copying Gray's signature move.

"Palpitoad, send a message to not mess with us or our friends! Mud Shot!"

Swinging his freakishly long tongue around like a whip, Palpitoad sent several bullets of mud at Lucario, who was unable to get out of the way. As a result, the Mega Evolved fighting type was thrown back to his trainer's side, and the ninja glared at White as she, Snivy, and Boldore cheered for the water type standing a few feet away from them. Their cheering stopped, however, when Aliana readjusted the red goggles over her eyes and pointed at the third Shadow Triad member and his Sceptile, who had Mega Evolved.

"Druddigon, destroy the Sceptile by using Dragon Claw!"

While trudging across the open field, Druddigon roared and her hands were enveloped in a wave of green energy, which turned into the shape of claws. Even as the hulking dragon closed in on them, both the final ninja and his Pokemon remained calm, which impressed N, White, and Noah, as well as their Pokemon.

"Sceptile, send Druddigon flying with Dragon Pulse, and then use Leaf Blade on Palpitoad!"

The grass type starter reared his head back before unleashing a blast of multicolored energy that transformed into a dragon, which swallowed Druddigon and exploded, hurling the bulky creature back to Aliana's side. The young woman brought her hands up to her face while staring in shock, but everyone else watched as the lightning-quick gecko closed in on Palpitoad with the leaves on his forearms glowing an intense green and extending. Due to the speed Sceptile was traveling at, Noah and N were unable to assist White, who was too shocked to help Palpitoad. As a result, the water and ground type was slashed across the chest and launched into the forest to White's back while Sceptile retreated to his trainer's side.

"White, hang back for a little and let us take over," Arcanine ordered, drawing a reluctant nod from the sixteen year old, who sprinted towards the area where Palpitoad had landed. "Time to step our games up, Zoroark!"

"Right!" the dark type yelled in response.

"Arcanine, use Flamethrower on Drapion!"

Holding nothing back as he threw his head forwards, Arcanine sent a wicked blast of fire at the poison and dark type. Unable to get out of the way due to his large frame, Drapion was scorched by the powerful flames and let out a pained scream, making Celosia bite her lower lip worriedly before turning to her blue-haired teammate.

"Weavile, cool Sceptile down! Ice Beam!" the young woman demanded, making an atrocious pun in the process.

Placing his hands together right in front of his chest, the Sinnoh Pokemon created an orb of sky blue energy. Throwing both of his arms towards Sceptile, Weavile shot a zigzagging beam of icy energy at the fully evolved beast and it struck, dealing a significant amount of damage to the extremely powerful starter Pokemon, who fell to a knee as a result of the pain.

"Use Brick Break on Zoroark!"

Hurriedly making his way over to his former ally's Pokemon, Toxicroak threw both of his fists forwards while they were glowing white and landed a pair of vicious blows that knocked Zoroark into N. Despite the attack being super effective, the bipedal creature and her friend had no issue getting back up and performing an attack of their own as White returned to her original position with Palpitoad.

"Okay, use Night Daze on Druddigon!"

Swinging both arms violently, Zoroark sent several blades of black energy at Druddigon, who was too slow to evade. Knocked onto her back as a result of the wicked attack, Druddigon let out an annoyed grunt at the same time as Aliana.

"Drapion, Pin Missile on those three freaks' Pokemon!"

"Shield the others with Bone Rush, Lucario! Then, when you have the chance, batter 'em with another Bone Rush Attack!"

Drapion roared and fired hundreds of white arrows from his pincers, which crashed down from the sky and closed in on Sceptile, Toxicroak, and Lucario in the blink of an eye. Somehow, the steel type managed to form two bones of light blue energy in his hands and swung like a madman, destroying Drapion's Pin Missile attack. After doing so, Lucario bolted towards the poison type, who was too flabbergasted to do anything, as was his trainer. Clubbing Drapion repeatedly, Lucario grinned as he hopped back to his trainer's side and waited for someone else to make a move.

"Palpitoad, use Muddy Water!"

"Destroy it with Earthquake!"

"Sceptile, aim a Dragon Pulse attack at Druddigon!"

As Palpitoad stomped on the ground, Druddigon did the same. A gigantic wave of disgusting brown water crashed along the grassy field and slammed down upon Druddigon, Drapion, and Weavile, who were severely injured by the attack. Palpitoad, however, was clobbered by a column of dirt that spurted out of the ground. Crashing into the ground violently without breaking his fall, Palpitoad let out a loud cry in pain and White ran to his side worriedly. While she did so, the brunette watched as a dragon head snapped its jaws on Druddigon and exploded, launching the beast through the air. When she hit the ground, Druddigon was down for the count, and Aliana cursed while zapping her back into her Poke Ball.

"Let's use another Flamethrower, but aim for Lucario this time!" Noah shouted, pointing at the bipedal dog.

"Send a Dark Pulse Arcanine's way!" Mable barked.

The fire type effortlessly released another intense wave of fire from his mouth, which struck Lucario and burned him to a crisp. However, after doing so, Arcanine was blasted by a spiraling ray of black and purple energy. Crash-landing on his side, Arcanine yelped and began rolling around in pain, drawing Noah's presence.

"Clobber Weavile with Brick Break!"

"Use Grass Knot to trip Toxicroak!" N added.

Toxicroak attempted to beat Weavile to a pulp, Toxicroak suddenly face planted when a large patch of grass sprung out of the ground and wrapped around the frog's leg, making the Shadow Triad members curse and turn to N, allowing Weavile to fire an Ice Beam attack that sent Toxicroak rolling along the grass.

"Drapion, use Pin Missile on those three!" Celosia shouted while pointing at Zoroark, Palpitoad, and Arcanine.

A rain of arrows descended towards the trio, but Palpitoad stepped forwards as White punched her left fist into the air.

"Destroy it with Round!"

Letting out a deafening scream, Palpitoad tried his hardest to prevent his teammates from being pelted by the hundreds of arrows. Eventually, after a struggle, the water and ground type was overwhelmed. He, Arcanine, and Zoroark were swallowed in a bubble of light and an explosion ensued, throwing all three Pokemon back while the Flare admins and Shadow Triad cackled.

Meanwhile, White, N, and Noah checked over their Pokemon and looked up worriedly, not knowing what their enemies were going to do. Arcanine, having suffered significant damage from his battle with Bryony's Bisharp, was unable to get up, while Zoroark, who wasn't used to battling at such high intensities, was wheezing for air. Seeing both of his teammates struggling and the petrified looks on the trainers' faces, Palpitoad forced himself back onto his feet and locked eyes with his five enemies.

"Way to go, Palpitoad! Let's keep pushing!" White exclaimed, only to be silenced by Palpitoad screaming as he was engulfed in a blinding coat of light.

All nine trainers gasped in shock and stared as the water type began to grow much larger. Two bulky arms spurted out of his body, as did a pair of legs and several large bumps all along his body. When the light faded, a large, blue toad stood in front of his trainer and turned. His red eyes were filled with fire, and the fully evolved Pokemon nodded at White, whose jaw was on the ground. She did managed to scan him with her Pokedex, though.

"Seismitoad, the Vibration Pokemon, and the evolved form of Palpitoad. It increases the power of its punches by vibrating the bumps on its fists. It can turn a boulder to rubble with one punch. New moves learned: Hydro Pump, Echoed Voice."

Looking up from the device in her hand, White attempted to speak but was unable to make out any words. Both Snivy and Boldore stared at their teammate in awe, the former nearly fainting in shock. Noah and Arcanine were just as dumbfounded, and N and Zoroark, who hadn't known the Pokemon when he was just a Tympole, clapped in support.

"Ha! You think some shoddy evolution's going to scare us? You're still outnumbered!" Mable shouted at White and Seismitoad.

"That's right. One of us is going to take you out!" Celosia proclaimed. "And there's nothing that fat toad can do to stop us from killing all of you!"

The water type stomped on the ground so hard it started to shake violently, which silenced the Flare admins and their Pokemon, who trembled slightly.

"If you so much as lay a finger on any one of my friends," Seismitoad began while his piercing red eyes locked onto the purple haired woman. "I'll make sure that's the last thing you do! White, let's go!" he screamed while taking off at a surprising speed for a creature his size.

Snapping back to the battle, White nodded and threw her right hand forwards.

"Seismitoad, use Hydro Pump!" the sixteen year old hollered.

Springing into the air as if he only weighed an ounce, Seismitoad reared his head back and fired a dark blue wave of water with rings of white energy around it. In the blink of an eye, the destructive attack slammed into both Drapion and Weavile, knocking them out cold while Arcanine, Zoroark, and their trainers cheered for the fully evolved Pokemon.

"Shit," Mable cursed as she and Celosia were forced to withdraw their unconscious Pokemon, leaving the Shadow Triad members as Seismitoad's only opponents. "That thing is insanely strong. What is with that group and getting the best Pokemon!?" she shouted at Aliana and Celosia, referencing Ferus, Bellator, Fortis, Arcanine, and Charizard.

"I don't know, but I feel like there's a reason for it," the redhead replied, staring up at the sky and raising her fist as if she were looking at someone.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Triad and their artificially Mega Evolved Pokemon began attacking Seismitoad.

"Show 'em who the stronger amphibian is, Toxicroak! Sludge Bomb!"

"Help out with Energy Ball, Sceptile!"

"And fire an Aura Sphere attack, Lucario!"

The three aforementioned Pokemon nodded and performed their attacks, sending a wave of poison bullets, a ball of solar energy, and an orb of blue light at Seismitoad. Refusing to move, the water type took each of the attacks head-on, and they all exploded on contact, putting smirks on the ninjas' faces. Much to their dismay, their opponent looked as if he hadn't taken any damage.

"It's time we finish this. Are you two able to go, or should I do this myself?" White's combatant asked as he glanced at his partners, who grinned in response before nodding while White, Snivy, and Boldore continued staring at the fully evolved Pokemon. The rookie, though smiling, cleared her throat and nodded at Noah and N, who chuckled in response.

"Arcanine, use Flamethrower!"

"Zoroark, Night Daze!"

"Seismitoad, Hydro Pump!"

Firing their respective attacks at the same time, Arcanine, Zoroark, and Seismitoad watched as the moves transformed into one intense blast of red, black, and blue energy. Within nanoseconds, the devastating combo attack swallowed its targets whole and exploded, sending the flying through the air. Upon hitting the ground, Sceptile and Lucario reverted back to their normal forms while the yellow aura around Toxicroak faded.

"I-impossible," one of the ninjas muttered to the two others. "How did they do that?"

While the Plasma and Flare groups watched their opponents celebrate the victory, they turned to each other and scowled, which drew the attention of N, Noah, and White.

"This won't be the last you see of us, freaks," Aliana stated, pointing at the white haired trio.

"And if you ever decide to impede our plans, we'll gladly slaughter you and your little organization," Celosia proclaimed, licking her lips.

The Shadow Triad, after withdrawing their Pokemon, glared at the three women and scoffed.

"Don't be too confident. We don't have any problems fighting girls," one of them stated, enraging the Flare admins. Before anything else could be said, the ninjas disappeared in the blink of an eye, prompting Celosia, Mable, and Aliana to retreat as well.

"We haven't forgotten about you, either! We're coming for you too!" Mable shouted, staring at the victors of the battle.

Watching their enemies vanish into the forest, N and Zoroark let out a sigh of relief before falling on their rear ends along with Arcanine and Noah. White, meanwhile, continued standing and stared in the directions of where both groups had been. Slowly shifting her attention to Seismitoad, the girl smiled as Snivy and Boldore ran over to their teammate and congratulated him, causing Seismitoad to sheepishly laugh and rub the back of his neck.

 _"This is just the beginning of our journey,"_ White thought to herself, sitting down with Noah and N as all three watched their Pokemon play. _"There's so much more that hasn't happened yet, and I can't wait."_

 **000**

"Grab her by the neck," Dominic told Typhlosion calmly as Potens closed in.

The fire type suddenly threw his arm forwards and wrapped his hand around the dragon type's neck, making Gray and Alain gasp while Charizard, who was covered in flames, ascended.

"Use Focus Punch and uppercut her."

Without hesitation, Typhlosion swung his glowing blue fist upwards and clocked Potens in the chin, launching her towards the sky. As her limp body smacked against the ground, Potens let out a weak cry and attempted to get back up. Due to her previous battle against Bryony and Bisharp, the newly evolved Pokemon was out of energy and unable to do anything, putting a devilish grin on Dominic's face.

"Thunder Punch, let's go!" Alain commanded.

Charizard, having already began his nosedive, slammed his feet against the ground next to Potens while his fist was surging with electricity. Throwing it forwards, the winged lizard grinned as he had Typhlosion right where he wanted, but something intervened.

"Block it with Iron Head!"

In the blink of an eye a body of silver light blocked Charizard's Thunder Punch attack and caused an explosion, sending him skidding back to Alain's side while Potens was tossed. Reacting to the situation, Charizard caught his friend and placed her next to Gray, who bowed thankfully before withdrawing Potens and turning her attention back to Dominic, as well as the strange intruder.

Floating by Dominic and Typhlosion's side was a blue serpent with a large mouth and fearsome fangs. The Pokemon, a Gyarados, suddenly turned around when the bushes behind him rustled, and he let out a roar when a freakishly tall man appeared, drawing scowls from Gray and Alain. The newcomer ran a hand through his hair, which looked like a volcano, before speaking.

"So we meet again, Alain. Gray."

"Lysandre," the older of the two hissed along with Charizard, putting a wicked smirk on the man's face.

"Oh, it seems we have you outnumbered," the man stated before his enemies could get another word in. Both Gray and Alain growled at the comment, as did Charizard, who spread his wings as far as he could in an attempt to act like a shield for Gray. "You and I both know, Charizard, you can't take Dominic and me down."

Foaming at the mouth, Charizard nearly lunged at his former boss, but he stopped when a speeding object landed beside him. The figure gave off an overwhelming sense of power, causing Lysandre to raise an eyebrow while Dominic and Typhlosion smirked.

"Fortis, what are you doing!? You're supposed to be protecting the others!" Gray shouted at her strongest Pokemon, who refused to respond, instead opting to spread his wings just like Charizard had.

"I wasn't expecting a rematch with him so soon," the Flygon muttered while glancing at his teammate, who nodded in response before cracking his knuckles and glaring at Typhlosion. Gyarados let out an agitated roar, drawing the attention of Fortis, who narrowed his eyes in an attempt to remember the unfamiliar Pokemon and its trainer.

"What about me?" Ghetsis shouted as Hydreigon descended and landed off to the side of both duos, drawing confused looks from everyone other than Fortis, who sweat dropped at the man's determination. "Surely you haven't forgotten about us."

"The same could be said for me, sir," yet another voice added, this time making Ghetsis sweat drop.

From the shadows of the trees emerged Colress, and he stood by Ghetsis' side while holding a Poke Ball in his right hand a clipboard in the left. Spitting to the side, Colress looked around and examined each of his opponents before locking eyes with Gray, causing his hold on the capsule to tighten.

"You again," he muttered in disgust. "Aggron, appear!"

Emerging from the spherical device was an Aggron, who punched his hands together upon seeing Gray. Each of the six trainers and their Pokemon began glancing at one another, waiting for someone to make a move. Waiting caused the tension to soar astronomically, but it was shattered by Gray and Fortis.

"I think it's about time we unveil it," the Flygon opined as he eyed Aggron, Hydreigon, Gyarados, and Typhlosion.

"So do I," the young woman replied, only for Colress, Ghetsis, and Lysandre to shout at the same time as her. "Now, Fortis, Mega Evolve!"

"Aggron, activate Mega Evolution!"

"Hydreigon, supercharge!"

"Gyarados, break them and Mega Evolve!"

* * *

 **Jinkies, we got an evolution, Scoob! Yeah, that's right, Palpitoad evolved and that swung the momentum in favor of White, N, and Noah. Moving forward, Seismitoad's going to be a beast, capable of taking on some members of Gray's team, as well as her rivals'. After that battle, the stage was set for a three-way Double Battle between the pairs of Gray and Alain, Lysandre and Dominic, and Ghetsis and Colress! Next chapter will be the entire bout, which, depending on how much time I have, could take up to a week. Till (possibly) then, peace out. Before I forget, the poll on my profile is tied with five options receiving six votes, and I plan on closing it either tonight or tomorrow night, so make sure to voice your opinion.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Seismitoad?  
2\. Which pair do you think will win the next battle?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "All Out War: Flare vs Plasma**_ ** _!"_** _ **  
**_

 _ **With everything on the line, Gray and Alain battle the duos of Lysandre and Dominic, and Colress and Ghetsis. Each of the six trainers, holding nothing back, reveal all of their tricks, causing the momentum of the epic showdown to swing wildly. As the astounding power destroys almost everything in the way of the battle, an unknown group keeps an eye from a distance. Who will win? What does everyone have up their sleeve? Who is this unknown group?**_

* * *

 **Cosmic Arc**

 **Chapter 67: Goodbye, Advena**


	66. All Out War: Flare vs Plasma!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens transforms while battling Hugh and Greninja, and her eyes start glowing purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Oi! Time for the best battle of this arc, and it's going to be a slugfest. Last chapter, White, Noah, and N managed to overcome the Shadow Triad and Celosia, Mable, and Aliana after Palpitoad evolved. Yeah, White actually got some screen time for once XD This chapter will be another three-way battle between Flare, Plasma, and the group, except it'll feature the top dogs, who are all using Mega Evolution, or something of the sort (looking at you, Ghetsis). And I also wanted to let everyone know that I scrapped the unknown group because I realized they served no actual purpose. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Noice, noice. The spectating group will... well, I'd rather not say. I can comment on Seismitoad, though. He's going to get way more attention (as will Snivy and Boldore) and might have a chance at taking on quite a few different opponents. Who? We'll have to wait and see ;)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Triple hype squared! Thanks for the compliment, and it was absolutely brutal. Every time I thought I was close, I realized there were still ten moves or more to write but, in the end, it was worth it :D Seismitoad was definitely the MVP, and this one's going to be so much better, mainly because of how much stronger the combatants are_

 **Defender31415:** _XD Protagonist hax to the fullest! Glad to see you liked the references (they're hit or miss, but at least I got one hit!), and Seismitoad is going to be White's go-to for a while, if not the rest of the story, depending on what her team looks like. Hopefully those scouters aren't actually scouters (inb4 they are)_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Potens will battle Bellator at some point or another, and thanks!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Hype-nado XD GG. Here's to hoping this chapter's better, and Seismitoad will definitely be a key cog on White's team!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Yeah, Seismitoad came out swinging, and he'll continue to be a beast_

 **sparkydragon98:** _Seismitoad and Arcanine are two of my favorites I've ever had, too! I found Samurott (in-game) to be a bit better than Seismitoad, but it's still pretty damn good. If she did learn it, I think I messed up XD The one she most recently learned was Acrobatics. If you're referring to the purple aura from a few chapters ago, that isn't a move... but you'll learn more about that later_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _XD I wasn't going for the pun, but I figured you'd mention that. Freaky power jump is the perfect way to describe that, and I agree 100%. Sadly (or maybe not), White will be the beneficiary of pretty sizable gains in power, but she'll still be weaker than the others_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Elgyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

All four Pokemon - Fortis, Aggron, Hydreigon, and Gyarados - were swallowed by bodies of light and pink eggs. Hydreigon, being the only to undergo a transformation via the former of the two, suddenly had a coat of green aura around his body. Next to him, Aggron had shed his clunky armor in exchange for a much more sleek look. Gyarados' underbelly turned black while two large fins appeared on the top of his back and were accompanied by red marks running down the sides of his body. Fortis, meanwhile, had armor covering his limbs, and his wings became far more jagged.

The three teams and their Pokemon eyed one another cautiously, waiting for someone to make the first move. After a few moments, Alain subtly motioned for Gray, who nodded, knowing that the Kalosian planned on attacking.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower on Aggron!" the nineteen year old commanded, pointing at the steel type as he did so.

Obeying, Charizard shot a wave of blue flames at his target, but Colress hurriedly issued a counterattack while his Pokemon roared for help. Due to the ferocity with which he roared, Aggron managed to scare off all of the Pokemon nearby, causing all of the leaves in the trees to rustle wildly.

"Use Flash Cannon to defend yourself and counter with Earth Power!" the Plasma scientist countered.

Aggron hurriedly shot a beam of silver energy from his mouth and managed to stop the Flamethrower attack dead in its tracks. As soon as an explosion occurred and smoke consumed the area, the pure steel type stomped with his right foot. In the blink of an eye, a blast of dirt shot out of the ground and launched Charizard straight into the air while also clearing the smoke. Due to that, Lysandre narrowed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest before calling out to Gyarados.

"Test the Flygon's strength! Blizzard!"

A horizontal tornado of snow escaped the water and dark type's mouth, but Gray was quick to come to her Pokemon's aide.

"Oh, you'll see our strength, buddy! Dodge it and give 'em a max power Dragon Claw, Fortis!"

"Hydreigon, intercept it with Dragon Rush!" Ghetsis ordered angrily, remaining fixated on the dragon and ground type.

Both Pokemon took off at the same time while charging their attacks, which, due to Mega Evolution and Colress' experimenting, exponentially increased the power of the dragon type moves. Just before Fortis could even attempt to dodge Gyarados' Blizzard attack, Hydreigon slammed into his side and sent him flying into a tree. Gray gasped in shock as Fortis crashed through three more trees, toppling them and creating a domino effect that rippled throughout the area. While the others stared in horror and awe, Dominic snapped his fingers and grabbed Typhlosion's attention.

"Hurry and knock Charizard out! Aerial Ace!"

"Spin and use Steel Wing!" Alain retorted, having been focused on the battle the entire time, which caused Dominic to curse under his breath.

While Typhlosion zipped towards his rival like a missile and streaks of white light flew off his face, Charizard let out a roar as he spun like a drill. With his wings glowing silver, a ring of the same color appeared around the lizard's head due to the speed with which he was spinning. Upon colliding, sparks of silver and white light flew everywhere, and the fire types battled back and forth until Colress seized the opportunity to attack.

"Destroy them both by using Double-Edge!"

"Wrong move, chump," Lysandre remarked smugly as soon as he heard the blonde speak. "Gyarados, Earthquake!"

As soon as Aggron had two rings of sharp stones revolving around his body, Gyarados smashed his tail on the ground as hard as he could. At the same exact time, Typhlosion and Charizard were hurled back to their trainers as a wave of immense force resulted from their collision, causing Aggron to scratch his head, unaware of what to do. Then, several columns of dirt sprung up from the earth and hit not only Aggron in the face, but Hydreigon as well, dealing serious damage to both Pokemon.

"Fortis, take to the sky with Charizard and use Draco Meteor!" Gray shouted as hundreds of dirt columns began popping up and closing in on her powerhouse.

Grabbing Charizard's hand, Fortis shot into the air and barely avoided the absurdly powerful attack, which drew thanks from Charizard. Then, opening his mouth and staring up at the clouds, Fortis' stomach began to glow orange before he shot a gigantic ball of draconic energy into the air. Suddenly, it broke apart and, like tiny meteors, the pieces crashed towards the surface, making the villains' hearts stop for a split second. However, after regaining his composure, Ghetsis cleared his throat and locked eyes with Hydreigon.

"Use Surf to protect yourself and Aggron!" he demanded.

The dragon and dark type lifted his arms and created a tidal wave that flew upwards and blew up the powerful chinks of energy headed his and Aggron's way. However, because the Plasma group was so preoccupied with shielding themselves - as opposed to Lysandre and Dominic, who were dodging everything along with their Pokemon - they were completely unaware of their defenseless state.

"Hide all you want, it's not going to stop us! Typhlosion, Eruption!" Dominic hollered, taunting Ghetsis.

The Johto starter flexed and roared as loudly as possible while blasts of molten hot lava shot out of his mouth and into the sky. Once the Draco Meteor rainstorm ceased, all of the wild Pokemon within five miles of the site looked around to see that everything had been decimated by the insane attack. Much to their dismay, they watched as balls of lava struck the ground and began burning everything in the forest prompting all of the habitants fled for their lives.

"Burrow underground with Dig and have Fortis follow!" Alain shouted in fear as he and Gray dove for shelter in an attempt to avoid death.

Charizard immediately followed through and motioned for the Flygon to follow, which he did. Shortly thereafter, the falling fire had stopped and Colress, letting out a sigh of relief, readjusted his glasses and threw his clipboard backwards, catching Lysandre's attention.

"Hit the ground as hard as you can with Iron Tail!" the blonde yelled.

Aggron obeyed and struck the ground so hard, both Charizard and Fortis were forced to the surface and let out cries of pain as the forest fire intensified, leaving the six trainers and their Pokemon with no escape.

"Perfect. Send Charizard flying with Outrage!" Lysandre barked, still keeping his arms folded over his chest.

"Fortis, use Boomburst to protect Charizard!" Gray screamed as she watched her Pokemon and Alain's hit the ground hard.

Somehow, the dragon and ground type pushed himself back onto his feet and shot forwards, standing a few feet in front of Charizard, who barely remained conscious. Alain took note of the condition his Pokemon was in before glancing back to Fortis, who flapped his wings as hard as possible, sending a blade of wind towards his charging opponent. The flying serpent let out a ferocious roar while he was enveloped in a coat of orange and slammed through the normal type attack. Then, he crashed into Fortis and Charizard, making them scream in pain before hitting the ground once again.

"Use Giga Impact on Gyarados!"

In the blink of an eye, Hydreigon, who was encapsulated in a ball of purple light, hit into Gyarados with reckless abandon, sending the water type soaring into dozens of burning trees, which broke into millions of pieces upon impact. Taking to the air without exerting any effort, Gyarados used Aqua Tail on himself to cool the burn marks riding along his sides.

Meanwhile, Gray and Alain sprinted over to their Pokemon and knelt by their sides worriedly, ignoring the ever-growing fire surrounding them and the others.

"Fortis, can you keep going?" the brunette asked delicately as she placed a hand on the Mega Evolved Flygon's head.

Grunting in response, though mainly out of pain, Fortis rose to his feet and flapped his wings as violently as he could, creating a powerful gust of wind.

"What about you, Charizard?" Alain inquired, prompting his partner to shoot off the ground and release an intense wave of fire from his mouth. Grinning, the Kalosian patted Charizard on the back, causing him to turn around.

The two locked eyes and appeared to be having a mental conversation, which ended with both nodding at the same time.

"Let's go! We don't have all day!" Ghetsis shouted at the nineteen year old as Gray and Fortis prepared to resume battling.

Ignoring the Plasma leader's demands, the Kalosian and his Pokemon nodded at each other once again before the former made his way back to Gray's side.

"You know, I didn't think we'd have to show this off," Alain said aloud, drawing Gray's attention as she turned and stared at the older trainer and his mighty, yet battered Charizard. As Alain reached into his back left pocket and pulled out a large, orange rock, Gray gasped while Fortis recoiled. "Catch!" Alain yelled while throwing the object at his Pokemon, who did just as he was told. Then, breaking the stone against the ground, Charizard picked up a tiny, spherical piece, and put it inside the metal necklace he was wearing.

With everyone waiting in silence, they were thrown off when Charizard put his hand over both stones on his necklace, and Alain covered his hand over his Mega Bracelet.

 _'Two Steps from Hell - Kronos' begins playing_

"Charizard, I know Owen wanted us to wait until using this, but we're facing life or death!" Alain shouted, drawing a grunt from his only Pokemon, who was suddenly surrounded by a ring of fire. "We'll unlock our full power and do this together!"

The fire began to creep up Charizard's body, and one half was blue while the other was red. When it reached the winged lizard's neck, he looked up to the sky and let out a roar unlike anything anyone had ever heard, though Alain remained unfazed, as he was too caught up in protecting himself and Gray.

"Keystone, respond to my heart," he began, leaving his opponents in a state of utter confusion. "Beyond Mega Evolution, Mega Fuse!"

The spiraling body of flames surged towards the sun, reaching about two hundred feet while Charizard continued roaring. Dominic, Lysandre, Colress, and Ghetsis trembled at the power Charizard was emitting while Gray and Fortis grinned confidently.

Then, in a split second, the flames were slashed through and Charizard unveiled his new physique.

Charizard's skin was mainly black, though other parts remained orange, and everyone looked on in awe. The black portions of his body - the top of his head, arms, and the insides of his wings - were complimented by the rest of his body being orange, and crimson fire emitting from the three spikes on his cranium, and his wings also took on the shape of his Mega X form. To top it off, red flames streamed out of the sides of his mouth.

 _Music stops_

Gray immediately had a flashback of Owen using the very same technique before battling Mewtwo, and stared at Alain, whose Mega Bracelet was surging with rainbow-colored energy.

The others, however, were terrified of what they had just witnessed. Having never seen such a transformation, they submerged their nerves and adopted the mindset of Mega Fusion being nothing more than a fancy change of one's appearance, which couldn't have been any further from the truth.

"Try all you want, nothing's going to keep us from killing you!" Dominic proclaimed as he pointed at Alain and Charizard, who scoffed at the bold words.

 _'615 Music - Epic Proportions' begins playing_

"We'll just see about that," the Kalosian retorted, causing the mercenary to flinch slightly. "Dragon Claw, let's go!"

Taking off at the speed of light, no one was able to see Charizard as Typhlosion was sent flying through the walls of fire surrounding the area, making everyone gasp. Then, Typhlosion was thrown back towards the battle site until he crashed straight into the ground so hard the entire surface cracked and caused a wave to ride underneath the ground.

"Quick! Use Thunder on Gyarados while we have the chance, Aggron!" Colress yelled after regaining his footing.

The steel type flexed and shot a zigzagging bolt of neon blue electricity at the flying serpent, who was zapped into oblivion before hitting the cracked ground. Despite the attack being super effective, Lysandre's Pokemon rose and glared daggers at Aggron, who trembled in fear as he stared into the demonic pair of eyes belonging to Gyarados.

"Retaliate and use Hydro Pump!" the entrepreneur commanded.

Quick to answer back, the water and dark type unleashed a dark blue blast of water from his mouth, and it struck Hydreigon. Being thrown up against another burning tree, the dragon let out a pained cry, but Gray refused to pity her opponent, instead opting to jump on the opportunity to deal even more damage to the wounded beast.

"Fortis, use Dragon Pulse on Hydreigon!" she shouted.

Rearing his head back, Fortis shot a multicolored beam of energy that transformed into the shape of a dragon. As it opened its mouth, the energy blast boomed before snapping its jaws closed, intimidating Hydreigon. Ghetsis, however, was quick to issue a counterattack.

"Fire a Focus Blast attack to cancel it out!"

Hydreigon and his two other heads shot three massive balls of yellow light, which exploded as soon as it collided with the powerful blast of draconic energy. The smoke immediately cleared when Charizard flapped his wings alongside Fortis, prompting Dominic to throw his right hand forwards at the same time as Alain.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

The two fully evolved starters shot their attacks at the same time, and they collided. A ball of spinning blue and red fire formed, but the blue wave immediately powered through and Charizard roared as he watched Typhlosion disappear in the flames. After his attack ceased, the Mega Fused Pokemon scoffed at Typhlosion, who still somehow remained standing.

Seeing the shape the shape their Pokemon were in, the Flare and Plasma members looked at one another before seeing Fortis and Charizard, who both seemed as if they could go another ten rounds despite the bruises and lacerations all over the former's body.

"Hey, volcano-head," Ghetsis called while motioning for Lysandre, who turned and scowled. "I know we were trying to kill each other just a couple of seconds ago, but we need to team up if we want to make it out of here."

Stroking his chin, Lysandre glanced at Charizard and Alain, who appeared to be unstoppable, and then sighed.

"I supposed it's a necessity. After this, we're not allies, got it?"

 _Music stops_

Ghetsis smirked and nodded, shaking Lysandre's hand while Dominic and Colress looked on, waiting to strike. Once their bosses gave signals, the trainers nodded and sprung into action.

"Use Thunder on Charizard, Aggron!" Colress boomed.

"Help out by using Aerial Ace and Double Team!" Dominic shouted at the same time as his new ally.

As Typhlosion began to multiply and half of the clones formed a circle around Fortis, the other half zipped towards Charizard with streaks of white light flying off his face. Slamming into the supercharged Pokemon, Charizard grunted in pain and Alain did the same, mimicking the movements of his Pokemon. While Gray glanced at the teen, noticing the grimaces on his face as Charizard was hit, she turned back to focus on the battle at hand while Fortis was overwhelmed by the amount of clones surrounding him.

"Slash through all of them and then hit Typhlosion with Dragon Claw!" the brunette commanded, throwing her right arm forwards with a confident grin.

The dragon and ground type's hands were glowing neon green, and he slashed through every single one of the clones with the swiftest of movements, impressing his opponents. Despite that, the evildoers issued another series of attacks, overwhelming both Alain and Gray.

"Hydreigon, drown them both with Surf!"

"And hit Charizard with Outrage, Gyarados!"

In a matter of seconds, Fortis and Charizard were crushed by a destructive wave of water, making Alain shout in pain while falling to the ground. However, when he saw Gyarados closing in on Charizard, he forced himself back up to his feet and threw his hands upwards.

"Dodge it, Charizard, and use Thunder Punch on Gyarados!" he shouted before grimacing once again, which caught Gray's attention for a second time.

Charizard took off while his right hand was enveloped in bright yellow electricity, and he swung at Gyarados, who was coated in orange energy. The attacks collided and, as they battled back and forth, Alain cursed under his breath while grabbing his right fist in excruciating pain.

"Earth Power!" Colress screamed.

While Charizard was rammed into the ground by Gyarados, Aggron stomped on the ground and a blast of earth shot up and slammed into the fire type's back, knocking him to the brink of unconsciousness. Alain immediately gripped his back and grunted in pain once again before turning to Gray and attempting to speak. However, the pain was too much and prevented him from making out any words.

"Now burn them both with Eruption!"

Flexing and roaring at the same time, Typhlosion fired several blasts of lava into the air, which when hitting the ground, exploded and caused flames to rise. Charizard and Fortis screamed in pain, as did Alain, and the combatants fell to the ground along with the nineteen year old.

"We're not going to give in! Fortis, Earthquake!" Gray hollered at the top of her lungs, causing the Flygon's eyes to shoot wide open.

Punching the ground as hard as he could, Fortis smirked as each of his four opponents were struck by pillars of dirt. However, as soon as the attacks landed, Fortis fell on his face in complete exhaustion, making every one of his enemies cackle.

"End this, Hydreigon! Dragon Rush!" Ghetsis roared.

"Outrage!" Lysandre shrieked.

In the blink of an eye, both Fortis and Charizard were clobbered by the dragon type attacks, and before Gray could even think, she watched as Alain collapsed. Charizard then reverted back to his normal form at the same time as Fortis, and Gray, staring at the two Pokemon and her friend, was at a loss for words. Then, turning back to the four men standing a few dozen feet away.

Thinking quick on her feet, the brunette ripped a Poke Ball off her belt and hurled it into the air, shouting "Advena, I choose you!"

The psychic type materialized from her capsule but, still being exhausted from exerting all of her energy in preventing the Shadow Triad from killing N, fell on her rear end. As she did so, the four villains cackled in unison while their Pokemon stepped forwards and looked ready to end the battle.

"You put up an adequate fight, but it's over," Lysandre proclaimed, making Gray snarl while Advena's head shot off the ground, enraged by the obnoxious man's words.

"It's time we put an end to this. Hydreigon, charge a Dark Pulse!"

"Gyarados, do the same with Hydro Pump!"

"Aggron, Flash Cannon!"

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"

The four Pokemon unleashed their supercharged attacks, the first three still remaining in their supped-up states. Much to Gray's horror, she watched as the four attacks converged and closed in on her and Alain's unconscious body in a split-second. Closing her eyes, the girl took a deep breath, her life flashing before her eyes. Graduation; the Indigo League; the Silver Conference; her Pokemon; her friends; her family. Then, opening her eyes, Gray recoiled in shock, gasping at the same time.

The four attacks, which were spiraling together, had stopped just an inch in front of her head. A thin blue coil had wrapped around them and was pulling them back, keeping Gray from being killed. As she looked up, the eighteen year old saw none other than Advena at her eye level. Copious amounts of blood stained the grass and even began forming a puddle.

Lysandre, Dominic, Ghetsis, and Colress were silent as they stared at the psychic type and, suddenly, the attacks of their Pokemon were turned to dust by the alien. The Flare leader smirked at the power his target had displayed, and he glanced at Dominic before Typhlosion shot forwards and attempted to grab Advena. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, when he stared at a gruesome wound to Advena's chest. A large hole, one that had gone all the way through her body, stared him right in the eyes.

"A...Advena," Gray whispered, eyeing the gaping hole. "Why did you..."

Before the girl could whisper another word, Advena was engulfed in a blinding body of white light, making everyone gape in awe. The tiny alien began to grow slightly, and her circular head became more like a square. Despite her transformation, the hole was still present, but it appeared as if she had been granted a small dose of energy.

"Beheeyem, the Cerebral Pokemon, and the evolved form of Elgyem. It uses psychic power to control an opponent's brain and tamper with its memories. New move learned: Psyshock."

Gray looked up from her Pokedex and stared at the newly evolved Pokemon.

Using the last bit of her power, Advena raised her right arm, which was glowing an intense shade of blue. Gray gasped as blue lines of energy appeared around all four of her enemies, and a body of black energy began to whip up gale force winds. The intense pull of the black orb was far too strong for the villains, and they, along with their Pokemon were sucked inside. Just as quickly as it appeared, the black hole vanished, and Advena's arm stopped glowing.

With that, Advena fell to the ground and didn't move a muscle.

* * *

 **Holy crap, that was awesome, yet at the same time painful to write. Gray and Alain managed to hold their own against Colress and Ghetsis, and Dominic and Lysandre for a while until eventually getting overpowered. Before they could be hit by the fatal combo from the other pairs, Advena came in and sacrificed herself, while also managing to evolve and teleport all of the Flare and Plasma members far away. At the very end, she hit the ground and next chapter will focus on Advena. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Goodbye, Advena**_ ** _"_** _ **  
**_

 _ **Advena's departure looms, but things don't turn out the way they expect. What exactly will happen?**_

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 68: Tensions Rise  
** **Chapter 69:** **The True Fighter's Spirit  
** **Chapter 70: An Unlikely Bond  
** **Chapter 71: Jealous, Much?  
** **Chapter 72: Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle!?** **  
** **Chapter 73: From One Dragon to Another  
** **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!**


	67. Goodbye, Advena

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks over losing to Hugh and Greninja, Bianca and Serperior, and Cheren and Emboar)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Gray looks up and sees Bellator leaving** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens transforms while battling Hugh and Greninja, and her eyes start glowing purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Oh, hey there, brotato chip. Last time around, Gray and Alain battled the duos of Dominic and Lysandre, and Ghetsis and Colress. After a while (and Mega Fusion), the opposition proved too strong and, when they fired a combined attack to kill Fortis, Charizard, Alain, and Gray, Advena intercepted it. She evolved afterwards and managed to teleport all of the evildoers away, but she dropped to the ground. This chapter will focus on the events following that scene along with some more stuff. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Well, Advena was supposed to be released the entire time. Her original purpose was to be taken by Flare, but I scrapped that and went with what's going to happen now. Those predictions tho, minus the stealing from XYZ. It's from Kalos with Owen and Brooklyn :/_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _XD That's the perfect way to describe her actions. It'd definitely suck to see her leave, and thanks for the compliments! The battle was really fun to write, and I'm happy to hear that you liked Ghetsis' manipulating bit_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I'm well over the legal amount of hype possession XD Thank god you brought up that point for 72 (something I would've put at the end of an A/N), so you made my job a lot easier_

 **Defender31415:** _:D Alain and Charizard will be out of commission for a little bit, but they'll be back and kicking ass in no time. Their use of Mega Fusion will also be a fun thing to focus on, and did I hint at her being okay? I didn't even mean to XD_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yuss. Mega Fusion shouldn't be used very often after this (maybe twice, but that's without checking the outline), and Gray really is facing death a lot this arc. I definitely feel bad for Advena too, but who knows how things will play out? (I do, but whatever)_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psyshock, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Advena, (f), level 39, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Psychic*, Rock Slide* - (Beheeyem)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Advena!" Gray screamed as she sprinted to the newly evolved Pokemon's side.

While doing so, White, N, and Noah weaved their way through the flames with the help of Seismitoad. Upon arriving, the trio saw Advena lying on the ground and noticed the wound in her chest. Everyone watched from afar in fear, with White turning and putting her head against Noah's chest, N covering his eyes with his cap, Noah turning away, and Alain and Charizard looking up at the sky. Though beaten to a pulp, Fortis clamped his hands together and put them against his head as he prayed for the Beheeyem to recover.

"Please! You can't die here!" the brunette shrieked at the top of her lungs while cradling her Pokemon in her arms. "Advena, you can't leave us."

As Gray's tears poured out of her eyes and splashed against the limp creature, Advena slowly lifted her right arm up and let out a grunt, silencing her trainer. Then, as she tapped her finger against Gray's heart, Advena's eyes began to flash bright blue, letting the eighteen year old know she was happy.

"You... are... family," the psychic type whispered, causing the floodgates to open.

Bawling her eyes out, Gray didn't react when her five other Pokemon escaped their Poke Balls and stood around in confusion. As they turned to the other trainers for a response, all of the Pokemon noticed how the others refused to watch the scene unfold.

"Advena, are you okay?" Unicus whispered as she bent over to get a better view of her teammate, who looked like she was knocking on death's door. "What happened to you?" she continued, only to be pushed back by Gray.

Despite the brunette's actions, Advena motioned for Unicus, as well as the others, to lean in while the other Beheeyem floated back to give her space.

"What's going on? Why is everyone so emotional right now?" Celsus quizzed, eyeing Gray, who continued crying as she shook her head, unable to answer the simple question.

"My time with you..." Advena paused, grimacing as a furious wave of pain surged through her entire body. "Has been the greatest time of my life. Even though... my famil-" the psychic type recoiled violently, making her teammates begin to tear up. "Even though I knew family... I felt, as you say... empty."

Everyone stopped moving after hearing the statement, and Gray, staring down at the wounded Beheeyem, began to sob. While doing so, she felt a hand fall on her back, but refused to turn around to see who the owner was. Under normal circumstances, Noah would've felt horrible about himself, but he understood Gray's lack of a reaction, and he too, was crying.

Arcanine, Snivy, Seismitoad, Boldore, and Zoroark cried in a group, hugging one another as they refused to look at the dying alien that had grown to become their friend, whether over the course of two months or a mere day. Even Charizard and Fortis, the most stoic of the bunch, had been reduced to tears, and they sat down, covering their faces with their hands.

"Advena," Unicus whispered, her voice trailing off as she lost her train of thought.

The air began to grow still, and it was almost as if the elements themselves had been reduced to nothingness. Not a single wild Pokemon that had returned to the area after the insane brawl moved a muscle, and they all remained mute out of respect for the perishing creature that had saved not only them, but their home.

"Please, tell us everything's going to be fine, Gray. Please," Furcifer begged while staring at her trainer, who turned and locked eyes with the Sneasel. Not knowing what to do or say, Gray shook her head, and Furcifer began to bawl while Dicax comforted her, tears rolling down his face as well.

Advena let out a soft chuckle, which turned into several coughs, and her teammates, no, family, huddled around closely.

"My life ends here, and there's nothing I can do about it," she stated, somehow no longer struggling with her words. Her last bit of strength was being poured into her final few minutes of life on Earth, and the alien's eyes began flashing blue as she looked around at the Pokemon that were staring at her, each one crying. "But while some may claim that, if presented an opportunity to change the past, I would choose a different route, I would tell them otherwise," Advena announced, making everyone flinch as chills ran down their spines.

Gray, closing her eyes as she brought Advena closer to her chest, couldn't stop picturing the tiny Elgyem that had dove in front of the combined assault from Typhlosion, Mega Gyarados, Hydreigon, and Mega Aggron. The moment she not only evolved, but teleported Dominic, Lysandre, Ghetsis, and Colress, as well as their admins away followed.

"Unicus," the Beheeyem called, pointing at the Sandslash, who leaned forwards. "We did not communicate often, but the moments you spent teaching me how to speak like a human will forever be ingrained in my memory."

"I-I'm..." Unicus began to sniffle and her words, as well as body, trembled at the thought of Advena dying. "I'm going to miss you!" she shouted before diving into Gray's side and burying her face into her trainer's sweatshirt.

"Furcifer," Advena said, drawing the Sneasel's attention. "Your pranks, though barbaric at times, did illuminate gloomy days. For that, I thank you."

Unable to say a word, Furcifer let out a loud cry and continued sobbing while hugging Unicus, and the turned away from Advena, whose eyes flashed blue in response.

"Celsus," she started, prompting the Girafarig to bend his long neck down so he could hear his dying teammate more clearly. "The hardships of your history always made me want to talk to you, as I too, experienced a similar life. However, unlike me, you constantly strive towards proving the naysayers wrong, and are a true leader."

Hearing such high praise from his fellow psychic type, Celsus turned away, not wanting anyone to see his tears. Unable to control himself, the giraffe plopped down on the ground and wailed.

"Dicax," Advena said slightly more quietly than before, drawing a bow from the Mawile. "Your intellect is second to none, and it's a shame we did not know each other's existence for a long period of time. Promise me you will keep the others from fighting."

Sniffling, the steel and fairy type nodded at Advena, who nodded in response before turning her attention to the other trainers and Pokemon that weren't looking at each other.

"To you all, I wish you the best. White, Snivy, Seismitoad, Boldore, I foresee an incredible future, and you will all obtain the power you are hoping to acquire, and then some."

The sixteen year old and her three Pokemon, though emotionally overwhelmed, bowed appreciatively before resuming their bawling.

"N and Zoroark, I may have only met you today, but you two will bring peace to the world. I am sure of it."

Tipping his cap, N then smiled at Advena along with Zoroark, and the alien's eyes flashed blue in response.

"Alain, Charizard, Fortis, you are three of the strongest organisms I have encountered. I aspired to be like you, and ultimately failed in my lone opportunity. I suppose I wasn't meant to be like you."

The aforementioned trio gave Advena their attention and, after wiping tears from their eyes, they bowed to the psychic type before going back to blocking out the scene. Along with them, the teammates - or family members, as Advena called them - that had been spoken to walked away, no longer wanting to see their powerful, courageous friend succumbing to the wound that left her as nothing but a mere shell of her former self. Gray and Potens, remained, however, and the Beheeyem reached out to her strongest friend while her hand was glowing.

"Potens, please listen carefully, as I have very little time left, and can not repeat myself," Advena ordered, drawing a nod from the Noivern. "You have a power inside you, one that I did not see in Bellator," she began, causing Potens' to widen her eyes. "Do everything you can to unlock it. If you don't, the world will suffer in more ways than one."

Bowing out of respect for the request, Potens then smiled at Advena and extended a hand, which made the alien's eyes flash blue before fist bumping her friend.

"I know you said it's inevitable, but even so, you'll be with us," the Noivern proclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear, which made Potens smirk as she watched all of the humans and Pokemon stare at her. "Right in our hearts."

Putting one of her sharp claws up against her chest and over her heart, Potens looked around at the crowd before turning back to Advena, smiling as tears rolled down her cheeks. Nodding at the psychic type, Potens walked away and cried with her teammates, leading to Advena looking up at Gray and tapping her with one finger.

"You, Gray, are the one that made this possible."

Gray stopped breathing for a few seconds and stared Advena in the eyes.

"From the first time we met, I could sense that you truly cared about not only yourself or your Pokemon, but even those you had never met, like me. I attacked you, yet you took me to a Pokemon Center and saved my life. You all were willing to take on Team Flare to protect me, even going so far as to fighting Alain, even if you did not know that Bellator had such amazing power."

The eighteen year old remained as still as a statue even as the memories Advena had evoked burned in her mind.

"You gave me the memories of a lifetime, a sense of family, and the emotion of love. No one could do anything more."

As she finished speaking, Advena began to cough violently, making Gray's tears increase.

"This is goodbye... to... all of... you," Advena whispered weakly as her head began to lean back and her glowing eyes dimmed.

Gray, still cradling the dying Pokemon, slowly let her down to the ground, holding back her tears and desire to scream. Once Advena's head was against the ground, the evolved Pokemon raised her arm up to Gray, who held her hand and put it over her heart while weeping, her tears hitting the alien.

"I love you, Advena. We all do, and we'll never forget you," Gray whispered, causing Advena's eyes to flash one final time before going black.

Her arm suddenly went limp, and Gray's heart dropped as she let the stubby limb fall to the ground. Staring at the deceased being for what felt like an eternity, Gray suddenly put her head against Advena's chest and let out a scream as her nose ran and tears were flowing out of her eyes. Everyone else, having become overwhelmed by the sight of the dead Pokemon, embraced whoever was closest, and they watched as Gray wiped her nose with her sleeve and rose to her feet, Advena in her arms.

Slowly, the psychic type began to fade away, almost as if she were in a computer game, right before her trainer's eyes. Refusing to watch, Gray turned her back and kept her head hanging as the Beheeyem teleported away in a blinding flash of light. When the light faded, the Kantonian began staring at the spot Advena had laid upon, and she dropped to her knees.

A wave of rage fueled her movements, and Gray slammed her fist against the ground so hard it began bleeding, causing everyone to stop crying and stare at her in shock. Repeating the violent actions a dozen more times or so, Gray lost all feeling in her right hand and looked up at the sky, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"We need to give her some time alone," Fortis announced, wiping the tears from his face. "There's nothing we can do except try to come to terms with what just happened."

Nodding, everyone except Noah began walking away. As he stood in the same place and stared at the emotionally destroyed brunette, who began punching the ground with her left hand, he inhaled and attempted to say something. However, the words refused to escape, and he hung his head before attempting to leave. Before he did, the eighteen year old turned one last time and didn't think.

"Gray, you can always talk to me."

With that, he vanished, leaving Gray to herself with two bloodied and nearly broken hands. Still staring at the ground, which was covered with blood, the girl pictured Advena's lifeless body resting there, fueling a fire deep within her heart.

 _"I don't care what it takes. I'm going to kill each of you. Dominic, Lysandre, Colress, Ghetsis, you just made the worst decision of your lives."_

* * *

 **So, things took an unexpected dark turn, didn't they? To be honest, that wasn't supposed to happen, but because I wrote this chapter before 66, I had nothing to base my work off of, and I really liked how it turned out. To recap, Advena died and Gray vowed to kill Lysandre, Ghetsis, Dominic, and Colress, which will take her down a pretty dark path near the end of the Mistralton Arc, and most of the Icirrus Arc. Speaking of new arcs, Mistralton will begin next chapter, and there are going to be a lot of issues popping up with the group in the coming arcs. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Thoughts on Advena's death? What's your favorite moment involving Advena? (Dramatic, I know, but it feels right. Mine would have to be her battle against Rei)  
2\. What are your feelings about Gray's potential path of rage? (It won't happen right away, but it's going to manifest)  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Tensions Rise**_ ** _"_** _ **  
**_

 _ **Upon arriving in Mistralton City, the group, distraught over Advena's passing, begins fighting one someone blames the others for what happened. What will come of such an accusation?**_

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 69:** **The True Fighter's Spirit  
** **Chapter 70: An Unlikely Bond  
** **Chapter 71: Jealous, Much?  
** **Chapter 72: Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle!?** **  
** **Chapter 73: From One Dragon to Another  
** **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!**


	68. Tensions Rise

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (One of Gray's Pokemon trains on its own, and the left side of its face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens transforms while battling Hugh and Greninja, and her eyes start glowing purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Well, this is going to be a bad-blooded chapter :/ Last time around, Advena died, and... that's really it. This chapter's going to focus on the group arriving in Mistralton City, as well as some fights breaking out. It's not going to be the usual happy-go-lucky theme, so if you don't want to read this, then feel free not to. Before I forget, the winning option of the poll was Rei vs Hugh, and check out my profile to see an important announcement about my planned uploading schedule for U:ANG and K:TLG. Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _That's what I was hoping for. Gray's going to attempt to get revenge for Advena, and she's going to go way over the top_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Oh, oh my. I apologize XD This chapter's definitely not going to go well for the group's dynamic, and the blaming/hating is going to occur pretty often for a while_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Yeah, I totally agree. Whenever the main character gets pissed, that's when you know shit's getting real XD_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Uh, I wrote the last chapter before 66, so I kind of forgot to introduce her family, and then I went "well, screw it" and had her die XD She won't kill Dominic either, since he's one of my favorite... five characters (including Pokemon) in this story_

 **davidtheman23:** _Lol. I was kind of hoping people would have that mindset, and it really sucks that she had to go, but it'll end up making Gray and her team a lot stronger in the long run. And her being angry will, initially, be her attempting to murder the culprits, but it'll eventually transform into motivation_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Wow, that is horrible timing XD Bellator's going to play some role in the future, you're definitely on track with him and Flare. Potens and that transformation may happen this arc, but I'm uncertain, at the moment :/ Advena convincing Alain to join would have to be my second favorite moment involving her, and I'm glad she can't be used by Flare (even though she's dead). Surprisingly, nothing will snap Gray out of her quest for revenge. Sure, it won't be as violent as what she'll initially pursue, but revenge will stick with her. And too late! All of her Pokemon are leaving, and she'll capture Rei to fight in her league battles! XD_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _XD Her goodbye did its job, given that you stated it (getting to know everyone). Gray will be, if by you mean Phoenix, Trent-like, I wouldn't go that far, haha. Well, maybe. She'll turn incredibly violent at some point in the future, though she'll be depressed for this chapter and parts of the rest of this arc_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Gray sat out on the hill overlooking Mistralton City all by her lonesome, refusing to speak. As she looked up at the night sky, not a single star was visible, and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Holding Advena's Poke Ball in her right hand, the brunette gripped it tightly, but refused to look at it. The picture of her hitting the ground was burned into her memory.

"It should've been me," she whispered, burying her face in her hands. "Why did you do that, Advena?" she asked aloud, causing the wild Pokemon, who had been sleeping, to run away in fear. "If she just didn't get in the way of that, I wouldn't have to deal with this," Gray whispered rather spitefully before grinding her teeth. "Lysandre, Ghetsis, Dominic, Colress, you'll all pay. Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll make sure you suffer!"

Meanwhile, back at the Pokemon Center, Noah and White sat outside the emergency room, staring at Alain and Charizard, who were both being tended to. Arcanine, Snivy, and Boldore remained silent and then turned to their left, where they saw N and Zoroark, as well as Seismitoad. They too, had been forced into the ER, though the wounds of the first two weren't nearly as bad as Seismitoad's.

"Is he going to be okay?" Snivy whispered, refusing to take her eyes off her teammate, who hadn't moved since the treatment started. "He has to be fine, right?"

White didn't say a word, and the grass snake teared up alongside Boldore until Arcanine stepped forward and reassuringly placed his front left paw on Snivy's head. As she turned, the starter Pokemon looked up and saw Arcanine smiling confidently, which made her nod.

"All of them are going to be fine," he stated. "Look at me and Noah. We were almost killed, pushed ourselves to battle, and were in there longer than anyone else. We're both fully functioning and as good as new."

Boldore eyed Arcanine uneasily, picking up on the volume with which he spoke. He was much louder than usual, and the rock type took that as a bad sign, turning away from the dog, who was covered in bandages. His trainer, who had taken an even worse beating, considering he wasn't a Pokemon, had stitches on his chest and bandages wrapping all around his right hand.

"We'll have to wait and see," Noah muttered. "We were lucky," he continued, looking down at Snivy, who was beginning to tremble at the words.

"Noah, you should go outside," a harsh voice suggested rather forcefully, causing the eighteen year old to turn. When he did, he saw Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, and Dicax standing together, each of them with red eyes from crying. "We don't need to hear you and your negative comments. Everyone's been through enough already," Unicus concluded, shifting her gaze to Potens and Fortis, both of whom were covered in lacerations and blood.

Unfazed by the rage, Noah simply walked out of the Pokemon Center and sat down outside all by his lonesome, though he turned when the doors opened and Arcanine appeared.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" the fire type asked in annoyance, keeping his distance. "Snivy, Boldore, and White need to hear support, not pessimism!"

The wind picked up and Noah looked up at the sky, picturing the final moments of the battle he and Gray had with Bryony. Bisharp was about to use Guillotine on the brunette, and Noah closed his eyes before turning around, glaring at his Pokemon.

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped, causing Arcanine to flinch. "They're not the only ones that know someone that's faced death, Arcanine!" Noah screamed as he stood up and threw his chair across the practice battlefield in a blind fit of rage.

Locking eyes with Arcanine, who was in shock, Noah walked towards the tall dog and continued his path of rage.

"I nearly died! You and Potens nearly died! Gray-"

Noah turned his back to his Pokemon and hung his head. The wind, still whipping, masked the sound of Noah taking a deep breath and exhaling in an attempt to calm himself.

"Gray almost died... and I couldn't do anything about it," he whispered, prompting Arcanine to walk over to his trainer's side and sit down. "I wasn't strong enough, Arcanine. You, you could barely move, and yet you still tried. Me? I didn't do anything. I accepted it."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about that, Noah. We made it out alive, and besides, it's my job to battle and protect you and your friends. That's why I was still doing anything I could to get up."

Staring up at his trainer, whose eyes were closed and facing the ground, Arcanine waited for Noah to speak, but his attention was drawn to Noah's fists, which were shaking violently.

"I... I couldn't do anything to protect you or her," Noah retorted. "I'm useless."

"That's not true," White interjected as she walked towards the eighteen year old. "Noah, if what I heard was true, then there's nothing you could've done. You got hit by an attack protecting her, and the fact that you're not dead is nothing short of a miracle, according to the doctor," the rookie added sheepishly.

Noah continued glaring at her, but stopped when he saw the distraught look on his friend's face. Then, the sight of tears splattering on the ground took him back.

"You saved me and N too. There's no way we could've won that battle if you didn't show up."

"That doesn't matter," he shot back, causing White to recoil. "Seismitoad would've evolved and N's more than capable. Advena... Advena wasn't lucky enough. I could've done something about that!"

"No we couldn't have!" Arcanine shot back, snarling after he finished speaking. "Get it through your thick skull, Noah! Not even Gray and Alain could beat those guys, and they had the strongest Pokemon! I'm not anywhere near Fortis or Charizard, and you're not the kind of trainer they are!"

The area fell silent, and Arcanine began walking back inside with White.

"Remember that, Noah. There's _nothing_ we could've done."

 **000**

As his eyes opened, Alain turned to his left and saw Charizard was still unconscious. Eyeing the monitor, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the winged lizard's heart was still beating.

"Glad to see you're awake," N commented, causing the Kalosian to turn to his right and lock eyes with him. "It's been pretty quiet in here with just Zoroark and myself," N said with a smile, trying to lighten the situation.

Alain nodded and looked across the room as he sat up straight, causing the doctor to come into the room. Before glancing at the man, Alain saw both Potens and Fortis were unconscious, sending chills down his spine. Though the doctor spoke, Alain was unable to listen, as all he heard were the sounds from his and Gray's double battle. Once he saw the doctor waiting for him to respond, the black haired trainer nodded slowly, and the man left.

"Are they going to be okay?" Alain asked pointing at Gray's dragon types.

N and Zoroark looked at the unconscious Pokemon and nodded reassuringly as Gray's other Pokemon walked into the room quietly and immediately ran over to their teammates. After seeing that neither were awake, they turned and noticed Alain was, prompting them to wave.

"Are you feeling okay?" Celsus questioned, drawing a nod from Alain, who turned to Charizard.

"Any signs of Gray yet?" N asked out of the blue, causing everyone in the room to turn to him. "Is anyone looking for her?"

The four conscious Pokemon shook their heads and headed out of the room in a hurry. Zoroark immediately hopped out of her bed and attempted to leave the room, but she was stopped when Fortis slowly awoke from his comatose state.

The door then swung open and Noah, in a blind rage, stormed over to Alain's bedside and glared at him.

"You," he started, pointing at the Kalosian, who didn't know what to do. "You were there, and you did nothing!" he screamed, prompting N to make his way over to the enraged teen and pull him away. "Advena's dead because of you!"

Alain stared in shock, unable to react, but Fortis, even in his weakened state, spoke up and grabbed Noah's attention.

"You don't know anything," he muttered. "Alain's the only reason any of us are still alive, so if you try blaming him, then you need to blame me, Charizard, and Gray."

The room fell silent, and Noah looked down at the ground.

"Go ahead. blame me," Fortis ordered as he glared daggers at Noah. "I dare you."

 **000**

As the brunette began walking away, she continued crying, punching one fist into the palm of the other. While she did so, a pair of eyes stared at Gray and watched her fall to the ground, slamming her fist against the grass, screaming. The lurking spectator slowly made their way out of hiding and attempted to walk towards the girl. However, when it tripped and face planted, the creature looked up and saw that the crying trainer had been startled.

"Get away!" Gray shouted in fear, reaching for a Poke Ball on her belt, which turned out to be Advena's. "Go!" she screamed, though the Pokemon didn't move, as it was too scared.

With that, Gray sprinted away and left the Pokemon that had been trying to help her all by its lonesome. Despite having been yelled at and treated like a monster, the creature looked down and smiled to itself.

 _"She knows what true pain is,"_ the Pokemon thought to itself. _"I know what true pain is."_

* * *

 **Noah, you bum! Yeah, he accused Alain of being the reason for Advena's death, and Potens, Charizard, and Seismitoad are still unconscious. Then, a wild Pokemon watched Gray and attempted to approach her, but she ran off, though that didn't bother it. Next chapter's going to focus entirely on Gray, with maybe a scene or two shifting to the group and/or her Pokemon. Till then, peace out**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The True Fighter's Spirit**_ ** _"_**

 _ **Potens' continued unconsciousness coupled with the toxic environment amongst her friends pushes Gray to go off on her own once again. Upon returning to the spot where she had met the random Pokemon from the night before, Gray finds a ray of hope that inadvertently gets her to stop focusing on Advena. What is it?**_

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 70: An Unlikely Bond  
** **Chapter 71: Jealous, Much?  
** **Chapter 72: Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle!?** **  
** **Chapter 73: From One Dragon to Another  
** **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!**


	69. The True Fighter's Spirit

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and two other Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (One of Gray's Pokemon trains on its own, and the left side of its face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens transforms while battling Hugh and Greninja, and her eyes start glowing purple** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, Colress, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah, White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, White to the far right, and Gray and Noah in the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Dicax and two Pokemon covered in shadows nod at Gray)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Salutations, readers! I took a week off, and I'm back and better than ever! Last chapter, Gray mourned over Advena's death and a strange Pokemon that tried helping her took note of the pain she had, as well as its own. Meanwhile, Noah was going nuts, blaming himself for Advena dying and not being able to protect Gray, and then he blamed Alain, which almost escalated into a fight between himself and Fortis. This chapter will continue (later on the next day) the last, and Gray will run off on her own because of Potens' unconscious state. Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _I was originally thinking it would've been one of them, but then I looked at their personalities and the only one that's really a loudmouth is Potens, and since Bellator left, she's been levelheaded. And your guess about the Pokemon in the opening being the one at the end of the chapter has potential to be correct. We'll see ;)_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Lol. That summarizes the scene perfectly. There is a possibility for some fistfights, and I'm confident there'll be one (not a guarantee). And it can still happen because, while he did (in Fortis' words) blame everyone, it was directed towards Alain and everyone was acting a bit irrationally... or just Noah XD The timing of the confrontation would be why Gray would think nothing of it_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Yeah, how'd you miss a chapter though? XD Nothing wrong with being emotionally invested, and I see both sides. Noah's a dick for saying that, and it's completely wrong, but I get where he's coming from_

 **Defender31415:** _Indeed. Him blaming himself, while it does seem irrational, is a pretty common thing for people to do whenever someone close to them is killed. Fortis dared Noah to blame him because he said if it was Alain's fault, then it was his, Gray, and Charizard's too_

 **davidtheman23:** _Well, aside from that, it is listed on my profile. Both Charizard and Seismitoad will be awake in this chapter, adding more significance to Potens' incapacitated state, thus leading to Gray going off on her own. And I wasn't going to do anything with Potens waking up, but I really like the idea of having something speak/interact with her in some way. Thanks!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Haha, Alain's everyone's main man, man. You're too logical though, Blaze, come on now! I couldn't have made a chapter if I used logic! XD The Pokemon watching her is a very underrated one (I think), and it's pain... well, I think it'll be pretty interesting. Maybe. Idk :/_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Noah's a scrub when it comes to emotions, and battling (up until recently). And how'd you know this would be the final chapter and everyone would get killed off? XD_

 **FinLay Real:** _RIP me. XD I looked over it an you're right. Good to know you're not dead :D_

 **Sparkydragon98 (guest):** _Yeah, Advena dying, though difficult to have happen, was a necessity because of how strong she was, and I wanted to add this one Pokemon for a really long time now (dating back to Owen's Unova trek). And you're totally right. I'll cover that in a chapter this arc and have an explanation for why it isn't listed :) Thanks for letting me know about that!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Potens," Gray whispered, staring at the comatose dragon as she sat in a chair by her bedside. The winged beast, though having been tended to for three days, still looked to be in horrible shape, and Gray had refused to leave her side.

Everyone outside the room looked at each other before staring at Gray, who was weeping over the state her Pokemon was in.

"Fortis, are you sure Potens is going to be okay? She's been like that for a while," Furcifer asked, folding her arms over her chest while putting on a tough face to mask her emotions. Unicus, Celsus, and Dicax stared at the Flygon, as did Alain, Charizard, White, Snivy, Boldore, and Seismitoad.

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Fortis then coughed a bit before stroking his chin.

"Well, considering Alain and Charizard are fine now, and Seismitoad woke up a few hours ago, she should be snapping out of this soon. Trust me," he answered with faux confidence.

Nodding in response, the group watched as N and Zoroark entered the lobby nonchalantly, and Gray walked out of the emergency room with her head hanging. Seeing both Seismitoad and Charizard walking around without a problem, Gray, though happy for them and their trainers, scowled as she looked through the glass and saw Potens.

"Gray, you okay?" Dicax asked, causing his trainer to shake her head, which caught the attention of everyone.

While standing still, the brunette began sniffling, and she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw White smiling at her, as well as Snivy, Boldore, and Seismitoad.

"Don't worry. Potens is too tough to not be okay."

Gray scowled at the comment and caused White to flinch. Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Dicax, and Fortis eyed each other uneasily as Gray pushed her way past her friend and walked outside to the battlefield, unaware that her Pokemon had followed. Upon turning around, the eighteen year old looked at each of the five creatures and turned away while looking up at the setting sun.

"Why does she have to be the one that got injured?" Gray asked out of the blue.

All five Pokemon remained silent, not knowing the answer their trainer was hoping for. The brunette hung her head and began tearing up as the silence rang loud and clear, and she began sniffling.

"Gray," Unicus called, only for the Kantonian to run away. "Gray! Wait!" she screamed while pursuing her trainer. The Sandslash was stopped, however, when Fortis grabbed a hold of her arm and shook his head. As they watched Gray disappear, the five creatures sighed and walked back into the Pokemon Center, where their unconscious teammate remained.

Meanwhile, Gray kept her head down and continued sprinting away from the Pokemon Center.

 _"Why do Charizard and Seismitoad have to be awake? Why can't Potens be okay!?"_ she thought to herself in a blind fit of rage. _"I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them, but Potens can't die! Not after Advena!"_

Falling to her knees, Gray began to wail and began hitting the ground violently, just like she had the night before. For a second time in as many days, she disturbed all of the Pokemon living near the hill looking down upon Mistralton City. What the young woman didn't realize, however, was the Pokemon from the previous night watching her closely, though it refused to approach her, at least, until it narrowed its eyes and mustered up the courage to reveal itself.

Springing out of the woods, the mysterious Pokemon made its way over to the weeping girl and motioned for her so that Gray wasn't surprised. As she looked up, the brunette screamed and attempted to get away, but she tripped over herself and began crab-walking away wildly.

"Please, leave me alone! I don't want to fight!"

The Pokemon cocked its head and sat down in a meditation pose, confusing Gray, who stopped dead in her tracks and began looking around to see if she were on a reality show. After her paranoia subsided, the brunette took a few steps forwards and eyed the creature until she pulled out her Pokedex and scanned it.

"Mienfoo, the Martial Arts Pokemon. In fights, they dominate with onslaughts of flowing, continuous attacks. With their sharp claws, they cut enemies."

Eyeing the unfamiliar Pokemon, Gray watched as Mienfoo nodded at the analysis provided by the Pokedex, and it stood up to perform several punches and kicks. Cracking a slight smile at the actions of the fighting type, Gray clapped for a few seconds when Mienfoo bowed like an actor would upon the conclusion of a play. However, the yellow mustelid stopped when she noticed Gray walking away and pursued.

"Huh? What are you doing, Mienfoo?" Gray asked, sniffling to stop her runny nose. "Go back to your home."

The fighting type folded her arms and watched as the girl she had watched cry the previous night disappear. However, she jumped into the trees and began flying after the brunette stealthily.

 **000**

"Potens, please wake up," White begged as she pressed her face up against the window by the Noivern's bed. "C'mon. Gray's really upset about it."

Seismitoad and Charizard looked at one another and then back at the dragon type that was still unconscious. Hanging their heads with guilt, the two turned to their trainers and began to speak at the same time, uttering the same sentence.

"I should be the one in place of her."

Neither Alain or White agreed, and they shook their heads right away. However, they turned back to see Potens lying limply, and they too hung their heads. Suddenly, both trainers looked up when they heard several footsteps heading towards them, which belonged to Arcanine, Zoroark, and N. Each of the three could tell just from Alain and White's facial expression that there hadn't been any progress, and they all remained silent while turning their attention to the emergency room.

Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Dicax, and Fortis were surrounding their teammate, and they stared, trying to refrain from speaking. The only one that couldn't help themselves was Unicus, who whispered to Potens repeatedly.

"Hey, keep hanging in there, Potens. There's no way you're giving up now, not after everything you went through."

The others nodded in agreement despite not having been present during the battle Potens and Arcanine had with Bryony's Bisharp. Each of the four imagined it though, and they all smiled at the thought of their teammate clobbering the Flare admin and her Pokemon.

 **000**

Her eyes shot wide open and sitting straight up, Potens looked to her left and right, finding herself in a room full of nothing but white. As she looked around a bit more, the winged creature rose to her feet and let out a grunt while her legs cracked.

"Where the hell am I?" she asked aloud, hoping someone would appear.

No one did.

"Hmph," the Noivern grunted in annoyance while taking off to cover more ground. "There has to be a way out of here, or else this is all just a dream... hopefully," she continued, shaking her head. Immediately after concluding her comment, Potens saw two tiny specks on the ground, and she nosedived.

Upon landing gracefully, Potens looked at the figures in confusion, not knowing what it was. The thing standing on the left was a green blob with one eye on the left side of its face, what seemed to be another eye - even though it lacked a pupil - in the middle of its face, and a red diamond on its chest. Standing next to the that was an identical figure, though it had a blue diamond on its chest. Potens scratched the back of her head, not knowing the identity of either Pokemon, and before she could speak, the white canvas surrounding her began to transform into a cave where there was a large body of green water surrounded by land.

 _"What is this place?"_ the Noivern thought to herself.

"This is Terminus Cave," the blob with the red diamond answered, taking Potens back. "Don't ask how I answered, just listen," it ordered. "You can call me Rob, and him Bob," Rob announced turning to its blue counterpart.

"You're about to die," Bob began, making Potens gasp in shock. "Relax, relax. This sounds crazy, and we get it, but there's no need to fret," he continued, staring at the large-eared dragon, who had sat down and began shaking her head in shock. "We can't tell you everything because there's little time, so pay close attention."

Potens looked up and stared at the tiny blobs.

"Consider yourself lucky that you're not dying today, Potens," Rob stated as he stared a hole through Potens. "We're no the ones keeping you alive, but we do have the opportunity to extend your life expectancy."

Raising an eyebrow, the winged creature stood up and walked along the cave's floor, following the blobs into the green body of water in the middle of the room. Before they were completely submerged, Rob and Bob turned at the same time and spoke in unison.

"A grave threat resides in the Kalos region, and you, as well as another Pokemon set to become your teammate, will run into it. You _must_ tap into your power," they explained, slowly backpedaling into the water. "Though it's only activated when you're pushed beyond your limits, someone will teach you how to control it, and more secrets regarding it will reveal themselves in the near future."

Potens looked at both blobs in utter confusion even as they disappeared. The water immediately began to spin like a whirlpool and Potens was shocked when she saw a strange, purple dragon head shoot out of it. The odd figure peered down at her and roared, unnerving the usually composed Pokemon. Gasping slightly, Potens shook her head when she thought she saw the dragon - which didn't look like a Pokemon - smirk.

"You're weak," it muttered, causing Potens to scowl. "Lucky for you, I'm not in the mood to die."

"What?" the winged bat whispered to herself, only to be silenced by another deafening roar.

In the blink of an eye, the dragon, whose body was made entirely of purple aura, sped towards Potens and opened its mouth. Though she tried getting out of the way, Potens found herself frozen in shock, and she screamed in horror before being swallowed whole by the beast.

"Agh!"

Shooting straight up, Potens looked around her room and saw Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Dicax, and Fortis had all jumped back in fright. After a few seconds, the five realized what had happened, and they began cheering before attempting to hug Potens.

"Wait," Fortis called, preventing the younger quartet from smothering their friend. "She just got up, we need to give her some time to get used to everything. Go find Gray if you can, and I'll keep an eye on Potens."

All four Pokemon nodded and bolted out of the room while White, Alain, N, and their Pokemon poured in with smiles plastered from ear-to-ear.

 **000**

Gray slowly walked up to the Pokemon Center and took a deep breath, knowing that the odds of Potens regaining consciousness were slim to none. Still, she mustered up the courage to walk towards the back door, only to be ran into by her four other Pokemon, knocking the brunette onto her back.

"Oh crap! Gray, are you okay?" Dicax asked as he helped his trainer off the ground, drawing a nod from her. "We were just about to go out looking for you," he added with a cheeky grin, which Gray paid no attention to.

"How's Potens doing?" she quizzed.

Each of the four looked at one another with stupid grins and motioned for Gray to follow, which she did. As the doors to the Pokemon Center closed, Mienfoo sprinted onto the battlefield and searched for Gray, scratching her chin in confusion before slumping to the ground in frustration, crossing her arms as she did so. Staring up at the sky, the fighting type cursed under her breath and leaned back, putting her weight on her hands.

 _"Come on, Mienfoo! You had one job, and that was to join that girl! How could you be so useless!?"_ the aforementioned Pokemon thought to herself, striking the ground with her right fist so hard she began to bleed. Not caring, Mienfoo continued hitting the ground with her bloodied fist before laying on her back. Unaware of the two eyes that had locked onto her, Mienfoo sighed and shook her arm in an attempt to rid herself of the pain.

"Hey! Are you okay?" a worried voice asked, causing the mustelid to jump onto her feet and spin around. "Geez, your hand is pretty messed up, we need to get that checked out," the trainer, an eighteen year old boy, said as he picked Mienfoo up and hurried into the Pokemon Center.

After making his way to Nurse Joy, the trainer handed Mienfoo over and watched for a few seconds as the pink haired woman used a Potion, healing the fighting type's hand instantly.

"Noah!"

The young adult watched as Arcanine sprinted over to him, and he was wagging his tail wildly. After thankfully bowing to Nurse Joy, Mienfoo turned her attention back to Noah and Arcanine, the latter of whom stopped wagging his tail upon locking eyes with the unfamiliar Pokemon.

"Uh, did you catch another Pokemon?" he asked, prompting Noah to shake his head. "Well, Potens woke up! Come on!"

Nodding, Noah followed Arcanine down a hallway to the right of Joy's desk, and Mienfoo followed quietly, watching as the boy and his Pokemon disappeared into a room. Slowly making her way towards the door, Mienfoo opened it and gasped when she saw Gray, who was hugging Potens.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you're awake!" the Kantonian exclaimed as she pulled away from her Pokemon, who nodded. "How long has it been, Fortis?"

"I don't know. Maybe three minutes," he replied, causing Gray to sweat drop while everyone else -excluding Noah and Alain, who were glaring at one another from opposite sides of the room - laughed. "We really need to give Potens some time though. After all, she did just get out of three day coma."

Everyone nodded in agreement, saying their goodbyes to Potens. With Gray leading the way, everyone watched her stop abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Snivy asked the older girl, who continued staring at something in shock. "Gray?"

As if on cue, Mienfoo walked forwards and revealed herself, though that answered nothing. Picking up on the silence from her friends, Gray turned around and cleared her throat to speak up while Mienfoo simply stared at her.

"This Mienfoo followed me from the edge of the city," she announced.

"Aww, that's so cute!" White opined along with Snivy. Meanwhile, Potens kept her eyes on the fighting type, remembering her dream vividly.

 _"Is this the Pokemon they were talking about?"_

"Let's just settle this outside, okay?" Gray asked, drawing nods from everyone as they exited the room, leaving Potens to herself.

Meanwhile, after stepping on the battlefield behind the Pokemon Center, Gray looked down at Mienfoo with her other Pokemon and friends off to the side. Unicus, however, rolled over to her trainer's side and looked over Mienfoo as she began speaking, prompting the Sandslash to translate.

"She says she came here because she wants you to catch her," Unicus stated, drawing a nod from the fighting type.

As soon as they heard what Gray's starter had said, everyone looked around in shock until the brunette crouched and put a hand on Mienfoo's head, smiling as she did so.

"Of course. If you're that determined, who am I to say no?" Gray replied, which made Mienfoo bow. "Glad to have you aboard, Mienfoo."

Hearing Gray speak, the aforementioned Pokemon looked up and saw her extending a Poke Ball in her left hand. Mienfoo cracked a slight smile and bumped her fist against the button on the spherical device, and she was sucked inside. After the device shook left and right a few times, it let out a high-pitched ping for a second while also releasing sparks of light.

"Come on out!" Gray shouted, releasing her newest Pokemon while also pulling out the book of latin translations. Mienfoo cocked her head in confusion upon seeing the book, prompting Unicus to explain.

"She likes giving us all nicknames so we can have a stronger bond than everyone else."

Mienfoo nodded and, after being handed a translator, put it around her neck.

"So, Mienfoo, how about this one?" the Kantonian quizzed, putting her finger on the word she had picked out. "It was courageous of you to come and ask me to join, so I think it's perfect."

Watching the brunette smile, Mienfoo eyed the word once more just to make sure she had gotten it right.

"It's not Mienfoo, it's Virtus."

* * *

 **The way I read that last line sounds so badass in my head, but I doubt that's the case with everyone else XD A lot happened this chapter, so let's recap quickly. Gray was upset about Potens being unconscious, met Virtus and headed back to check on Potens, Virtus followed, Potens had a trippy dream that woke her up, and then Gray caught Virtus. Next chapter will be focusing on how Virtus fits in with the group (not well, but it's not mean-spirited), and there'll be some conclusions with this mini PTSD trip. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Thoughts on Virtus?  
2\. What the hell was Potens' dream about?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "An Unlikely Bond**_ ** _"_**

 ** _As Virtus struggles to mesh with her teammates, she finds herself spending quite a bit of time with one member of the group in particular. Who is this member, and why are they connecting with Virtus?_**

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 71: Jealous, Much?  
** **Chapter 72: Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle!?** **  
** **Chapter 73: From One Dragon to Another  
** **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!**


	70. An Unlikely Bond

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a dragon made of purple energy nod at one another and the former starts to transform** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into five rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and White and Noah to the left and right of Gray, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Here's a fun fact: based on my outline (which is very fluid right now), we're about halfway done with the story. Yeah, only half :/ Anyways, last chapter featured the addition of Virtus the Mienfoo, as well as a trippy dream/vision Potens had when she was unconscious. Let's just say there was a lot of stuff "hidden" in that bit involving her. This chapter will focus on how Virtus fits in with the group and her teammates, as well as some other nonsense. Now let's get going!**

 **davidtheman23:** _Yes you were! Virtus means courageous, or excellence, or several other things I'm too lazy to list XD Unicus is a solid guess, and the reasoning makes a lot of sense. As for the "dream" you're right again, and PTSD is post traumatic stress disorder (in the case of this story, it's not going to last long at all). Virtus will turn out to be an absolute beast, and I have no idea who'll end up being stronger between herself and Potens :/_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _I know that feel, and I like to think of "mystery" as hype. And no, you're not supposed to know, it was asking for a prediction_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _For a little while, yeah, but the end of this arc and Icirrus is going to have rage-mode Gray. She will have Drain Punch to start, and Potens dying isn't inevitable, that was reserved for Advena as a means of opening a spot for Virtus. The blue one's also from the anime, and I think everyone's using it because 100% Zygarde is better than Yveltal and Xerneas_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _'Tis true. Once the group gets over her joining, everything will go smoothly. You're spot-on with the Gray and Rei team-up, and the inner-dragon theory is a really cool and outside the box idea :D_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, and that was a great summary (I probably should've put down predictions about it, but I digress, haha). Mienfoo and Mienshao were always just... there for me, but then I, for whatever reason, started taking a liking to them, and now they're some of my favorite! And Virtus is the one that Potens will have to work with (in regards to the dream)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _XD Thanks! I'm looking forward to revealing what some people don't already know about (RIP me), and the potential Kalos trip could be epic. Yeah, it's not like I had you and some other people vote on what Gray's last Pokemon was supposed to be or whatever (I would've picked Mienshao regardless though). Hopefully this arc turns out as well as I want it to, and I think you summarized it perfectly_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Definitely lucky for Virtus that Noah was there. The only thing to ask is why she wanted to join (wasn't said by her). And to be fair, you did vote on Mienfoo/Mienshao appearing, and you should make Will get rid of everyone and replace them all with Mienfoo! Except Pyro... yeah XD Crossover confirmed yis (that moment when it's not with another author tho)_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Potens looked out at the battlefield and smiled as she sat with her teammates, who continued keeping a watchful eye over her upon Gray's request. The only one occupying the field was Celsus, and he was merely running suicides as a means of keeping in shape after such a long layoff from battling and training.

"So how many days did Nurse Joy tell you to rest?" Unicus asked, leaning forwards like a child would.

Rolling her eyes, Potens sighed and looked at her teammate, who continued waiting.

"For the fifth time, she said two weeks," the dragon and flying type stated, causing Unicus to sweat drop while Dicax and Furcifer laughed. "And that's the minimum. I doubt I'll be ready to go for at least a month, but don't tell Gray I said anything about that, got it?" she ordered, drawing nods from the longest tenured members while Dicax remained neutral.

"Why shouldn't I if it means you're risking your health for a battle? Do you really think we can't win a Gym Battle on our own?" the steel and fairy type retorted, causing Potens to rub the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Well, she does have good reason, if you think about it," Furcifer opined, causing Dicax to frown. "I mean, she's a way higher level than us, and..." Furcifer trailed off, not wanting to continue speaking.

Dicax, however, urged her to continue, as he began rotating his wrist as if he were a director.

"Uh, well, Bellator was the strongest and he left, then Advena turned out to be just as strong as him and she... died," the ice type said, whispering the last word, which destroyed all of the lightheartedness of the conversation.

Shifting uneasily in his seat, Dicax sighed and conceded defeat before glancing around the area. Seeing the way their friend was acting, the three females looked around with him in confusion before focusing on the Mawile.

"What are you doing?" Unicus asked bluntly.

"I feel like someone's missing."

As soon as she heard that, Unicus began looking around once again, searching for the person or Pokemon that was, allegedly, not present. Suddenly, she had the same feeling as Dicax and began rubbing her chin, trying to think of who was absent. Before she or Dicax could say a word, Unicus jumped in fright when Seismitoad plopped down on the ground next to her, causing the area to shake slightly.

"Holy crap! Don't do that!" the Sandslash shouted, causing Seismitoad to laugh heartily along with Potens. "Anyways, do you know if anyone's not here?" she quizzed out of the blue, drawing a nod from the fully evolved Pokemon.

Lifting his right arm, Seismitoad began counting out loud after pointing at the group. After stopping at seventeen, Seismitoad paused and began recounting, causing the the four teammates to deadpan. Counting seventeen for a second time, the massive toad folded his arms over his chest and attempted to tally Gray's Pokemon.

"Would you stop doing that? It's not working," Furcifer hissed.

"That Mienfoo's missing," the water type announced, ignoring Furcifer's demand. "You're welcome," he added jokingly, drawing laughter from Dicax and Potens while Snivy and Boldore made their way over to the table.

Once they sat down, the two Pokemon looked around in confusion before shrugging at one another.

"Do you know where, um," Seismitoad paused and began scratching his head before Unicus spoke for him.

"Where's Virtus?" she asked, causing Snivy and Boldore to spin around and count everyone. "Stop, please. Seismitoad counted three times and she's missing.

"I'm going to assume neither of you know where she is," Potens stated before getting up, only to grimace in pain and fall back in her chair, drawing the attention of Gray, who had been talking with Noah and White.

Once she and her two friends reached Potens' side, the brunette placed a hand on her Pokemon's back and knelt next to her in concern.

"Hey, remember what Nurse Joy said? No pushing anything for a week. You just have to sit and relax," Gray stated, making Potens sigh in annoyance. "Guys, I really need you to keep Potens from having to do anything."

"Sorry," Dicax, Furcifer, and Unicus muttered in unison as Celsus galloped over in a full sweat. Taking one glance at the group, he turned to Gray, drawing her attention.

"Where's Virtus?" he inquired immediately, making his teammates deadpan.

Gray spun around and began searching for the Mienfoo she had captured the day before, face palming when she realized the fighting type had disappeared. Approaching Alain and N, the girl frantically spoke.

"Guys, I don't know where Virtus is! I need your help to find her!"

The older trainers glanced at one another and nodded at Gray along with Charizard and Zoroark while Fortis, who had been sitting with Arcanine, flew over and put a hand on Gray's shoulder, giving her a thumbs up. With that, the two winged Pokemon attempted to take off, but before they could, the leaves in a large tree hanging over the fence that sealed off the Pokemon Center's property began to rustle.

Zoroark scampered up the tree and, in a matter of seconds, she jumped out with her right hand clamped around the scruff of Virtus' neck. Once she landed, the dark type handed Virtus over to Gray, who bowed repeatedly before hugging Zoroark thankfully. Then, turning to discipline the Mienfoo, Gray noticed several cuts and bruises covering her Pokemon's body, as well as blood on her knees and fists.

"What happened? Are you okay?" she asked, inspecting the wounds closely while Virtus, who remained silent, nodded.

"Who did this to you, Virtus?" Celsus questioned, trotting over to his new teammate while the others helped Potens up, making their way towards their trainer and teammate.

Virtus turned away from the Girafarig and pulled her arm out of Gray's gasp, shocking the brunette as well as her friends and their Pokemon. Looking at each member of the group, Virtus shook her head and took off. As she did so, Furcifer stepped in front of her and attempted to grab the fighting type. However, Virtus delivered a vicious Force Palm attack, which launched her teammate towards the trainer box to her right. Upon doing so, the fighting type was shocked when Unicus shot up in front of her from underground, but she landed a Drain Punch attack that hit Unicus in the nose.

Rolling towards the building, Unicus grunted in pain when she hit into it and held her nose while the Mienfoo that had attacked her sprinted towards one of the windows on the first floor.

"Virtus, wait!" Gray shouted as she chased after her newest Pokemon.

Much to her dismay, she was unable to catch up to the speedy mustelid and watched as Virtus scaled up the Pokemon Center's exterior and ran across the roof, disappearing shortly afterwards.

"What the hell's her problem?" Furcifer shouted angrily, holding her stomach as she walked over to her trainer. "Why would she attack me? And look at what happened to Unicus!"

Gray slowly turned to stare at the bleeding shrew, who covered her hand over her nose, which was most likely broken.

"I know it's only been a day, but you have to release her! Even Potens wasn't that bad!" the Sneasel continued, stomping as she did so.

Despite the power of the words with which she spoke, Furcifer's demands fell on deaf ears as Gray walked past her and turned to Fortis, motioning for the dragon type to take off. As Fortis landed and Gray hopped on his back, the brunette turned and looked at each of her five other Pokemon.

"Arcanine, let's help her out," Noah said, drawing a nod from the fire type. "Gray, you ready?"

Shaking her head, the Kantonian turned her attention to Alain, N, and White.

"Would you guys mind taking Unicus and Furcifer to Nurse Joy?"

"Not at all," Alain answered with Charizard as they helped both Pokemon walk towards the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center, disappearing along with Celsus and Dicax.

"Best of luck, Gray," N said as he patted the younger girl on the back and headed inside with White, Snivy, Zoroark, Boldore, and Seismitoad.

Once the automatic doors closed, Gray hopped off Fortis' back, confusing the dragon and ground type, and she walked over to Noah, who was sitting on Arcanine's back. After rubbing the fire type's head with a smile, the young woman looked up and locked eyes with her childhood friend.

"I appreciate the offer, guys, but I think it's better if I go alone."

Both Arcanine and Noah nodded understandingly, with the eighteen year old hopping off his Pokemon. Then, much to his surprise, Gray hugged him for a few seconds, causing his face to turn as red as a tomato.

"Thanks for everything these past few days. It means a lot," Gray said, alluding to their battle with Bryony.

"No big deal!" Noah shouted in an attempt to play it cool, which made Gray giggle while Arcanine laughed at his trainer and walked away while shaking his head. "You should probably head out now, just in case Virtus gets in trouble."

Gray nodded and sprinted towards Fortis, only to see Potens walk after her and roar. As soon as she did so, the dragon type grimaced but began to fly, shocking Gray and Fortis.

"I don't care what you say, I'm going to help find her," the Noivern declared before taking off at a sluggish pace.

Without saying a word, Fortis took off with Gray on his back, and the brunette smiled at the will of her Pokemon.

 **000**

"Virtus! Virtus, where are you!?" Potens screamed while searching the outskirts of Mistralton City. "It's Potens! Come out, please!" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth before sitting down in exhaustion, panting wildly from her flight.

As she continued looking around, the Noivern was unaware of Virtus sitting in the tree right behind her, watching ever so closely. The fighting type didn't make a sound and refused to move a muscle. Despite her anonymity, the Mienfoo didn't realize Potens had closed her eyes and began using the enormous ears on top of her head, trying to find Virtus through echolocation.

Suddenly, Potens disappeared and Virtus gasped in shock until she heard something above her. The large bat was perched up in the branch and grinned at her teammate, who was frozen due to not knowing how Potens had moved so quickly.

"Agility. It's a good move to have," she stated, causing the fighting type to shake his head in disbelief. "So, could you do me a favor and just come back to the Pokemon Center with me? Everyone's worried sick," Potens requested.

The mustelid hung her head and sighed, causing Potens to jump down to the lower branch and lean against the tree nonchalantly.

"Alright, if you can't do that, at least tell me who, or what, beat the crap out of you."

Virtus noticed Potens pointing at her wounds, and she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly before sitting down. After looking out at the area, she turned back to Potens and cleared her throat.

"I did."

Potens' eyes went wide in confusion, and she stared at the dried blood on the fighting type's fists and knees.

"It was from training all day, and when Zoroark found me, it was because I had just hopped into the tree to make it look like I was there the whole time." Potens nodded, still not understanding the odd actions of the Pokemon, but she attempted to connect with her.

"How long were you gone?"

"What time was it when Zoroark found me?"

"Noon."

"Twelve hours," Virtus answered calmly, nearly making Potens fall out of the tree. "What? What's wrong with that?" she asked while scooting over to her teammate's side.

Staring at the tiny Pokemon, Potens recoiled slightly when she thought she was looking at Bellator, and the dragon type rubbed her eyes furiously before taking another look. The yellow creature cocked her head slightly and took note of Potens' change in body language.

"Potens?" she asked, snapping the aforementioned Pokemon out of her daze. "Is anyone else looking for me?"

"Yeah, Gray and Fortis are. Noah and Arcanine were going to also, but Gray said she thought it'd be best if it was only her."

Virtus shook her head for a few seconds, confusing the large-eared creature sitting beside her. After the newest member of the team sighed and hung her head, Potens scratched her neck awkwardly before realizing why the mustelid was upset.

"Hey, it wasn't logical for the others to look for you. Celsus and Dicax are making sure Unicus and Furcifer are okay," Potens said, only to curse under her breath when Virtus buried her hands in her face and began yelling at herself.

"Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she shouted, punching herself in the head as hard as she could. "Don't tell me I hurt them really badly."

Potens chuckled at the words ringing in her ears and she shook her head, easing Virtus' nerves.

"They'll be fine, but that was a helluva right hook. I think you broke Unicus' nose," Potens stated in-between laughs, causing Virtus to laugh a bit too. "You should've seen the look on Furcifer's face too. She was so pissed you got by her."

The two continued laughing until they realized the sun was beginning to set, prompting the Noivern to hop off the branch and land on the ground. Mimicking the powerful Pokemon, Virtus gracefully swung off the branch and slid down the tree, causing Potens to gape, though she didn't notice.

"Thanks, Potens," Virtus said all of a sudden as she walked alongside her teammate, who turned slightly and raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. "I know you didn't have to look for me, and you weren't supposed to," the fighting type began, making note of Potens' injuries, "but it means a lot. Thanks."

Grinning, the Noivern nodded and turned her attention back to the forest she was walking through. Growing fed up with the sluggish pace she was traveling at, the dragon type began to flap her wings slightly, making sure they weren't hurting.

"Hop on, Virtus."

Without a word, the fighting type grabbed the white hair around Potens' neck and sat on the dragon type's back. In an instant, she found herself eighty feet in the air, towering over the trees that, just days ago, she thought scraped the sky. Turning her attention back to Potens, Virtus smiled.

 **000**

After descending, Potens collapsed a few feet away from the front door of the Pokemon Center. Virtus immediately helped her friend up and they walked into the building together. Upon entering, they were immediately greeted by Gray, her friends, and all of the Pokemon, save for Unicus and Furcifer, who scowled at Virtus.

"Are you two okay? God, we need to get you some attention," Gray said to Potens, helping the Noivern over to Nurse Joy's desk while her Mienfoo followed close behind. "Virtus, you too. Don't worry, it'll be really quick," the Kantonian said while lifting her newest addition and placing her onto the desk.

Seeing Gray smile, Virtus reciprocated the action and, before she knew it, was sprayed a few times with a Full Restore. All of the scratches and bruises disappeared right away, and then Nurse Joy bandaged up the fighting type's fists and knees.

"You're all set!" the kind woman exclaimed, prompting Virtus to bow in response. As she did so, Nurse Joy began walking away, but the fighting type spoke up, catching the attention of everyone.

"Excuse me," she called, causing the pink haired woman to turn around and smile. "Is she going to be okay?" the mustelid quizzed worriedly while pointing at Potens, who was in a different room and lying in a bed.

When the woman nodded confidently, the Mienfoo let out a sigh of relief and bowed once again. Jumping off the desk, she walked up to Gray and stared at the brunette.

"I'm sorry for running away, and I'm sorry for attacking you two," Virtus announced as she turned to the injured Sandslash and Furcifer. Neither of the two responded, and simply glared daggers at their teammate, but Gray picked up the remorseful creature and smiled.

"Don't worry about it," she said, locking eyes with Virtus. "As long as you're okay, I don't care."

Shocked by the words, the yellow creature recoiled slightly and, for a nanosecond, thought she had heard Gray's heart beating.

* * *

 **Oh, Virtus is not off to a good start with Unicus and Furcifer (it wasn't done intentionally. They're the fastest, so that's why tried stopping her), but she seems to have a tight bond with Potens. Next chapter, someone's getting super jelly, and it's going to be pretty similar to the masquerade party from Owen's Unova trip. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. When do you think Virtus will get along with Unicus and Furcifer, if ever? (It won't be as volatile as the relationship with Potens)  
2\. What is Potens' dream hinting at, if anything? (This is a repeat since I didn't word it well)  
3\. Random question, but do any of Gray's Pokemon right now remind you of other Pokemon, whether it be Owen's six teams or Gray's previous two?  
4\. Do you like Potens and Virtus being friends?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Jealous, Much?**_ ** _"_**

 ** _When Gray receives an invitation to a ball for perspective Unova League participants, she and the others decide to go. While their, some of the group members catch the eyes of other trainers, leading to some high intensity situations. Who's attracting so much attention, and what will come of it?_**

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 72: Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle!?** **  
** **Chapter 73: From One Dragon to Another  
** **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!  
** **Chapter 75:** **An Alliance!? Flare and Plasma Unite!**


	71. Jealous, Much?

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a dragon made of purple energy nod at one another and the former starts to transform** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into five rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and White and Noah to the left and right of Gray, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Just in case anyone missed the note, the rating for this story was changed from T to M because I wanted to make things a lot darker (not in a twisted way), and by upping the rating, it gives me more flexibility to add in some violent/more mature aspects.**

* * *

 **Oi! Time for jealousy to be the main focus of a chapter for the first time this story... I think XD Anyhow, last time around we got to see how the group was meshing with Virtus in the picture, and it didn't end up well when she attacked Unicus and Furcifer, who tried keeping her from running away. Then, Potens, even in her injured state, helped Gray and Fortis search for Virtus, and they had a bonding moment. This time around, as stated previously, is going to focus on jealousy at a ball of sorts. Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _In terms of stats, I'd assume 100% is going to be better, which is what I was referring to. Competitive doesn't interest me, so I never refer to that field. The beef will last through this arc and maybe a chapter in Icirrus, and Fortis is still going to have a significant role being Potens' mentor, though the focus will turn more towards Virtus and how she gets along with the others, as well as Potens developing into the leader of the team_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _I didn't even think of that connection XD I was picturing her more as Bellator, but Heatmor's a way better idea, as are Sawk and Bellator for Potens. No need to worry though, Potens won't follow the same path as Sawk (who was only traded because Owen having him, Heatmor, and Krookodile was too OP)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Never! I like to think of myself as really easy to read, but if you (and others) are interested, I could delete upcoming arc previews to keep people from knowing. (I know it was a joke, but I'm just throwing it out there) Sadly, Virtus won't get along with those two before Flasma becomes a thing, and I think this chapter could be funny, depending on how some people feel towards certain characters :I_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Well, this time was justified since Virtus didn't explain why she attacked them, and there was some pretty serious damage done. And by Potens and Dicax turning into Bellator, do you mean in the sense of becoming leaders? Noah's reaction could be very interesting, and thanks!_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! Yes, yes she did XD Very good guess for the first question, the Heatmor connection is too real, and friendships for the win!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Oh yeah. Her level doesn't do her strength justice. She'll be one of the key members of the team going forward, and the three shadows behind her (in the theme song, for those wondering) is an idea I got from Blaze Falcon's story. You'll be seeing one of the shadows soon enough, that's for sure_

 **FinLay Real:** _Really? Thanks a ton! The teams are going to develop a lot more (White's in particular, I hope), and I think the "feud" will end up being resolved in the earlier stages of the Icirrus Arc, since my original plan for Virtus joining was thrown out the window :/ Potens and Virtus are also very similar, and that's what I was going for with them, since they're going to be really good friends_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Yeah, Virtus is going to be pretty damn strong, and I think Unicus and Furcifer being angry with her is justified. If it goes on for an extended period of time, then I'd agree with you, but for now, I feel it's justified. There's going to be so much jelly being sold this chapter too XD Potens being combined with Zygarde's a really cool idea, and you're kind of onto something with it, and the Unicus to Comis comparison is pretty accurate XD As for stealing from the anime, the main ball is, yeah. However, it's also taking ideas from the masquerade ball from Owen's Unova trek_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Wait, so you have five badges now?" Gray asked, eyeing the screen intently with Unicus by her side.

A light skinned girl with black hair nodded in response while the two Pokemon next to her - a Gallade and Bisharp, who had been shooting each other nasty looks - grinned at the shocked tone Gray had spoken with.

"That's right. We just won it yesterday, but that's not what I called you about," Rei answered, causing Gray to laugh. "Remember when we battled and Bellator went through that weird transformation?" the ninja quizzed, drawing a nod from Gray. "Could you have him do it again? I told Professor Sycamore about it and he thinks it's some kind of new evolution."

Rei watched as her friend's demeanor changed dramatically, causing her to sweat drop while Bisharp muttered something, prompting her to smack the steel type.

"Would you shut up?" she asked, causing Gallade to laugh. "Uh, Gray? Is everything okay with him?"

The older girl sighed and shook her head while Unicus scowled and folded her arms over her chest. Before either could say a word, the rest of Gray's team stumbled into the picture and stared at Rei, Gallade, and Bisharp.

"Oh, hey guys! Long time no see!" Furcifer greeted as she waved, drawing a wave from Gallade and a nod from Bisharp. "So, what were you talking about?" she asked, causing Rei to sweat drop.

"Bellator quit," Unicus stated bluntly, spitting the words out.

"He said we were holding him back," Potens added right away, snarling as she spoke. "He's dead to us," she concluded, which was met with nods from her teammates, excluding Virtus and Fortis, the former of whom hadn't met Bellator.

"What about Advena?" Gallade quizzed, making everyone scowl.

"She... passed away," Gray answered.

Rei immediately punched Gallade in the arm before apologizing for her Pokemon's actions, which Gray shook off, suppressing every ounce of sorrow. An awkward silence fell over both groups until Bisharp caught a glance of Virtus, who he pointed at. Gray turned and smiled at her newest Pokemon, who she motioned for before turning back to Rei.

"This is Virtus. She joined me a few days ago," the brunette stated as she nudged the fighting type, who waved. "How's your team doing? Did anyone ev-"

Gray was cut off by Simisage, who stumbled into the picture, and Rei spun around to see the grass type in a panicked frenzy.

"Sorry, Gray, but we have to go. I'll call you back later."

With that, Rei ended the call and Gray deadpanned at the abrupt departure of her friend. However, she didn't have much time to harp on it when she noticed, in the top right corner of the computer screen, that she had an unopened email. Clicking on it, the eighteen year old scanned over the contents of the message and her eyes lit up when, after reaching the bottom, there was a video attached.

Just as she was about to click on it, White barged into the room with Snivy on her shoulder, grabbing Gray's attention.

"Jesus, White, can you not do that?" the older girl asked angrily, her hand resting over her racing heart.

"Sorry. Hey, what's that?" she asked, pointing at the video, which made Gray sigh in annoyance. "You know what? I'll give you some space," the brunette informed her friend while backpedaling out of the room.

Gray shook her head and clicked on the video after turning up the volume, and she sat in silence with her Pokemon.

"Hello, trainer! On behalf of the Unova League, I'd like to congratulate you on your success," a woman, who Gray recognized as Caitlin, greeted. "Over the past few years, we have held a ball for trainers close to qualifying for the league, and you have earned yourself an invitation!"

Smiling at the message, Gray turned to her Pokemon and saw that they were also excited to hear about the event, and she turned back around to continue watching the video.

"Think of it as a way to get to know your fellow competitors. Make sure to bring your friends and Pokemon, because there will be a prize for a lucky few that win our lottery."

Pausing the video, Gray glanced back at her team before spinning in her chair.

"Did you guys hear that? We could win a prize!" Gray exclaimed, only to be met with agitated looks.

"Play the video!" they all shouted, causing the girl to sweat drop.

"And remember, this will be a dance, so all trainers must find a partner of the opposite gender."

Gray frowned at the last bit of information and folded her arms over her chest once the video ended. As she spun in her chair, the brunette screamed in shock and fell when she saw that White, Noah, and N had been standing by the door. Pushing herself to her feet, Gray glared at each of the three and they sweat dropped in response.

"What the hell? Why can't I get some privacy!?" she shouted, once again causing her friends to sweat drop.

"Well, White said you were acting weird, so we figured we'd check on you," Noah replied. "That ball thing seems like it'd be fun, by the way," he added with a cheeky grin, prompting Gray to glance back at the computer screen and roll her eyes.

"That? Eh, I might go, but I'm not that interested," Gray replied.

All of her Pokemon glanced at one another in confusion, not understanding the sudden change in their trainer's stance. Fortis, however, did, and he shook his head, walking out of the room. After Fortis did so, Gray turned her attention back to her friends and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where's Alain? Aren't you supposed to be training with him?" the eighteen year old asked as she pointed at White, who shook her head.

"Nope, he gave us the day off," the younger trainer replied. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but he's been really lenient with our training the past week."

"Maybe that's because of what occurred when he battled Team Flare and Team Plasma," N said, theorizing while adjusting his cap. "It's quite normal for people to be shellshocked after experiencing such events."

The room fell silent and everyone shifted their gaze to Gray, who noticed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Sighing as she sat down, the brunette turned to look at the computer and reopened the email.

"You know what?" she asked rhetorically. "I'm gonna go to this. Do you guys want to come?"

The three other trainers nodded and watched the video over again while all of their Pokemon walked out to the battlefield.

"So how much do you guys want to bet there's going to be a fight?" Dicax asked while looking around at his teammates, Snivy, Seismitoad, Boldore, and Arcanine. Everyone responded with confused noises, prompting the steel and fairy type to explain himself. "You know, Noah calling Alain out, there could be a fight. If Gray goes with another guy, if-"

"Wait, say that last bit again," Potens ordered, cutting the Mawile off mid-sentence.

"If Gray goes with another guy?"

The Noivern nodded and continued staring at her teammate.

"What, you didn't notice that he likes her?" the intelligent Pokemon inquired. All of his teammates shook their heads, save for Unicus, who remembered Ferus and Arcanine saying the same thing in Nimbasa City. "Arcanine, you know it's true."

The fire type nodded awkwardly, eliciting gasps from all of those unaware.

"Don't talk about it, please," he requested. "It wouldn't be good if Gray heard about it from anyone other than him."

The group nodded and went silent for a few seconds until a powerful gust of wind whipped up, and they watched as Charizard and Fortis descended at the same pace with Alain mounted on the former's back. As soon as Charizard hit the ground, Alain hopped off and walked into the Pokemon Center, nodding at the group while leaving his starter outside.

"Where were you guys?" Boldore asked Charizard, who shook his head in response.

"Now's not the time to talk about it," Fortis rebutted swiftly, walking inside with Charizard.

 **000**

As the group walked down the road, they spotted at a palace to their left, making their eyes light up. Without hesitation, Unicus curled up into a ball and rolled at mach speed while Snivy sprinted after her.

"So why do we need to have a partner for this?" Alain asked in agitation, his hands buried in his pockets while he glared daggers at Gray, who paid no attention to his hostility. "Can't I just stay back at the Pokemon Center? Dancing's not my thing," he added.

"No one asked you to come," Noah stated, drawing the older teen's fearsome glare. "You can go back if you really want to."

Muttering something under his breath, the older trainer continued walking with his traveling companions while N and Zoroark chuckled at the interaction along with White. Once they reached the the palace, Unicus and Snivy ran back to their trainers and jumped up and down with glee.

"What are you two so happy about?" White asked suspiciously as Snivy hopped up onto her shoulder and beamed. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" the grass snake shot back, losing her smile immediately. "Pokemon have to be registered too," she concluded, causing Gray to sigh in annoyance along with Alain.

"So we have to find a partner for ourselves and our Pokemon. Why the hell are we even here?" the brunette spat.

"Because you said you wanted to go," Unicus replied, making everyone except Gray chuckle. "Besides, it'll be fun! All you have to do is choose N, Alain, or Noah as your partner, and their Pokemon can be mine!"

The brunette cursed inaudibly and sighed afterwards as she, along with her friends, walked across a bridge and entered the courtyard of the palace, where there were hundreds of trainers shouting to find a partner. As soon as he saw the enormous crowd, Alain turned to Charizard, shook his head, and began walking away, but the winged lizard grabbed a hold of his shoulder and yanked the nineteen year old back.

"What the hell? You can't seriously tell me you want to dance with random people," the Kalosian remarked, only for Charizard to release a stream of embers from his nostrils.

"I didn't walk this whole way to go back to the Pokemon Centre, that's for sure," he retorted, drawing an annoyed groan from his trainer.

While they continued bickering with N and Zoroark keeping Alain from swinging at the lizard, Gray, Noah, and White walked over to a table where they had to sign up. Upon reaching the sheet, the trio turned around and laughed after seeing Alain pout like a child and storm over to them with N by his side.

"I don't get why he's making me do this," the nineteen year old muttered.

N rolled his eyes at the continued complaining from Alain and turned his attention to the younger trainers in front of him.

"So, have you decided on who your partners are going to be?"

White shook her head while Gray nodded, and turned to her left slightly. As she did so, Noah's heart began to race and he started turning towards the brunette, who was smiling.

 _"Wait, I can't let a girl ask me to dance! I have to ask her! Wait, is that sexist? Shit... what do I do? Standing here makes me feel like a dope. What would any other guy do? Dammit, Noah! Get your act together!"_

"I don't really want to dance either, so Alain, do you want to be my partner?"

Unicus, Snivy, and Arcanine watched as Noah's face dropped and they glanced at one another, trying to decide whether or not they should intervene. Before they could decide, the Kalosian nodded, causing Noah to deadpan while White continued searching for a partner.

"Well, I guess we'll see you guys on the dance floor," Charizard joked as he and Unicus followed their trainers after they signed up for the event. "This should be entertaining."

Zoroark snickered at the comment, as did Arcanine, but the latter stopped after remembering Noah was crushed.

"Hey, Noah, let's go find someone. I don't want to be left with slim pickings," Arcanine stated, trying to cheer his trainer up, only to be met with a sigh. "Come on, you know you want to bust out some moves."

White and N laughed at the comment along with Zoroark and Snivy, causing Noah to scowl while walking away with Arcanine.

"Hey, N, if I don't find someone, do you mind being my partner?" White quizzed, drawing a nod from the older trainer, which made her smile. "Thanks! Let me know if you find someone, though!"

Just as the rookie attempted to turn and run, she slammed into a muscular person and fell on her rear end, knocking the other person onto their back. Hurrying onto her feet in embarrassment, the brunette offered a hand to the person she had clobbered, and when she recognized him, her face went bright red while Snivy shook her head.

"Hugh! Hey!" she screamed as the spiky haired teen looked up and smiled while rubbing his back.

"White, what's up?" he quizzed, reaching for her hand. As he did so, everything went in slow-motion, and White's heart just about exploded. However, a webbed hand intercepted her's and Hugh grabbed onto it, turning to his left to thank his Greninja, causing White's face to drop. "Uh, you okay, White? You look like you just saw a ghost," Hugh commented, chuckling at his own joke.

Snivy tapped her trainer on the shoulder with her vine, and White nodded slowly, snapping out of her crushed state.

"So what brings you here? Are you competing in the Unova League now?" the powerful trainer asked.

"Actually, Gray got an invitation and she brought us along. Noah's somewhere around here, too, and so is N," Snivy answered while her trainer remained speechless. "What about you guys? How goes the badge collecting?" she quizzed.

Both Greninja and Hugh glanced at one another before the human beamed proudly and flashed a thumbs up.

"We just won our sixth right here in Mistralton City. Man, was that Gym Leader tough, though. I hope Gray's been training a lot, because we barely pulled off the win," Hugh stated. "Thanks to that transformation Greninja has, everything ended up well."

White's eyes widened at the mentioning of Synchro Evolution and she eyed Greninja, who remained silent as usual, before shifting her attention back to Hugh. The blue haired teen simply smiled, and White face palmed out of nowhere.

"So, uh, do you have a partner for this thing?" she questioned, making Snivy crack a grin, which she hid.

Greninja shifted his gaze to Hugh, waiting for the trainer to respond, and he did by shaking his head and then shrugging.

"So far no luck. What about you?"

White shook her head and awkwardly shifted her weight to the right, not wanting to ask her crush to be her partner. While Hugh remained quiet and nodded, he grunted and cursed at Greninja after being elbowed in the ribs. Once the water type subtly motioned towards White, the Unovan's eyes widened and he patted his Pokemon on the head.

"Hey, want to be partners?" he asked, making White blush wildly. "Oh, are you sick?"

The girl's blush intensified and Snivy laughed along with Greninja, but what no one noticed was the slight grin on Hugh's face.

"N-no!" White stammered, stomping emphatically. "C'mon! Let's just sign up!"

Yanking Hugh over to the sheet, both White and the boy placed their names next to one another, smiling the entire time. As soon as they put the pens down, White attempted to find N, only to be stopped by the sound of a girl squealing at a deafening pitch.

"White! It's been so long!" the voice screamed.

Suddenly, rushing through a crowd of people was Bianca, and she wrapped her arms around her childhood friend, who began jumping up and down excitedly while Hugh, Greninja, and Snivy just watched sheepishly. Slithering over to the group was a large serpent that looked strikingly similar to Snivy, and it smiled when making eye contact with the smaller grass type.

"Wow! Servine evolved!? That's amazing!" White exclaimed, making Bianca beam while her starter bowed appreciatively. "Hey, where's Cheren? Are you traveling with him?"

Bianca nodded and began to search for her other friend, and clapped once she found him walking over nonchalantly. As soon as he saw White, the black haired trainer took his hands out of his jacket pockets and smiled nervously, though the brunette didn't notice.

"Long time no see, Cheren! How have you been?" White quizzed before gasping.

Standing by Cheren's side was an Emboar, who folded his arms over his chest and smirked confidently. However, the expression disappeared when he saw Hugh's Greninja. Just like his Pokemon, Cheren's smile disappeared when he saw Hugh.

"We've been well, thanks. I'd ask you, but you look great," he replied suavely, making White giggle while Hugh narrowed his eyes and moved closer to his partner. "Oh, hey, Hugh."

Bianca shrieked when she saw the blue haired teen and hugged him tightly, drawing laughter from White, Snivy, Emboar, and Greninja. After breaking the embrace, the two teens turned back to their friends.

"How many badges do you have now?" Bianca asked impatiently while staring at Hugh, who grinned and held up six fingers. "Wow, Cheren has six, too! You guys should have a battle."

Both males glanced at one another before turning their heads away, causing White to sweat drop until Bianca spoke once again.

"So, White, do you have a partner for this thing?"

The brunette nodded and bobbed her head towards Hugh, who waved as a joke, making Bianca laugh like an idiot. Cheren, meanwhile, glared at Hugh and cursed under his breath while Emboar locked eyes with Greninja and growled at the bipedal frog. Greninja, however, didn't respond, infuriating the fire type.

"What about you guys?" Hugh inquired.

Cheren sighed and braced himself as Bianca threw her arm around his neck and flashed a toothy grin.

"We're partners! Right, Cheren?"

The aforementioned teen muttered in response as he was whisked over to the signup table. After putting down his name with Bianca's, Cheren turned and watched as White and Hugh walked into the palace, the former waving to him, and he scowled.

Meanwhile, as Arcanine continued searching for a partner for Noah, a young woman watched from afar and laughed to herself while turning to a Pokemon by her side. The powerful creature noticed the look in his trainer's eyes but didn't react despite having never seen her so giddy.

"You know we don't have to be here, right? We could, I don't know, be doing something productive like training," the Pokemon remarked, only for his trainer to wave off the comment.

"Puh-lease," she shot back without a care in the world. "What's more important? Having fun, or killing yourself with work?"

The creature shook its head disapprovingly and walked with the redhead, who kept her eyes fixated on Noah and Arcanine. Before the fire type could dive into another crowd of girls and ask them to take his trainer as their dance partner, which hadn't worked the previous twenty attempts, he saw two figures waling towards him and Noah.

Turning, the dog locked eyes with the unfamiliar duo and bowed to them politely while Noah continued hanging his head in a deep state of depression.

"Hi," the trainer greeted, waving at Arcanine, who bowed once again.

"Hello," he said. "I'd just like to apologize in advance for him. You see, one of our friend's Pokemon passed away just last week," Arcanine explained, making the young woman place her hands over her face. Turning her attention to the distraught teen before her, the redhead didn't know what to do or say. Sensing that, her Pokemon spoke up.

"I'm so sorry to hear about that. Aren't you?" he asked, turning to his trainer, who smiled thankfully before nodding.

"That's terrible. Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?" she asked, leaning forwards in an attempt to get Noah to look up.

Doing just what the kind stranger had hoped, Noah looked up and flinched in shock when he saw her face, making him blush immediately. Regaining his composure in the blink of an eye, Noah shook his head and glared at Arcanine, who shrugged in response.

"Thank you both, but I think I'll get over it in time," the eighteen year old said.

"Enough of that, though," Arcanine said, grabbing the attention of the redhead and her Pokemon. "I'm just going to be blunt and ask, because I know my trainer won't," the fire type continued, causing Noah to shoot him a suspicious look. "Do you have a partner for the ball tonight?"

The girl giggled as she watched Noah's jaw drop, and then he began yelling at the powerful Pokemon, who didn't seem to care in the slightest.

"Sorry, he thinks he's a matchmaker," Noah said jokingly.

"Well, I think we could make a good match, don't you?" the girl asked, blushing slightly, which made Noah do the same. "And no, I don't have a partner," she added, turning to Arcanine.

The Pokemon standing by the girl's side rolled his eyes at the disgusting interaction, and he began to walk away, only to be stopped when he heard Noah speak up.

"I..." Noah paused and bit his lower lip as he pictured Gray smiling and extending a hand towards him. The image soon faded, though, and the attractive girl before him uneasily waited for an answer. "I do. My name's Noah, what's yours?"

Smiling at the response, the redhead tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Skyla. Nice to meet you, Noah."

 **000**

"Gray!" Unicus screamed, stomping as she did so. "You can't seriously tell me I'm not dancing!" she continued, making the brunette groan angrily. "Don't leave me at this table! I'll make a scene, I swear!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, glaring daggers at her trainer while the rest of her teammates sweat dropped.

"Unicus, you already are," Furcifer muttered, making the ground type snarl. "Oh come on, you can't actually like dancing that much. All of us would've heard about it by now," the ice type countered while Celsus and Dicax nodded. Fortis and Virtus remained silent, the former not caring about the situation while the fighting type didn't want to intrude.

As Unicus continued bickering with her teammates at their table near the back corner of the banquet hall, Gray and Alain, who had rented dress clothes, exchanged glances.

"Sorry for dragging you into this," she muttered, only to be waved off by the Kalosian.

"Please," he started. "This is better than having to do some stupid dance with a person I don't know, or want to know," Alain replied, making Gray laugh before she leaned back in her chair and adjusted her sky blue dress, which went down to her knees. Along with sky blue flats, she wore black nylons, and a blue ribbon that she used to tie her hair into a ponytail.

As the two continued listening to the argument between Gray's Pokemon, White and Hugh walked over, wearing similar clothes to Gray and Alain. The only difference between White's outfit and Gray's was that her dress and flats were light green, and her hair was straightened, reaching her shoulders.

"Hey, looking good, White," the older girl complimented, making White smile.

"You too, Gray," the rookie trainer and Hugh replied in unison, drawing Gray's attention to her rival.

"Oh, I didn't even notice you! How are your Pokemon?" Gray quizzed before watching Greninja appear from behind Hugh with a bowtie around his neck, which he continued pulling at as if it were a serpent trying to choke him out. "Nice color," she said with a smile, pointing at the blue bowtie.

Greninja bowed to Gray and glanced at each of her Pokemon before scratching his head in confusion.

"Where's Bellator?" he asked, speaking for what was only the second or third time. "I told you to leave me back at the Pokemon Center. Bellator's probably there living it up, Hugh."

The blue haired teen, who was in a tux that looked identical to Alain's, rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and laughed while Gray, White, and Alain, as well as their Pokemon, shifted uncomfortably.

"Is everything okay?" Hugh quizzed. "Did something bad happen to him?"

"No, he left," White whispered in an attempt to keep Gray from hearing. "Just don't bring it up, it's still kind of touchy with her and the others."

The teen and his starter nodded in response, frowning at the answer they had received. While Greninja pouted, he noticed Virtus sitting next to Potens and Fortis, and he nodded at her. The fighting type replied with the same action and leaned towards Potens.

"Who are they?" she asked in a hush whisper.

Before the Noivern could answer, she watched several other couples flood into the room, including Cheren and Bianca, who sat at a few tables away. As she turned back to Virtus to answer the smaller Pokemon's question, Potens spotted Arcanine walking into the room, glancing left and right in hopes of finding the group.

"Hey, over here!" Fortis and Charizard called at the same time, motioning for Arcanine, who trotted over to the table with an overjoyed smile.

"What's up with you? Where's Noah?" Gray questioned.

The fire type wagged his tail merrily before sitting down next to a few open chairs before finally responding.

"He's coming," the fire type responded, drawing an annoyed grunt from Alain. "With a partner, too."

All of the Pokemon recoiled at the announcement and they exchanged glances before shifting their attention to the trainers sitting at the table. White and Hugh didn't seem to care in the slightest, Alain scoffed, and Gray smiled.

"Good for him," she said as N and Zoroark walked in by their lonesome, neither seeming to care. "Didn't find anyone?" Gray asked the older trainer, who shook his head nonchalantly and yawned.

"I'm not one for parties of this magnitude. Maybe if there were a bunch of good friends together, but nothing like this," he answered while Zoroark nodded in agreement.

"When is this starting?" Alain asked aloud, turning to everyone at his table. "I don't want to be here all night."

Everyone at the table shrugged and, suddenly, Arcanine shot up, sprinting towards the entrance to the room. Though initially confused, the group watched as Noah walked in wearing a tux, and a girl who was a few inches shorter than him had her arm wrapped around his. Unicus, Furcifer, and Snivy stared at one another for a few seconds before turning back to see Noah, who strolled over to the table with the unfamiliar, redheaded girl by his side.

"Wow, I didn't actually think he had a date," Charizard stated, drawing a nod from his trainer.

"Damn. Arcanine did him a solid," Hugh muttered, salivating at the sight of the attractive girl.

"You can say that again," Alain whispered to the younger trainer, who laughed in response while White and Gray rolled their eyes in disgust. "So, can we leave now?" the Kalosian asked Gray, who shook her head and turned away from him.

Shortly afterwards, when Noah and Skyla arrived at the table, the former smiled and waved, drawing the attention of his friends and their Pokemon. Sitting down at the table after pulling out the chair for his partner, Noah sat down and smiled.

"Hey, guys. I'd like you to meet my partner, Skyla," he announced.

"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you all," the redhead stated.

"Nice to meet you. I'm N, and that's Zoroark" the green haired trainer greeted.

"My name's Alain," the Kalosian informed Skyla. "This is my partner, Charizard," he concluded as the winged lizard nodded upon hearing his name.

"I'm White, and my buddy's Snivy."

Skyla nodded and turned her attention to Hugh, whose eyes went wide in shock before he pointed at her, confusing the redhead.

"You're the Gym Leader of Mistralton City!" he exclaimed, making the young girl giggle and nod while her Pokemon, an intimidating eagle, rolled his eyes.

"Don't remind me," he commented. "I told her we should be training, but we just had to come here."

While Skyla's Pokemon continued ranting about attending the ball, Gray pulled her Pokedex out of her purse and scanned the unfamiliar bird quickly.

"Braviary, the Valiant Pokemon, and the evolved form of Rufflet. They fight for their friends without any thought about danger to themselves. One can carry a car while flying."

Upon hearing the Pokedex entry, Braviary turned his attention to Gray and stared holes through her, causing the brunette to slump in her chair timidly. However, Potens, who was sitting next to Gray, cleared her throat obnoxiously, grabbing Braviary's attention.

"Do we have a problem?" the Noivern asked threateningly, cracking her knuckles.

The group sitting at the table went silent and stared at both Potens and Skyla's Pokemon, the latter of whom scoffed and turned away from his challenger. Enraged by the arrogance of the eagle, Potens nearly lunged at him, but due to the combination of her injuries suffered from battling Bisharp and Virtus holding her back, she was stopped.

"Potens, relax," Gray ordered quietly, resulting in the dragon type slinking back to the ground, where she sat while keeping a close eye on Skyla and Braviary, scowling at both of them.

With that, the lights dimmed dramatically, and the focus shifted to the center of the room, where a man with wild red hair stood. Once the lights were aimed towards him, Gray, White, and Noah stared in shock as they realized the man was none other than Alder, who had a stupid grin on his face.

"Welcome, trainers and friends, to the second annual Mistralton City Ball! I don't want to waste your time and ramble on and on, so here it goes. You can dance with your partner if you want, and then after a while, we'll have a raffle, and the winner has the opportunity to earn a prize. Simple enough, right? Now go have some fun and get to know your fellow competitors!"

Alder simply walked out of the room with the mic in his hand, and the lights that had been dimmed returned to their normal brightness. Music then began blasting throughout the room, and everyone sweat dropped at the unorganized event and looked around in confusion, not knowing what to do.

"Want to dance?" Skyla inquired while turning to Noah, who nodded without hesitation, causing Gray to glare at the older girl as she grabbed Noah's hand and ran off to the dance floor with Arcanine following while Braviary remained at the table.

"White?" Hugh quizzed, making the girl blush before she grinned and stood up with her partner immediately. "Greninja, you better not make a fool of yourself," the Unovan taunted, causing the water and dark type to recoil nervously. Snivy laughed at his reaction and walked out to the floor along with him.

Gray continued watching Noah and Skyla angrily as the redhead released another Pokemon, which was a Swanna. The water and flying type began dancing with Arcanine, and the brunette muttered something under her breath while folding her arms over her chest, catching the attention of both N and Alain, as well as Zoroark.

"Something wrong?" the eldest of the group inquired.

The eighteen year old shook her head and angrily shifted in her seat. N sweat dropped at the response and glanced in the direction he thought Gray had been staring, and he immediately focused on Noah. Turning back to Gray, he smiled and remained silent.

"Have you decided on who you're going to use in your Gym Battle?" Alain quizzed as he looked over his phone, which had Skyla's general information on it. "Apparently she specializes in flying types, and that thing over there," he started, pointing at Braviary, who was watching his trainer closely, "is her strongest."

Gray leaned over towards Alain and eyed the information intently before smiling and nodding at him thankfully. As she did so, Noah glanced over in the middle of his slow dance and glared daggers at the Kalosian, who, from what he saw, was flirting with Gray. Skyla quickly stepped in the way of the teen's sight and smiled at him, forcing Noah to put on a faux smile while continuing his dance.

"Well, since flying types are weak to ice, I'd have to go with Furcifer, and steel types are resistant, so Dicax is also going to battle."

Alain and N nodded at the tactical choices of the younger trainer, and she glanced in the direction of her other Pokemon, rubbing her chin while deep in thought.

"Unicus is a ground type, so some of her moves aren't going to do anything," N informed Gray, who nodded and leaned back in her chair while sighing. "So that leaves it down to Virtus, Potens, and Celsus."

"Virtus is weak to flying types," Alain stated.

"Okay, so Potens and Celsus," Gray said.

As soon as she did, the brunette noticed Potens glance in the direction of Braviary, and she grinned at her Pokemon's actions. Having not seen what Potens did, Alain and N looked at the Kantonian in confusion before she pulled out her phone and typed in the names of the three combatants, along with the order in which they'd battle.

"Looks good to me," the Kalosian announced while N nodded approvingly.

Suddenly, the music cut out and everyone looked around for a few moments before Alder walked back into the room. When he did, all of the trainers returned to their tables and sat down along with their Pokemon. While Gray glared at Skyla, Noah did the same to Alain, though neither of the recipients noticed, as they were too focused on Alder and complaining about not wanting to be at the palace, respectively.

"Everyone, I'd like to thank you for being here tonight, and I know some of you would rather be training," Alder started, making everyone at the table laugh while looking at Alain, except for Noah, who watched Gray playfully punch him in the shoulder. "For suffering through this, now's the time this dance party turns into a battle party for a lucky few," the aging man announced, eliciting cheers from all of the trainers in attendance.

Suddenly, a young woman with long blonde hair walked over to a group of tables while a black haired man with a yellow scarf, a purple haired woman in an elegant dress, and a dark skinned man with yellow hair passed out cards to other groups.

Once the blonde arrived at the table, she smiled and passed out each card to the trainers sitting at the table before stopping when she saw Gray and Alain.

"Caitlin? What are you doing here?" the younger of the two asked as she stood up and hugged the Elite 4 member. "I mean, it's great to see you and all, but..."

"Why are you _here_?" Alain asked, finishing Gray's sentence, which made the psychic specialist laugh while Noah snarled at the nineteen year old, who still didn't notice the hostility.

"Well, the rest of the Elite 4 is here, though the Champion's busy at a conference. It's pretty nice having off, if you ask me," she replied, handing a card over to Alain as she did so. "How has everything been with you all?"

The four trainers that had met the young woman in Nimbasa City all shrugged, not wanting to talk about Team Flare or Team Plasma, but when Caitlin turned to the left and saw N, her eyes went wide, confusing everyone.

"N?"

The green haired trainer smiled and rose to his feet before hugging Caitlin, and everyone remained confused.

"How do you two know each other?" Hugh inquired, causing both N and the slightly older woman to glance at each other before the pale man rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"It's a long story," he replied. "All that matters is we're good friends."

Hugh gave the young man a suspicious look before whispering something to White, who nearly died of laughter along with Snivy. Greninja, however, didn't find the grotesque comment humorous, and he shook his head disappointedly.

"We should meet up after this, though," Caitlin said to the group, who nodded except for Skyla. "See you all later."

After the Elite 4 member waved and walked away, Skyla turned to the trainers and leaned forwards before whispering, not wanting the blonde to overhear her.

"She really scares me some times. Whenever we have league meetings, she always has this creepy look on her face," she commented before laughing along with Braviary and Swanna. No one else found the statement funny and, as a result, shot her disgusted looks.

"Oh, come on. You know it's true, especially since you met her."

Angered by the comment, Gray locked eyes with the eagle and shook her head, making him scoff. After he did, Braviary whispered something to Skyla, which all of Gray's Pokemon heard faintly.

"What'd you just say?" Potens interrogated, walking over to her trainer's side along with her teammates and Fortis. "Come on, tough guy. If you want to be a dick, say it our faces."

Everyone at the table exchanged glances and Charizard began to walk towards Gray's Pokemon in an attempt to prevent a potential fight, but he was too late. Braviary snickered, enraging the Noivern, and he looked up.

"It doesn't concern you."

Meanwhile, in the middle of the room, Alder held the microphone in his left hand close to his face before taking a deep breath and speaking.

"If all of you would be so kind, please hold your cards up to the light. If there's a mark on your card, you've earned the opportunity to win our prize!" the former Champion exclaimed, drawing applause from the large group of trainers.

While everyone held their cards up, Gray, her Pokemon, Skyla, and Braviary locked eyes and looked ready to murder each other.

"You're lucky they're holding me back, because if they weren't, I'd be bashing your head in right now!" Potens hissed as she attempted to break free of Fortis and Charizard's grasp.

"Please," Skyla retorted, coming to her Pokemon's defense. "You wouldn't be able to land a scratch on Braviary."

The dragon type roared in a blind fit of rage as she attempted to lunge at the redhead, but the Pokemon holding her back weren't overwhelmed by her sudden burst of strength.

"None of you could," Braviary added, shaking his head. "You're all pathetic. The fact that you've won five badges with such a band of misfits shows just how weak this crop of trainers is."

Hugh and Greninja glared daggers at the flying type, as did White, Snivy, Alain, Charizard, N, and Zoroark. Noah and Arcanine's jaws were agape while Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, and Dicax flinched at the vicious comment. Fortis did the same, but he snapped out of his daze and leaned forward to whisper to Potens. Virtus, meanwhile, lowered her head and snarled, grabbing Gray's attention.

"I'm going to let you go, and one of us is going to teach that punk a lesson," he said, drawing a nod from the younger dragon type.

After nodding at Charizard, both Fortis and the winged lizard released their grip on Potens, who pointed directly at Braviary.

"Listen up, featherbrain," she started. "Make fun of me all you want, I don't care. But when you call my friends misfits and weak, that's where you cross the line, and for that, I'll rip your wings off," Potens declared calmly, refusing to look away from the eagle's eyes.

"How about we settle this with a battle if you're so confident in that pathetic trainer of yours?"

Gray nearly jumped out of her seat and attacked Braviary, but Alain and N kept her from doing so. What no one was ready for was Virtus springing up and landing on the table. Then, diving at Braviary, she attempted to punch the flying type in the face.

Much to the group's shock and Gray's horror, Braviary tomahawked Virtus over the head with his right wing and slammed his foot down on her neck, making the fighting type gasp for air. Then, as his beak began to glow white, he prepared to jab her. Skyla stopped the attack, however, before locking eyes with Gray and shaking her head in a condescending manner.

"Hey, if you're going to fight, go do it outside!" Alder shouted, not paying any attention to the identities of who was sitting at the table.

"Fine by me!" Gray and Skyla shouted in unison while Noah stared at both girls with his jaw still agape. As both girls stormed out of the room with Alain and N acting as bodyguards of sorts, Alder resumed speaking.

"Now, let's see who the participants in this battle will be! If your card is marked with an X, please stand up."

Everyone in the room held their cards up to the lights and most of the people groaned in frustration once they saw their cards weren't marked. One person shrieked, however, and drew the attention of all the other trainers. White sweat dropped, knowing right away that it was Bianca who had made the noise, and she watched as the blonde stood up and pulled Cheren out of his seat.

"And if you have a circle, please stand!"

Suddenly, Hugh pumped his fist towards the sky and he rose to his feet. White laughed at the blue haired teen's reaction and glanced at her card before her eyes went wide in shock. Getting out of her chair slowly, she turned to Hugh and flashed a cheeky smile.

"There we have it! Those two pairs will be competing in a double battle! If everyone would please move away from the dance floor, that would be appreciated," Alder stated, leading to everyone sitting at tables near the stage to move.

While they did so, Caitlin said something to Lysandre and walked out of the room while Noah and Arcanine glanced at White and Hugh.

"Hey, uh, do you guys mind if I go outside to see what's going on with Skyla and Gray?" he asked, drawing emphatic responses from the younger teens as they shook their heads.

"Not at all, Noah. Make sure nothing goes too far, though," White ordered.

With that, Noah and Arcanine ran out of the room while White and Hugh walked over to the dance floor and stood at the very end of it, facing off with Bianca and Cheren. Both males cracked their knuckles and glared at one another, and Greninja and Emboar did the same.

"This will be a double battle where each trainer may only use one Pokemon! When both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue, the battle is over! Now choose your combatants!" Alder ordered.

"Snivy, it's your time to shine!" White shouted as she pointed straight ahead, prompting Snivy to run onto the dance floor, which had been outlined to look like a battlefield.

"Greninja, let's go!"

"Serperior, go!"

"Emboar, battle stance!"

Each of the three starter Pokemon made their way onto the makeshift battlefield and locked eyes before they turned to their partners and nodded. The four trainers then turned to their partners and smiled while Alder acted as the referee.

"This battle will be between Snivy and Greninja, and Serperior and Emboar! Begin!"

 **000**

Meanwhile, outside in the courtyard of the palace, Gray and Skyla stood thirty feet away from each other while N and Zoroark stood off to the side along with Alain, Charizard, and Fortis. The quintet watched as Gray spoke with her Pokemon and they glanced at one another.

"Are you happy you came now?" N asked, chuckling as he did so. Alain laughed in response and nodded while Zoroark, Charizard, and Fortis shook their heads at the comment. "I wonder who Gray's going to use, though."

As soon as he said that, N watched as Gray motioned for those that weren't selected to walk away. The only one that remained by her side was Potens, and the dragon type snarled at Braviary, who was going over strategy with Skyla.

"Gray," Potens started, causing the brunette to turn towards her. "I don't want you to take it easy on these two. I want to do as much damage as possible and make sure that stupid eagle never flies again."

Shocked by the intensity, Gray took a few seconds to nod despite not agreeing with the extreme goals. She and Skyla then turned to each other and locked eyes while Potens and Braviary stepped forwards and snarled.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Potens and Braviary! Gray, you have the first move!"

* * *

 **Wow, that was fun, but brutal. Noah passed over his chance to ask Gray to be his partner for the ball, and he seems to think there's something going on between her and Alain. His partner, Skyla, is a bit of an ass, and so is her Braviary, who appears to have a rivalry with Potens. Along with that, Potens seems to have embraced being the leader of the team by sticking up for the others, and what's up with Gray staring at Noah?** **Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Who wins each battle?  
2\. What are your thoughts on the rating change?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle!?**_ ** _"_**

 ** _As the ball concludes, White, Hugh, Bianca, and Cheren's double battle goes down to the wire as both sides pull out all the stops! Meanwhile, Gray and Skyla engage in a one versus one battle and things take a wild turn. Which pair will win the double battle, and can Gray take down her_**

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 73: From One Dragon to Another  
** **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!  
** **Chapter 75:** **An Alliance!? Flare and Plasma Unite!**


	72. Sparks Fly! A Romantic Double Battle?

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a dragon made of purple energy nod at one another and the former starts to transform** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into five rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and White and Noah to the left and right of Gray, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **What's up, readers? Two battles are taking place after Gray and Skyla got into it last chapter, and the pair of Hugh and White was selected to take on the pair of Bianca and Cheren. Last time around, Noah thought about asking Gray to be his partner for a trainer ball but he was too late, and then he ended up pairing with Skyla, who's an ass. Cheren also got jelly of Hugh, who asked White, and there's also a developing rivalry between Skyla's Braviary and Potens. On a side note, Flare and Plasma's chapter was pushed back to the Icirrus Arc. Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Yeah, I'm looking forward to writing this battle (which is already written by the time your reading this, but I digress). Noah's going to ask her eventually, I just wanted to do something that'd push Gray towards realizing her feelings for him. And thanks for mentioning the genre change! It made a lot of sense_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Same here XD Thanks a ton, too, because it really took me a while to write (two or three days of seven-plus hours per day), and Noah's mainly jealous of Alain because he's an idiot and misconstrues things. Gray definitely needs some peanut butter with so much jelly (bad joke is bad). The Gym Battle will be amplified so much by the battle this chapter, though I'm not sure if Hughninja will happen here, as much as I want it to_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Gray could beat her down though for the sake of the battle being entertaining, I don't think it will. White's crush on Hugh is always fun to write about given how much she changes whenever he's around. And thanks! I'm hoping that battle will be awesome!_

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks! Depending on how the outlining goes, the Icirrus Arc and Opelucid Arc will have a lot of stuff going on, and the intensity will rise in several different fields (Flare/Plasma, group dynamics, etc.). The rating change is strictly for violence and the occasional f-bomb, and I knew someone would bring up Kalos XD I don't have any plans of including something like that, but to be honest, I can't completely rule it out. I like the predictions too!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Skyla's a jerk, yah. Braviary's a bigger one in my opinion and Potens (one T, not two) will hopefully destroy him, though considering she's still recovering from injuries, you never know. Totally didn't mean to put in Lysandre, it's just that his and Alder's hair are so similar I kept trying to not think about it_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _So much jelly, so little peanut butter, if you catch my drift XD The bitchslapping between Skyla and Gray could actually happen, and I think it'd make things interesting (so long as it's not unnecessary). Here's to hoping White and Hugh can actually build that ship! Inb4 Cheren builds an even bigger ship and White goes to check it out_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Well, let's not go that far ;) You can't tell what's going to happen with their battle (I kid, you can, but... kind of not really. It's complicated), and she was super jelly of Skyla, though that'll lead to some stuff, and pretty dark. At least, I think_

 **FinLay Real:** _Lololol, too true. He's the most unlucky man in the world. And right now I don't think Synchro will play a role in this battle, just because if it did, it'd be a guaranteed win for Hugh and White. Evolution could though. That's for sure_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Everyone in the ballroom waited anxiously as Hugh and White stared down Cheren and Bianca while Greninja and Emboar continued glaring daggers at one another. Swiftly raising his arms, Alder wasted no time speaking.

"This battle will be between Snivy and Greninja, and Serperior and Emboar! Begin!"

"Snivy, use Slam on Serperior!" White shouted, throwing her right fist forwards as violently as she could.

Sprinting towards the fully evolved creature she had befriended at Juniper's lab, Snivy narrowed her eyes and lunged while lowering her shoulder in an attempt to deliver a ferocious blow to her powerful opponent. Much to her and White's dismay, the grass snake wasn't expecting such a quick response from Bianca.

"Dodge it and use Dragon Tail!" the blonde countered confidently.

Serperior easily evaded by slithering around Snivy, and then, while his tail was glowing light blue, he attempted to slam it over Snivy's head.

"Intercept it with Cut, Greninja!"

In the blink of an eye, the water starter appeared by his partner's side with a blade of white energy in his right hand, and he blocked Serperior's Dragon Tail attack. What shocked Hugh, however, was that Greninja was unable to overwhelm Serperior with his strength and escape. Seeing that, Cheren adjusted his glasses and sneered while Emboar cracked his knuckles.

"Pummel Greninja by using Hammer Arm!" the intelligent teen demanded.

Emboar shot forwards while his right arm was glowing an intense shade of red, and when he closed in on Greninja, the fire and fighting type grunted loudly before winding his arm back. Just as he began throwing it towards the dark type, White intervened and threw her arm out to her side, causing Hugh to flinch slightly as he stared at the girl to his right.

"Take Emboar's legs out! Vine Whip!"

"Not a chance, White! Hit Snivy with Toxic!" Bianca retorted.

Just as Snivy wrapped her vines around Emboar's legs and yanked them out from underneath him, she was hit by a wad of poison Serperior had shot from his mouth. Stumbling backwards while her body flashed purple, Snivy cried out in pain and fell to her knees, grimacing, though that didn't stop Greninja from staring at her in admiration.

"Hurry and use Acrobatics, Greninja!" Hugh commanded, snapping the frog out of his daze.

Sprinting towards Serperior, the water starter's legs began to glow light blue, and he delivered a series of ferocious kicks that made the fully evolved snake cry out in pain. Finishing the barrage with a devastating kick to the chin, Greninja smirked while Serperior fell to the ground and whined in pain, drawing a concerned response from Bianca. Cheren snickered at Hugh and Greninja's lack of attention and seized the opportunity to turn momentum back to his Bianca's side, catching both White and her crush by surprise.

"Emboar, let's buy ourselves some time! Confuse Greninja with Swagger!"

"Snivy, protect him!" the brunette roared.

Jumping off the ground and diving in front of Greninja, Snivy was hit by the orange cloud of bubbles, causing her to stumble around like a drunk. As she did so, a red ring of energy spun around her body, showing a drastic increase in her attack stat.

"Now use Frenzy Plant on them both!"

Gasping in shock, White and Hugh watched as Serperior slammed his tail against the ground as hard as he could, causing colossal vines to shoot out of the battlefield. All of them whipped Snivy and Greninja, making both of the Pokemon cry out in pain before being launched across the room and back to the sides of their trainers, who stared with their jaws on the ground.

"White, we're going to need to step up our game," Hugh whispered to the brunette, who nodded in response before eyeing both of her opponents.

"You guys back us up, we're going to take the lead," she announced, putting a grin on Hugh's face while he turned back to face his rivals.

"Here that, Greninja? Let's back White and Snivy up."

Greninja nodded and gave White and Snivy a thumbs up, putting a smile on the grass snake's face. Turning back to her trainer, Snivy nodded and narrowed her eyes while analyzing both Serperior and Emboar, who waited anxiously.

"It's time for us to show we're just as strong as Bianca and Cheren! Snivy, let's go!"

 **000**

"Come on, Gray! Knock her head off! You too, Potens! Show 'em who the real warrior of the sky is!" Unicus screamed alongside Furcifer, which drew a nod from their dragon type teammate.

Shaking his head at the barbaric comments, Fortis turned his attention to Alain and Charizard, who were examining Braviary closely before shaking their heads at one another, piquing the Flygon's interest. As soon as Charizard noticed Fortis, he turned to him and folded his arms over his chest.

"I don't think this is going to end up being a beatdown like they think," he stated, pointing at the raucous duo that was jumping up and down together. Fortis sweat dropped at the actions of the younger Pokemon and glanced at Dicax and Celsus, who were walking towards him. Then, he noticed Virtus sitting off on her own, though he didn't say anything.

"Alain," Celsus called, drawing the nineteen year old's attention. "What do you think about this battle?" the psychic type asked, not wanting to explicitly bring up Potens' injuries, which Dicax caught onto immediately.

The Kalosian shrugged and put his hands in his pant pockets, tugging on the bowtie that was choking him.

"I think it'll be interesting. Gray's a better trainer than Skyla, I know that for a fact," he answered. "She might be one of the best trainers I've seen," he muttered to himself, causing Charizard's eyes to open wide while he stared at his trainer.

 _"Did he really just say that? I never thought I'd see the day,"_ the winged lizard thought, still staring. _"Gray must really be something to draw such praise from Alain."_

Meanwhile, to the left of Alain, N rose his arms and glanced at both girls. Before he could speak, the green haired man was cut off by Skyla.

"Are you sure you really want to do this? Braviary and I won't be held responsible for what we do to the Noivern," the redhead told Gray while pointing at Potens, who snarled and stuck her wings out to her sides.

"Please," the Kantonian started, waving off the announcement. "We'll beat you into oblivion!" Gray shouted, glancing at Noah before turning back to face the Mistralton Gym Leader, who rolled her eyes.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Potens and Braviary! Gray, you have the first move!"

"Perfect," Gray said to herself with a grin. "Potens, we're not holding anything back!" the brunette shouted, drawing a grunt from her powerhouse. "Agility into Super Fang!"

Obeying the command without hesitation, Potens began to roar while she popped up randomly across the battlefield. Then, once the blue ring of light spinning around her disappeared, the bat took off at mach speed and her teeth began to grow and glow an intense white. While closing in on Braviary, Potens grimaced in pain, though she did a good job of covering it up, as no one noticed.

"Just because you're trying to speed up doesn't mean you can overwhelm us!" Skyla retorted. "Braviary, show them what I'm talking about! Aerial Ace!" she commanded.

Braviary shook his head at Potens' actions and took off like a rocket while tucking his wings into his sides, allowing him to travel at an even higher speed than usual. White streaks of light flew off his face and he slammed into his opponent with the force of a sixteen-wheeler, sending Potens bouncing along the ground before she rolled to a stop.

"See? There's no way you can beat us with pathetic tactics like that," Skyla taunted while wagging her finger.

Noah slowly turned his attention from the Gym Leader to Gray and bit his lower lip as he watched Potens struggle to her feet, which was unusual, to say the least. Despite the suspect looks she was receiving, Potens acted as if she was too engrossed in the battle to notice, putting a smile on Gray's face, which was replaced with a scowl when she stared at Skyla.

"Oh yeah? We'll prove you wrong! Answer right back with Acrobatics!"

"Don't even try it! Crush Claw!"

As both winged creatures took off, they cried like warriors. While Potens was enveloped in teal light, Braviary's talons expanded and began to glow cobalt. Throwing both of his feet towards the Noivern, Braviary squawked loudly and the attacks collided. An explosion occurred immediately and sent both parties flying backwards, though it was obvious Gray was in over her head, as Potens tumbled along the stone while Braviary flew back to Skyla's side and landed gracefully.

Even with the pain from her previous injuries, and the new ones she had suffered from battling Braviary, Potens forced herself back onto her feet and locked eyes with the eagle opposing her. While doing so, she winced and reached for her right wing, which caused Alain to narrow his eyes along with Virtus. Seeing the fighting type's reaction, Noah walked over to her side with Arcanine and smiled at Gray's Mienfoo, who shifted her attention away from the battle.

"Hey there, Virtus," the eighteen year old greeted before sitting down next to the yellow mustelid, who bowed in response, doing the same to Arcanine. "Why aren't you standing with the others?"

Virtus shrugged, not wanting to answer the question.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, making Noah sweat drop while Arcanine laughed. "Sorry," Virtus muttered after seeing the older boy's reaction. "I just like watching battles on my own. I think a lot when it's quiet."

Noah nodded and glanced at Arcanine, motioning for the fire type to talk.

"So, uh, what are your thoughts on this battle? Potens is gonna pull it out, right?"

Virtus folded her arms and didn't reply, causing the fire type and his trainer to look at one another worriedly. Recognizing the looks, Virtus cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the duo.

"I've never seen Potens battle before, so I don't know. I can tell she's strong and all, but Braviary is too, ya know?" the mustelid quizzed, drawing a pair of nods. "Yeah. Something's off with her though, and Gray too."

"What do you mean?" Noah inquired, shocked by the Mienfoo's astute observation, despite having never battled with her trainer or witnessed Potens in action.

"I don't know, to be honest," she replied, shrugging as she did so. "It doesn't seem like they're battling for their usual reasons, though."

Noah turned his attention to Gray and Potens and stared at the girl he had grown up with, noticing her usual confident posture had been reduced to nothing more than a primal stance.

"You're right, now that I think about it."

Meanwhile, Gray took a deep breath and leaned forwards, grabbing Potens' attention.

"Hey, are you okay? You don't seem like yourself."

Potens looked down at the ground and nodded, confusing Gray, as even though Potens nodded, her body language said otherwise. Still, Gray took the response at face value and nodded in response, prompting Potens to return her attention back to the battle.

"Char Braviary to a crisp! Flamethrower!"

Rearing her head back, Potens unleashed an intense wave of red and orange flames from her mouth, which zipped across the battlefield and approached Braviary in a matter of seconds. Despite the speed of the attack, Skyla, being a Gym Leader, wasn't overwhelmed in the slightest, and she snapped her fingers, prompting her strongest Pokemon to rear his wings back.

"Destroy it with Heat Wave!"

Flapping them forwards, Braviary smirked as crescents of fire were created by his wings. After one cancelled out Potens' Flamethrower attack, the other exploded on contact with her, causing the Noivern to cry in pain while falling to the ground.

"Please get up and use Dragon Pulse!" Gray ordered, realizing how much pain her Pokemon was in.

Potens attempted to get up but was unable to do so. Despite that, she shot a blast of purple energy that turned into the shape of a dragon, and it roared before attempting to snap its jaws on Braviary.

"Get out of the way and trap her by using Rock Tomb!"

The powerful eagle managed to get out of the way without an issue and the Dragon Pulse attack exploded upon contact with the ground, creating a huge cloud of smoke. Using it to his advantage, the normal and flying type hid inside the smoke and stomped on the ground, causing three large rocks to shoot up around Potens and trap her.

"Break free, Potens!" Gray demanded, only for the bat to respond with a pained cry. "Potens!" she screamed in concern, drawing laughter from Skyla and Braviary.

"The nerve of that bitch!" Unicus snapped, causing her teammates to flinch at the harsh words. "I swear, if she keeps laughing, I'm going to slice that eagle's wings off and feed them to her!"

Dicax sweat dropped at the disgusting image but stopped when Furcifer and Dicax stepped forwards, fire burning in their eyes.

"Yeah! Let's beat her to a pulp!" the Sneasel shrieked.

"That's right! When we're done with her, she'll never mess with anyone ever again!" Celsus decreed.

Hearing the emotionally charged words from her teammates, Virtus deadpanned before hearing Potens scream once again, bringing back memories of the dragon type talking about her injuries. As she continued thinking about the conversation with Potens, Virtus snapped out of her memory and heard Skyla's voice crack through the air.

"Brave Bird!"

Shooting into the air while engulfed in flames, Braviary began to hum. Then, when the flames turned into sparkling blue light, he hummed at an incredibly high pitch. Watching the flying type close in on Potens, Virtus blinked once and everything froze in place except for Gray. The only thing she heard was a pair of hearts beating, and, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them slowly, Virtus watched the scene unfold at normal speed, prompting her to act.

An explosion ensued as soon as the eagle struck his target, and everyone watched as the smoke dissipated. Much to their shock, Virtus was standing in front of Potens, and she had managed to grab a hold of Braviary's beak with both hands. Potens, who was released from her rock prison, gaped at the sight before falling on her rear end in exhaustion while Gray remained frozen.

"Potens is disqualified due to interference! Skyla and Braviary are the winners!" N announced, throwing his arms upwards.

As soon as she heard the outcome, Virtus threw the aforementioned eagle back to his trainer's side with incredible force, wowing her trainer, the Gym Leader, and the spectators. Turning to check on Potens, the mustelid nearly made Gray faint. Just like her trainer, Virtus' eyes had turned gray.

"Are you okay, Potens?" the Mienfoo inquired, drawing a slow nod from her older teammate.

"That wasn't worth our time," Skyla remarked from across the courtyard while walking over to Noah's side. "Impressive, right?" she asked flirtatiously, only to be met with indifference from the younger trainer. "Oh, okay. I see how it is," she whispered angrily, moving away from the Kantonian.

"You're not going to beat us," Braviary stated as Skyla exited the vicinity. "You never will."

Flying after his trainer, the eagle left Gray in a state of hopelessness, and she dropped to the ground with a look of despair plastered on her face. The others looked on quietly before Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, and Dicax made their way over to Potens' side and helped her up with smiles.

"Hey, that was awesome!" Furcifer exclaimed while beaming, only to be met with silence from the battered Noivern. "Oh, come on, you know you're going to kick that guy's ass the next time you battle. We all do."

"Damn straight!" Unicus shouted, patting Potens on the back encouragingly.

"And we'll be there to back you up. Don't forget that," Celsus added, smiling at the dragon type, who was beginning to smile slightly.

"You'll prove him wrong. We know it," Dicax concluded, nodding at his teammate, who began to laugh slightly at the support she was receiving.

What no one realized was Caitlin looking on from afar, and she had a smile stretching from ear to ear. Suddenly, her eyes stopped glowing pink, and she tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

 _"Perhaps I was wrong about Bellator,"_ the woman thought to herself, eyeing Potens before shifting her focus to Virtus, whose gray eyes started to return to their normal color. _"Yes, I'm sure of it. They're both stronger."_

 **000**

"Use Attract on Emboar, Snivy!"

Winking at her opponent, the aforementioned snake watched as a series of pink hearts floated towards Emboar, who began sweating nervously, not knowing how to avoid the status inflicting move. Lucky for him, Bianca and her starter stepped in without hesitation.

"Serperior, help Emboar out with Protect!"

After hissing, Serperior snickered as a bubble of green energy appeared around himself and Emboar, which shielded them both from Attract. What the trainers of the fully evolved Pokemon didn't notice was White nodding at her partner.

"Nice thinking, White!" Hugh exclaimed while flashing a thumbs up, causing the girl to blush slightly before nodding. "Greninja, Double Team!"

Greninja performed a series of hand signs before slamming his right hand against the ground, causing twenty clones to form a circle around his fellow fully evolved starters. Despite their presence, Cheren and Bianca continued on with the battle as if nothing had happened, causing Hugh to curse under his breath.

"Knock Snivy out! Use Heat Crash!" Cheren demanded, punching his fist towards the ground.

Emboar sprung into the air and, while he was engulfed in white flames, roared. Then, descending towards Snivy, he snorted and narrowed his eyes, preparing to crush the tiny snake underneath his immense wait.

"Snivy, get out of the way!" White hollered.

Seeing that the first stage Pokemon wasn't going to move, Hugh intervened and emphatically punched his left fist forwards.

"Greninja, help her out by using Water Shuriken on Emboar!"

"Not so fast, Hugh!" Bianca yelled, stopping the attack. "Serperior, whack Greninja by using Leaf Blade!"

Before Greninja could even form the shuriken, he received a devastating blow to the gut from Serperior, whose tail was glowing a light shade of green. The audience turned away at the painful sight before noticing Emboar was about to flatten his target, which made them cheer savagely.

"Finish this!" Cheren screamed at the top of his lungs.

Before she knew it, White watched as Emboar clobbered Snivy and fire shot upwards. Then, picking her up off the ground, the fire type threw Snivy towards White as if she were a rag doll.

"Greninja!"

"Snivy!"

Both trainers watched as their starter Pokemon smacked against the floor in front of them limply. The spectators began cheering for Cheren and Bianca, thinking the battle was over, as did the Elite 4 members, minus Caitlin, who had gone outside. Surprisingly, Snivy opened her eyes slightly and saw Emboar and Serperior basking in the glory of winning, angering her. Then, using the vines from her neck as a means of support, the tiny Pokemon pushed herself onto her feet.

"Wow, Snivy really won't give up," Bianca remarked, eliciting grunts from Serperior and Emboar while Cheren adjusted his glasses and smiled while looking at White. "I guess we're going to have to kick it up a notch, Cheren."

The black haired teen nodded in response but kept his eyes locked on White.

"Keep hanging in there, Snivy. I know we can do this if we work together," the rookie trainer proclaimed with a smile.

Turning at the kind words from her trainer, Snivy smiled and nodded before closing her eyes. In an instant, she was enveloped in a blinding white light, making everyone gasp in shock and awe.

"Oh my god," Hugh muttered while shaking his head. "White, Snivy's evolving!" he exclaimed, prompting the girl to take out her Pokedex.

Once the light faded and she had a clear look at her Pokemon, the brunette stared. Standing in place of Snivy was a larger snake with leaf-shaped hands. Three leaves appeared along her back and her tail had grown much longer. There were also two yellow streaks that looked like the neck of a vest reaching over her shoulders.

"Servine, the Grass Snake Pokemon, and the evolved form of Snivy. It moves along the ground as if sliding. Its swift movements befuddle its foes, and it then attacks with a vine whip. New move learned: Coil."

"Oh no," Bianca said under her breath, face palming. "White's not giving up easily."

"Please," Cheren retorted, drawing a confused look from his partner. "The two of us can take Servine out, no problem," he concluded, which made Emboar nod and crack his knuckles.

Greninja, meanwhile, had opened his eyes prior to the evolution and rose to his feet, not wanting to be outdone by Servine. Hugh grinned at the resilient Pokemon, who turned and nodded at him.

"We're not gonna let you guys do this on your own, White," the spiky-haired teen declared. "Greninja, it's time we show 'em our true power!" Hugh barked.

Suddenly, everyone shifted their attention to the blue haired trainer and watched in shock as he and his Pokemon mirrored each other while performing several different hand motions.

"To protect those close to us," Hugh started, making White blush an intense red.

"We must do everything in our power!" Greninja roared, finishing his trainer's sentence. Then, in a flash, he was engulfed in a geyser of water, wowing the audience. Alder's jaw just about hit the ground when he watched Greninja's ears and head change slightly with five blue spikes jutting out, which looked just like Hugh's hair.

Cheren and Bianca, along with Emboar and Serperior, were at a loss for words, though they continued to try and speak.

White and Hugh, on the other hand, turned and smiled at one another, and Servine and Greninja did the same.

"Are you ready to finish this?" the older boy inquired.

"Absolutely."

While exchanging nods, the pair sent chills down their opponents' spines.

"Okay, all it takes is one move. Greninja, Hydro Pump!"

"Power it up with Leaf Tornado, Servine!"

"Emboar, destroy that with Flamethrower!"

"And use Frenzy Plant, Serperior!"

All four Pokemon performed their attacks at the same time, and everyone in the room watched anxiously as the combination attack sped towards Flamethrower and Frenzy Plant. Much to Cheren and Bianca's horror, the super-charged Water Shuriken, which had been protected by the tornado of leaves from Servine, sliced through the flames and roots. Then, after Greninja moved his hands apart, the attack expanded and exploded, launching both of his opponents into the wall behind their trainers.

Once the slid to the ground, both combatants' eyes were shut, prompting Alder to raise his arms.

"Emboar and Serperior are unable to continue! That means White, Hugh, Servine, and Greninja are the winners! Congratulations!"

The victorious pair began cheering and, without thinking, they ran towards each other and hugged. Cheren watched in disgust, glaring at Hugh. Once the teens realized what they were doing, they pulled away and laughed sheepishly while rubbing the backs of their heads. Greninja and Servine, meanwhile, smiled at one another and bowed.

"Hugh, White," Alder called as he walked over to the duo with an egg in hand. "As compensation for your victory, I present you with this egg. We would've had two, but well, things happen, hahaha," the man stated while laughing heartily.

Both trainers bowed appreciatively and looked at one another in confusion before Alder noticed what the dilemma was.

"Oh, right. There are two of you. Huh. Well, that sucks," he muttered. "Here ya go."

Handing the egg over to White, the redhead walked away while she sweat dropped and turned to Hugh, who smiled.

"Here, you deserve this," the brunette said as she attempted to hand the egg over to Hugh, only to be rejected. "What's wrong? You and Greninja are the only reasons we won, so take it."

"No way," Hugh replied. "Greninja and I didn't do as much as you think. Without you two showing us your will to win, we would've never use that weird transformation," he replied, smiling warmly. "You're the reason we won, White."

Blushing at the words, the sixteen year old turned away from Hugh slightly, but he chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Besides, you can think of it as a piece of me traveling with you," he added, forcing the words out as he turned away from the younger girl nervously, blushing a bit. Greninja and Servine glanced at one another and sweat dropped at the awkward interaction between their trainers.

White stared at the powerful trainer before her and looked down at the egg in her arms. Aside from the bland whiteness, there were five red streaks running down it, perplexing the girl.

"Thanks, Hugh. That means a lot," White said quietly while locking eyes with her fellow Unovan. "Every time I see it, I'll think of you."

Beaming at the comment, Hugh nodded and was caught off guard when White embraced him, though he wrapped his arms around her for a few seconds before stopping when he heard Greninja clear his throat obnoxiously.

"R-right. Sorry, White, but Greninja and I need to head out. If we want to get to Icirrus by the end of the week, we're going to need to get a head start."

Nodding at the statement, White turned to Servine as Hugh began walking out of the ballroom.

"White, you idiot," the grass type muttered, shaking her head, which confused the rookie. "Hugh wants you to go with him."

Stumbling backwards, the brunette regained her balance and let out a sigh of relief when she saw the egg wasn't damaged. Then, turning her attention to her newly evolved Pokemon, White shook her head in disbelief.

"How can you tell if you're so sure?"

Servine rolled her eyes and sighed, making White crack a smile.

"Trust me, I can tell... plus, Greninja told me."

Chuckling at the response, White motioned for her Pokemon to follow her, and they flew after Hugh, who they saw outside in the courtyard talking to Gray, Alain, N, and Noah. Taking a deep breath as she walked over to the group, White and Servine were met with grins and applause from N, Zoroark, and all of Gray's Pokemon, save for Potens, who was looking off into space.

"Congratulations, White! That's amazing!" N exclaimed along with Zoroark as they clapped wildly. "Servine, you look so much stronger!" they added in unison, putting a proud grin on the grass type's face.

Turning her attention to Alain and Charizard, White saw they were both smiling, and they nodded approvingly. Noah and Arcanine also smiled and nodded at her, while Gray snapped out of her funk to hug the younger trainer.

"You're really getting a lot stronger. I can't even remember what you two were like when we first met. It feels like such a long time ago."

Unicus nodded in agreement while White wiped a tear from her face and laughed at the remark. Then, noticing Hugh smiling at her, the sixteen year old watched as he reluctantly turned away and began to leave the courtyard.

"Hugh!" White called all of a sudden, making the aforementioned teen turn on his heel. Everyone watched in silence and waited for White to speak, though she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves before finally speaking. "Do you mind if I travel with you?" she asked bluntly.

Caitlin, who was still in the corner watching, narrowed her eyes as they locked onto Hugh and Greninja.

The two looked at one another and nodded, leading to an eruption of cheers from White while her other friends stood around in confusion, not knowing what to do. When she realized that, the youngest of the group laughed nervously and sweat dropped at her own stupidity.

"Uh... yeah, I think I'm going to go with Hugh and Greninja, at least for a little while," she explained while looking at her four traveling companions. "I'm sorry this is so abrupt, but it kind of just... came to me, I guess."

Servine and Greninja nodded at one another subtly before White was cut off mid-sentence by N.

"Whatever the reason is, I'm sure it's a great one. Please, do whatever your heart tells you," he said, making White smile and nod. "And even though we haven't known each other for a long time, it's going to be weird without you and your Pokemon. I wish you the best."

"Me too," Zoroark added before embracing Servine and then White.

"We're really gonna miss having you around, White. Safe travels," Noah said as Arcanine nodded in agreement, making White laugh as she she a tear and embraced the Kantonian.

Turning to Alain, she bowed along with Servine, putting a smile on the Kalosian's face before he and Charizard did the same.

"Remember to keep training, because if you ever do tag along with us again, I'm going to test you," the nineteen year old threatened, putting a smile on White's face as she nodded.

Finally, moving towards Gray, White continued crying and embraced the older girl she had been with since day one. Gray also cried a bit, and the two hugged for a minute or so before breaking away.

"When we do run into each other again, Gray, I want to have a battle. Okay?" the younger brunette said, making her role model laugh.

"Of course. We'll be looking forward to it, right, everyone?"

The group of Pokemon cheered in response, except Potens, once again, and Gray turned back to White with a smile.

"I can't wait until we meet again, White. Be safe."

Nodding, the young trainer ran off while waving with Servine in tow and the egg in her arms. Upon reaching Hugh's side, the brunette smiled at him, turned, and waved to the group. In a matter of seconds, White was gone, leaving Gray, Noah, Alain, and N in the courtyard with their Pokemon.

"Well, I guess we should head back to the Pokemon Center then," Noah muttered before heading off for the building he and his friends were sleeping at.

With that, the others followed and walked along the dirt road in silence. Their group had shrunk and, as fate would have it, would continue to lessen in the distant future.

* * *

 **Oh, things didn't go well for Gray. Not one bit. White and Hugh, on the other hand... ayyyy XD to recap, Potens got her arse kicked by Braviary due to the injuries she suffered from her battle with Flare and Plasma, but Virtus stepped in and showed off some insane skills while the others showed a sense of unity by coming to Potens' aide. In the other battle, Snivy evolved while Greninja used Synchro Evolution, and they defeated Serperior and Emboar (mainly Greninja, but I digress). White then decided to travel with Hugh after learning he wanted her to, and Caitlin also made an appearance, though she won't be interacting with the group until Icirrus. Next chapter will focus on Potens in the aftermath of the battle with Braviary, and her relationship with Fortis and the others will develop a bit. You'll also be introduced to a new character by the name of Zennyo, who's a badass. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Thoughts on Servine evolving and White leaving?  
2\. What do you think happened with Virtus?  
3\. Caitlin tho. What are your thoughts on her reappearing?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "From One Dragon to Another**_ ** _"_**

 ** _After her loss to Braviary, Potens loses her confidence. Seeing the state she's in, Fortis decides to offer some advice, as does another dragon, Zennyo. Will Fortis be able to pull Potens out of her depression? Who is Zennyo, and what is his role?_**

* * *

 **Mistralton City Arc**

 **Chapter 74:** **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!**


	73. From One Dragon to Another

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a dragon made of purple energy nod at one another and the former starts to transform** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey there, everyone. Time for another update, and this one will be the start of a seismic shift (probably not, but that sounds hype). Last chapter, Gray and Potens lost to Skyla and Braviary, White and Hugh beat Cheren and Bianca thanks to Snivy evolving and Synchro, and then White decided to travel with Hugh, so the group is down to Gray, Noah, Alain, and N. This chapter will focus on Potens coping with her loss, and the introduction of a new character. And I forgot to mention last chapter, but Virtus' eyes changing color is an idea used by Blaze Falcon in his story "Pokemon Kalos Legends" so make sure to check that out! Now let's get going!**

 **MysticBeatz21:** _It does suck, but she'll be back pretty soon. Maybe at the end of the Icirrus Arc, or a little bit afterwards. Virtus could end up being stronger than both Potens and Bellator, and Caitlin will be involved in something big in the Icirrus Arc. Or, at least foreshadowing something big_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Oh god XD I try not to think of it too realistically, though if it were to happen in the real world, yeah, that'd happen a lot XD Potens and Virtus have the potential to be the most terrifyingly OP duo in the history of everything, and I'm hoping Gray will beat her convincingly, though I doubt I'll let that happen. The rematch between Potens and Braviary... that's what you need to look out for_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _She'll be quite a bit stronger, though there won't be any insane power jumps. The egg's identity will also be revealed when she returns, and I hope Potens wrecks. All bias aside though, it'll be a really close battle until the very end. That's all I'll say ;) Virtus' power near the end of the story is going to be incredible, and Caitlin will talk about what she saw in those two. Also, that was just a typo, because I changed the title of the section from "enemies/important characters", to just enemies. Thanks for letting me know!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"She's really upset about that battle," N muttered while looking out the window and down at the battlefield, where Potens was sitting by her lonesome. "Gray, maybe you should go talk to her," the young man suggested, only to be met with an unenthused look from the brunette.

Glancing at her other Pokemon, Gray saw that they had the same reaction as her and were intent on not disturbing their teammate. N and Zoroark, as well as Noah and Arcanine, didn't seem to agree with the eighteen year old, but they knew it wasn't their place, so they conceded defeat.

"Look, Potens is a strong Pokemon, both mentally and physically. If she can't handle things on her own, we'll know right away. Trust me," Gray responded calmly while looking over her texts with White, who, at least based on her messages, was ecstatic to travel with Hugh. "Oh, White's in Twist Mountain."

The group of boys responded with disinterested grunts, causing Gray to sweat drop while her Pokemon gathered around and eyed the conversation, which she had no problem showing.

"Wow, so she's way ahead of us then," Dicax muttered while looking at a map Gray had taped to the wall with estimated times of arrival from city to city. "If it's more than half the distance, they made some incredible time."

The others nodded and continued reading the conversation between their trainer and her friend. The only one to not join was Fortis, who glanced out the window before leaving the room with Noah and Arcanine following close behind. Turning to look at them, the dragonfly's confused expression caused the duo to glance at one another before grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry. We're not following you, we just don't want to stay cooped up in that room," Noah answered, drawing a nod from the dragon and ground type before he continued his trek towards the battlefield out back. Once he reached the automatic doors, Fortis walked outside and turned to his right, where he saw Potens sitting and staring at the ground.

"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" Fortis inquired as he stood next to the Noivern, who shook her head. "Thanks." Sitting down so that he was at eye-level with his fellow dragon type, the Flygon let out a sigh and leaned back to crack his spine. Once he did, he turned to Potens and looked at her, refusing to speak.

After a few seconds, Potens glanced and shot a nasty look at Fortis, who continued staring at her.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked, drawing a nod.

"You're upset about losing to Braviary, right?" he quizzed, which was met with a grunt from Potens. "Why? It doesn't make sense," he continued, angering the younger Pokemon.

"What the hell do you mean by that!?" she shouted, rising to her feet while glaring daggers at the stronger dragon. "How does it not make sense? I _lost_!" Potens screamed before stomping on the ground, only to grimace in pain and grab her leg.

Shaking his head, Fortis looked up at the stars and sighed, confusing Potens until she remembered the advice he had given her when Bellator left.

 _"Whenever something serious happens, I always go outside and look at the sky. It calms me down."_

Sighing, she followed the advice and stared up at the black canvas sprinkled with stars. Surprisingly, she felt her anger washing away, and once the younger Pokemon looked back down, she saw Fortis smirking.

"It doesn't make sense because you were, and still are, hurt. Why would you be so mad when the odds were already stacked against you?" Fortis inquired, waiting for a specific answer.

Potens paused and looked off towards the window belonging to the room Gray was in, and she scowled while staring back up at the sky.

"Gray was counting on me. I could tell there was some reason she was battling Skyla, other than her being a bitch. I couldn't, and still can't, tell what it was, though. I just felt it."

Satisfied with the response, Fortis rose to his feet and dusted himself off. Then, locking eyes with the Pokemon he was helping train, the Flygon stuck his wings straight out, grabbing Potens' undivided attention.

"So why are you upset?" he asked, waiting for the answer he already knew.

Potens stared at the ground and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I let Gray down."

Fortis nodded and put a hand on Potens' shoulder like a parent would when they had to tell their child something important.

"You're letting her down right now. Sulking over a loss that meant nothing to her, even though it seemed like it on the surface, is what would disappoint Gray more than anything. I get you haven't known Gray for as long as I have, and I really haven't known her that long at all," Fortis said, conceding he wasn't all that experienced, "but you really need to pick your head up."

Nodding understandingly, the dragon and flying type took a deep breath and bowed to Fortis, putting a smile on his face.

"Thanks, Fortis. I really don't know where I'd be without your help," the Noivern admitted, drawing a nod from the older Pokemon as he began to walk back into the Pokemon Center. "I'm going to say out here a little longer, just to enjoy the fresh air."

Fortis waved off the statement and disappeared inside, leaving Potens by her lonesome. Returning to where she had previously sat, the large-eared bat closed her eyes and began meditating in an attempt to squash her anger. As she remained silent, the dragon type began to drift into a different consciousness, and everything around her started spinning.

Upon opening her eyes, Potens looked at her surroundings and saw that she was in a strange room that was dimly lit. Scratching her head in confusion, the winged creature rose to her feet and turned around to see nothing but darkness. Sighing, she turned back around and followed the torches hung on the stone walls. The constant sound of dripping water echoed through the hallway, angering Potens.

 _"What the hell is this place?"_ she asked herself before, much to her luck, reaching the end of the hallway. _"Let's see if this'll get me out of here."_ Stepping through the doorframe, Potens deadpanned when she saw that she hadn't returned. Instead, she seemed to be in a chamber of sorts.

"Hello?" the Kalos Pokemon called out, her voice bouncing off the walls, only to return to her. "I guess this place is a dead end. Maybe-"

Potens was cut off by the sound of an extremely low growl, which was so terrifying she froze up immediately. Suddenly, all of the lights in the room turned on, and much to her shock, an enormous creature, maybe fifty feet tall, was chained up. The beast, which looked like a serpent with arms, continued growling lowly, preventing Potens from leaving.

"Who-who are you?" the smaller of the two asked, stuttering in pure horror.

The beast chuckled in response, its booming response creating a gale wind force so powerful Potens was sent rolling along the ground. Having never heard a voice so deep before, Potens didn't know how to react, though she was only able to continue staring at the chained creature, as she was frozen in fear.

"So we finally meet face to face. I've been waiting for this ever since you died."

Potens' ears shot up at the response, and she shot a flabbergasted look at the imposing figure, which laughed heartily once again.

"Yes, you did die. It was against that Bisharp, if I recall correctly," the powerful creature replied, its voice much more soothing than previously. "You didn't know that, though, obviously. But here's a fun fact: that power you had when you evolved and battled Bisharp, that was from me."

Shocked by the information and not knowing what to say, Potens simply moved on to the next question.

"So... who are you?" the Noivern whispered in fear.

"Oh, forgive me for being so rude. My name is Zennyo Ryou, but call me Zennyo for short," the friendly, yet fearsome creature greeted while attempting to extend his short arm, only to cruse in frustration once he remembered it was chained to the wall. After taking a deep breath, Zennyo smiled at the Noivern before him and continued speaking. "I am the god of dragon type Pokemon, and I guess you could call me your power supply, or back-up generator."

Taking a deep breath, Zennyo smiled once again and continued speaking.

"You see, in times of need, I can give you some of my power. No other dragon type has my backing, but you, for whatever reason, were granted my power."

The words sent chills down her spine and Potens simply stared at Zennyo in awe. Refusing to believe the purple dragon chained to the wall was, in fact, the god of all dragon type Pokemon, Potens calmed herself down and locked eyes with Zennyo.

"Okay, Zennyo," Potens started, her voice trailing off as she looked around the creepy room.

The enormous creature chained to the wall continued staring at his visitor and waited for her to finish speaking, which she did once she took a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure.

"If you're this 'god' then tell me where we are."

"That's a good one, Potens."

Shocked by him knowing her name, Potens attempted to respond, only to be silenced by the enormous dragon speaking once again.

"Right, it's weird that I know your name," Zennyo said, scratching the back of his purple head sheepishly. As he did so, the lights began to dim, and the fearsome beast cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry, but there's little time for me to answer that. When the lights go black, close and open your eyes."

Confused by the instructions, Potens found herself in nothing but darkness.

"We will meet again, Potens. Much sooner than you think."

* * *

 **Well I'll be. This Zennyo fellow seems to be quite the powerful dude, if I do say so myself. So, turns out the power Potens has is a product of the god of dragon type Pokemon being in her, and while I know this is sueish, I don't care. Let's just say Potens isn't the only one with this gift ;) Next chapter will be Gray's rematch, and first official battle, against Skyla. Till then, peace out.** **Also, since I didn't feel like doing a chapter preview (since the title is the premise), I figured I'd give another "upcoming highlights" sort of thing, so enjoy!**

 **1\. Thoughts on Potens' conversation with Fortis? How about Zennyo?  
2\. Zennyo tho? Do you like him/the idea of Type Beasts? (Inspired by Naruto, as are a lot of aspects from this story)  
3\. How often should Zennyo converse with Potens? (Either just a normal conversation, or in the chamber like this chapter)**

* * *

 **On a side note, I'm thinking that there'll be a few Type Beasts introduced, one in this story, and either one or two in Kalos:TLG. For anyone interested in coming up with one, a submission form will be on my profile (at the top). If you need more details, PM me and I'll be happy to help out. Thanks!**

* * *

 ** _Next Chapter: "_** _ **The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!**_ ** _"_**

 _ **The time for Gray's Gym Battle with Skyla has come, and tempers flare as both sides refuse to back down to the other. When everything comes down to a rematch between Potens and Braviary, the unthinkable happens: Potens undergoes a strange transformation! What is this mysterious transformation, and can it propel Gray to a victory?**_

* * *

 **Upcoming Highlights for Pokemon Unova Adventure: A New Generation!**

 _ **\- Flare and Plasma's Plan: After their bout with the group, Lysandre and Ghetsis decide to join forces in a move that all but guarantees their control of Unova. While they, along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare Admins, and Shadow Triad begin to make moves, the group's plan remains in mystery until a battle at Dragonspiral Tower reveals everything! Will the group be able to stop this singular threat?  
\- **__**Caitlin's Vision: Encountering the group while in Icirrus City, Caitlin forewarns Gray and Alain about their futures, as well as those of their Pokemon. Will the new things Caitlin has seen all be optimistic, or will they be shrouded in darkness?**_ _ **  
\- Zennyo, the Guardian of Dragon Types: Arriving in Opelucid City, Potens draws the attention of Drayden after undergoing her strange transformation. When she and Gray are taken to the Den of Life, they learn about harnessing the power Zennyo, and the origins of the Type Beasts. Will Potens be able to control Zennyo's power, or will it consume her? And what is the story behind Zennyo?  
\- Virtus and Gray: As the bond between them continues to grow stronger at an exponential rate, Virtus shocks everyone when, after evolving, her bond with Gray reaches an unprecedented level!  
\- A Path of Vengeance: With Advena's death still fresh in her mind, Gray's rage boils over during her confrontation with Flare and Plasma. Who will be the victim of her hunt for revenge, if anyone?  
\- Mega Battle of the Century: The time has finally come. When Bellator returns to the group after witnessing the attack on Icirrus City, he is met with hostility, especially from Potens. One thing leads to another, and eventually, a clash of titans ensues when Potens challenges him. Who will come out victorious?**_


	74. The Queen of the Sky: Fly, Potens!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and Zennyo nod at one another and the former transforms three times** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello there. Important stuff happened last chapter, with the debut of Zennyo, the god of dragon types, and it turns out he's able to give Potens some of his power whenever she needs it... so yeah, she's super op XD No need to worry, though, because she'll only use that when situations become dire. This chapter will be the Gym Battle between Gray and Skyla, which will be intense for several reasons (mainly them hating each other). Now let's get going! But before we do, thanks to everyone that submitted a Type Beast! All spots are filled, and one of the characters will be appearing in this story, as well as Kalos with the other two. Thanks again!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Dammit, man! Read faster XD I don't remember who suggested the idea of White leaving (I think someone did, at least), but it wasn't originally supposed to happen. With her gone for the next two or three arcs, it'll let me develop N a lot more, as well as Alain and the relationship between Noah and Gray. ZENNYO!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Icirrus... it's going to be awesome. I could make it close to fifteen chapters, but naw. That's reserved for another arc or two way down the road. And I guess Zennyo will be talking with Potens pretty damn soon, since there'll be a major event or two happening in Icirrus._

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thank god XD I was hoping that'd be the reaction instead of, well, annoyed responses. And I really like the idea of taking aspects/concepts of certain anime and putting them in another. It's always, to me, really cool. Zennyo's also a really cool character, just because he won't be an ass to Potens, so she won't have an extremely difficult time earning his respect. Bring on the ideas, sir!_

 **Defender31415:** _Oh, haha. Whenever she decides to use Zennyo's power, it'll only be because her opponent's OP, so it won't be like "hey, it's the first round of the league. Zennyo time!" XD And I know what you mean with the legendaries being gods, but I think (emphasis on think) that there weren't any based on specific types. Even if there are... well, screw the rules! PotensxFortis, as hype as that'd be, is blocked by Decorus, though one can dream XD That sounded really rude, but that wasn't the intention. Caitlin's role will be pretty damn significant too_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Curse you, autocorrect! Honestly, I feel like it does more harm than good :/ Zennyo's not a new Pokemon, though I guess technically he is XD If you've seen Naruto, just think of him as a Tailed Beast, except he can only be paired with dragon types, because he himself is a dragon, And here's some hype, that wasn't the preview just for Icirrus! It's also parts of Opelucid!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Yeah, haha, lots of people did lots of stuff. Zennyo's strength will be on full display later in the story, that much I know, and, fun fact, he actually wasn't supposed to appear at all! But because he has, I think the story might be a little bit longer than expected. Sooper hyep for de remach (Potens vs Braviary) XD_

 **Dragon66 (guest):** _Nope. I've never watched Fairy Tail, and I'm not a huge anime fan (though I do love Naruto)_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
** **Potens, (f), level 45,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 36, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Gray walked up to the gates sealing the property off from the rest of the city. Looking around, she saw all of the aircrafts and marveled at the their sleek designs along with Unicus while Fortis simply flapped his wings and flew over the gate.

"Charizard, do you mind helping me out with this?" the Flygon inquired, looking through the metal rods to eye his friend, who nodded in response. Rearing his head back to melt the steel, Charizard was stopped by Zoroark, who cracked her neck and then grabbed two of the rods. Then, pulling in opposite directions, she bent them out of shape and created a hole large enough for the trainers to walk through.

"That's how it's done, boys," she mocked while stepping through after Arcanine and Unicus, causing the winged creatures to sweat drop in embarrassment. "So, Gray, are you gonna pummel this chick for what she said at the ball?" Zoroark quizzed.

Gray, who was walking along side Noah, turned to the bipedal creature and scowled at the thought before noticing the offended look on Zoroark's face.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean for that to be directed towards you," the brunette apologized, bowing repeatedly while Noah laughed along with N. Alain, meanwhile, rolled his eyes and kept his hands buried in his pant pockets while walking in stride with Charizard and Fortis. "I know we're more than capable of beating Skyla, that's for sure, but I really want to teach her a lesson."

Unicus nodded emphatically while pumping her fists at the thought of watching Skyla get crushed, and then her attention shifted to the two Poke Balls her trainer grabbed from her belt. Releasing both at the same time, Unicus covered her eyes due to the brightness of the light emitted from the capsules.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to stick with the same team, kind of. What happened with Furcifer?" Alain questioned from afar as he looked at Dicax and Potens, the latter of whom had a fierce expression plastered on her face.

"The Gym's two versus two," Fortis answered.

Gray nodded at the older trainer and turned back to her Pokemon, who stood side by side.

"Guys, this is what we've been training for the past few days, and I know you're all going to do really well," the young woman proclaimed, eliciting cheers from Furcifer and Dicax. "You're going to go up first, okay?"

The Mawile nodded emphatically and snapped the jaws hanging from his head before being withdrawn to his Poke Ball.

Gray then looked at Potens and extended her fist with a bright smile.

"I want to save your for last."

Noah, N, Alain, and their Pokemon all raised their eyebrows after hearing Gray's announcement, and they glanced at one another before shifting their attention back to the Kantonian and her powerhouse.

"Fine by me, but if you get in a sticky situation, put me in. I know I'll get us out of it," the bat proclaimed, drawing a giggle from her trainer, who nodded. "Let's take them down," Potens added as she fist bumped Gray before being sucked back into her Poke Ball.

Taking a deep breath as she clipped the device back onto her belt, Gray looked at her friends and nodded confidently, leading to the group walking into the Gym, which was an airplane hanger.

Stepping foot inside the enormous space, Gray, Noah, Alain, and N looked around and saw several tiny, floating platforms as well as two gigantic towers in the place of trainer boxes. Behind the tower closest to the quartet of trainers was a lift, and to the right of the large structure was a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs with a sign above the doorframe.

"Huh, I guess that's where the spectator seating is," Arcanine remarked as he, Zoroark, Charizard, and Fortis made their way up the mysterious staircase. Alain and N gave pursuit, though at a sluggish pace, and Noah turned to Gray and smiled.

"Good luck. Though you won't need it," he said, making Gray tilt her head in confusion. "I know you're going to win, no doubt about it," the eighteen year old proclaimed before lightly, and awkwardly, punching Gray in the arm. The brunette blushed at the kind words and bowed thankfully while Unicus raised an eyebrow at her trainer's actions.

"Thanks, Noah. We'll make sure to prove you right."

Nodding, Noah waved as he walked up the stairs and let out a sigh of relief when he could no longer see Gray. Then, replaying the interaction in his head, Noah cursed at himself as he remembered punching Gray.

While Gray turned back to the tower and lift, she heard footsteps making their way towards her, prompting the girl to turn towards them. The cause of the noise was an elderly man dressed up like a pilot, who smiled at Gray and Unicus.

"If you're here for a Gym Battle, please step on the lift and press the green button. It'll take you to the battlefield."

Following the instructions obediently, Gray waited for Unicus to grab a hold of her leg before she tapped the button, causing the lift to begin ascending. The pace began to pick up slightly, though it didn't go out of control, calming the trainer's nerves. Once it reached the top, Gray found herself standing on a square platform at the very top of the tower that had railing around the edges, and her head was about four feet away from hitting the roof, which opened immediately. To her right, she saw her friends, their Pokemon, and Fortis sitting in stadium seats.

Waving to them, Gray stopped when she heard a deafening whistle travel through the air and ring in her ears. Turning towards the sound, the eighteen year old scowled when she saw Skyla snickering while Braviary was perched on the railing to her side.

"I didn't think you'd show up, to be honest," the older girl taunted, causing Gray and Unicus to snarl while the referee, who stood on a tower of his own, raised both arms. "You should quit before we embarrass you again. this time, we won't hold anything back!"

Braviary squawked to validated his trainer's exclamation, though Gray remained unfazed, and instead enlarged a Poke Ball in her left hand.

"Talk's cheap," the Gray retorted, wiping the smug look off her opponents' faces.

"This will be a two versus two battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leader of Mistralton City, Skyla! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue! Skyla, choose your first Pokemon!"

"With pleasure," the redhead sang as she put her blue goggles over her eyes. "Aerodactyl, rule the skies!"

"Dicax, I choose you!" Gray shouted right afterwards.

In two flashes of light, Skyla's prehistoric Pokemon appeared in the sky while Dicax landed on the small, circular platform in front of Gray. Looking around nervously, the steel type nearly screamed when he saw he was about forty feet off the ground, but then he looked ahead and noticed a much larger, rectangular platform in-between his trainer and Skyla.

"Oh, wow. Skyla has other strong Pokemon. I wasn't expecting that," N commented, drawing the attention of Virtus, Furcifer, and Celsus.

"Why wouldn't you expect that?" the Girafarig asked, causing N to sweat drop while Zoroark snickered at her trainer's reaction.

"This battle will be between Dicax and Aerodactyl! Begin!"

"Dicax, start by strengthening yourself! Use Iron Defense!"

Nodding in response, Dicax hopped from his platform to the larger, rectangular one in the middle, and planted his feet against it. Extending his arms forwards, the steel type closed his eyes and began to shine a bright silver color while a ring of green light spun around his body. When it faded, Dicax grinned and locked eyes with Aerodactyl, who screeched angrily.

"That's not going to protect you! Incinerate!"

"We'll just see about that! Block it with Flash Cannon!" Gray countered.

Aerodactyl and Dicax reared their heads back and unleashed their attacks, a wave of fire and a beam of metallic energy, respectively. The two moves collided and exploded on contact, creating a cloud of smoke that prevented Gray and her first combatant from seeing their opponents, putting a wicked smirk on Skyla's face.

"Now nosedive and use Fire Fang!" the Gym Leader ordered swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, Aerodactyl shot out of the thick black cloud and his mouth was ablaze. Despite the speed at which the rock type was traveling at, Gray had no trouble thinking of a counterattack, and Dicax was calmed when he heard his trainer speak.

"Dodge it with Feint Attack and latch onto Aerodactyl's tail with Vice Grip!"

Disappearing with a smirk, Dicax remained stationary and Aerodactyl flew through him. Once he began flying away, Dicax became visible once again and chomped down on his opponent's tail, causing the rock and flying type to screech in pain.

"Shake him off, Aerodactyl! When you do, use Giga Impact!"

With little trouble, the prehistoric predator nosedived right towards the middle platform and spun like a wheel, slamming his tail, which Dicax was latched onto, against the floating block. The steel type let out a pained cry immediately and lost his grip on Aerodactyl, allowing the rock type to fly around without any burden, which put a smirk on Skyla's face. In a matter of nanoseconds, Gray watched in horror as Dicax was clobbered by his winged foe, who had been enveloped in a ball of purple energy.

"Hang in there, Dicax! Use Flash Cannon while you have the chance!" Gray demanded as the bruised creature attempted to shake off his injuries.

Nodding in response, the steel and fairy type swung his head forwards after an orb of silver energy formed in front of his mouth, sending a powerful beam of metallic energy towards Aerodactyl. Unable to move due to Giga Impact, Aerodactyl was struck by the super effective attack and crashed into the platform nearest Skyla, putting a scowl on the young women's face. However, the harsh look softened when she watched her Pokemon get back up.

"Aerodactyl, burn him to a crisp with Incinerate!"

"Hurry and use Fairy Wind to counter!"

Obeying their commands, Aerodactyl and Dicax performed their attacks at the same time. Somehow, they missed one another and struck their targets, causing both Gray and Skyla to gasp in shock as they watched their Pokemon fall to the ground limply, prompting the referee to throw his arms towards the sky above.

"Neither Pokemon is able to continue! Both sides, choose your final Pokemon!"

"Thanks for the great work as always, Dicax," Gray whispered to the steel type as he disappeared into his Poke Ball.

"Skyla should be worried," Unicus said aloud while looking up at her trainer. "If I know Potens like I think I do, she's gonna come out guns blazing!" the ground type exclaimed, making Gray giggle and nod in agreement, unaware of the fact that Potens wasn't cleared to battle for another week and a half.

Turning her attention to Skyla, Gray began to growl slightly and the redhead did the same before turning to her strongest Pokemon and nodding. With that, Braviary left his perch and flew forwards until he landed on the platform right in front of his trainer's tower.

Upon seeing the eagle enter the battle, all of Gray's Pokemon on the sideline began booing, save for Fortis. Zoroark snickered at the childish actions of the trio while Charizard laughed heartily to himself along with Fortis.

"Potens, I choose you!" Gray shouted, hurling her second and final Poke Ball, which snapped open.

Materializing on the platform in front of the Kantonian, Potens let out a fearsome roar and glared at Braviary, who smirked devilishly. The two winged creatures continued glaring at one another while everyone in the hanger felt the tension radiating from the battlefield.

"This is going to be interesting," N said under his breath after reading the body language of both combatants. "I have a feeling we're going to see a dogfight," he concluded while Alain nodded in agreement.

Noah and Arcanine, on the other hand, shook their heads and began cheering for Potens. Furcifer, Celsus, and Virtus joined in and amplified the support, which reached Potens' ears, though she remained stone-faced.

"Using the same Pokemon we pulverized, Gray? Come on," Skyla said, rolling her eyes obnoxiously. Potens let out an enraged roar, hurting everyone's ears. "Well, maybe you'll _try_ to put up a better fight this time."

The referee, having grown fed up with waiting, cleared his throat and spoke up before Gray or one of her Pokemon could respond.

"This battle will be between Potens and Braviary! Begin!"

"Braviary, Use Crush Claw!" Skyla commanded aggressively.

 _"Since we couldn't match him at close-range last time, we should attack from afar,"_ Gray thought to herself, nodding at her idea.

"Keep him at bay with Air Cutter!" Gray retorted, throwing her right arm out to her side.

As Braviary squawked and his talons began to glow cobalt, Potens took to the air and, while her wings were glowing a dark shade of blue, she threw them towards her speeding opponent. Much to her and Gray's dismay, Potens watched as the crescent of air missed its target, allowing Braviary to stab her in the gut, causing the Noivern to cry out in pain as she fell towards the rectangular platform in the middle of the floating battlefield.

"Don't relent! Continue the assault with Superpower!"

Obeying his command, the eagle pursued Potens and, while glowing crimson, he kicked Potens in the face so hard the entire platform cracked underneath the force. Then, refusing to cease his attack, Braviary continued punching the dragon type beneath him in the face, drawing blood while everyone looked on blankly, including Gray, who bit her lip in concern.

"Hang strong, Potens! Get out of there by using Acrobatics!"

The already-injured bat's eyes shot wide open and she was enveloped in teal energy, which allowed her to break free of Braviary's assault, though the commander of the sky simply flew back to his trainer's side and scoffed at his battered opponent. Changing directions on a dime, Potens suddenly shot forwards and closed in on Braviary rapidly.

"Of course you'd do that," Skyla muttered, shaking her head disappointedly. "Bring her down, Braviary! Rock Tomb!"

Landing on the platform a few feet away from Skyla, the aforementioned Pokemon stomped, causing three rocks to fall from the sky, which Potens didn't notice. In the blink of an eye, Potens was crushed underneath the three rocks and let out a shriek of rage and pain.

"Potens!" Gray screamed at the top of her lungs as the dragon type was pinned against the middle platform, unable to break the rocks on top of her due to the fact that she still wasn't a hundred percent healthy.

"It's time we end this! Brave Bird!" Skyla hollered while throwing her arm towards the clouds.

Way ahead of his trainer, Braviary, who was already engulfed in flames, zipped towards Potens and the fire around his feathery body turned into blinding blue energy that gave off a strange sound. Diving so he could hit his opponent, the powerful eagle squawked before striking, and an explosion ensued, though the cloud of smoke cleared out in a matter of seconds due to the roof being opened. When the battlefield was visible, everyone in attendance shook their heads as Braviary stood over his fallen opponent victoriously, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. Skyla, meanwhile, scoffed at the condition Potens was in and flipped her hair nonchalantly.

"Potens is unable to continue! That means-"

"Wait."

Everyone turned to look at the battered dragon type, who was using all of her might to get off the ground. With her limbs shaking violently, Potens grunted several times, willing herself to her feet. Despite standing, it seemed as if Potens was unable to move.

"Why don't you just give up already?" Braviary questioned in disgust as he continued staring at Potens, whose head was hanging as were her arms.

Suddenly, Potens lifted her gaze and locked eyes with Braviary, sending chills down the eagle's spine.

"Because someone told me I'd never be strong," the bat replied. "I'll prove him wrong."

 _"Hmm... she's much different than the other Pokemon I've been sealed in,"_ Zennyo thought to himself, deep within the bowels of a chamber that had been sealed inside Potens. _"This desire,"_ the dragon god started, _"it's genuine."_ Smiling to himself, the purple beast closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. _"Alright, Potens, let's see what you're capable of. I'll give you just enough to heal up those injuries, and a little extra."_

Opening his eyes, Zennyo emitted less than a sliver of his energy and grinned, eager to see the outcome of the battle.

While everyone stared at Potens, whose words struck with the force of a sledgehammer, they gasped in shock as a small circle of purple aura began to spin on the ground. As it sped up, the aura coated Potens and her eyes slowly began to turn purple as well, though it was a much lighter shade than the energy around the dragon's body.

As the aura continued forming around Potens, Gray stared with her jaw on the ground. Turning to face her trainer, Potens' purple eyes locked onto the brunette and looked over her for a second, allowing Gray to see that the aura had taken the shape of a Chinese dragon, at least in the face. Then, once the aura stopped climbing up the Noivern's body, her pupils returned, as did the whites of her eyes. However, the color remained purple, and she shot a fearsome look at Skyla and Braviary.

With that, Potens' jaws unhinged like those of a snake and she began to roar so powerfully, a gale force wind was created, making it difficult for Braviary to remain on his platform. Furcifer, Celsus, and Virtus watched their teammate in awe before the ice type cleared her throat.

"Is that... is that Potens?" she asked, turning to the others, who didn't turn away from the sight.

"Holy crap! That's the same thing she did against Bryony's Bisharp!" Noah shouted, pointing at the dragon type, which caused Arcanine's eyes to go wide in shock while N turned to the duo.

"This has happened before?" he questioned sternly, drawing a pair of nods.

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Potens slowly began to turn until she was facing Gray, who remained frozen, not knowing what to do. Despite fearing for her life, Unicus took a deep breath and stepped in front of the eighteen year old protectively, only to back away when she saw a smile on Potens' face, which caused Gray to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Gray," the Noivern started, staring right into her trainer's eyes as her smile continued to grow. "Let's beat these guys." Flying forwards so she could land on the tower Gray was standing on, Potens extended her right fist, putting an equally enthusiastic smile on the brunette's face.

As the Kantonian bumped her fist against Potens', Zennyo, who had been watching the scene joyously, flinched.

"We'll do it together," Potens concluded, the words ringing in Zennyo's head as he somehow, watched with a viewpoint from the sidelines.

(Strong and Strike begins to play)

"The battle between Potens and Braviary will resume! Gray, it is your turn!"

"We're winning this, no matter what!" Gray shouted, brimming with confidence, as she punched her fist towards Skyla. "Potens, don't hold anything back! Acrobatics!"

"Braviary, meet them head on with Brave Bird!"

Both Pokemon took off at top speed, Potens engulfed in purple aura, and Braviary glowing crimson, and the two let out battle cries as they collided. Everyone watched eagerly as Potens smirked and let out another powerful roar, overpowering her opponent with ease before sending him spiraling up to the sky, way past the roof. Skyla stared in shock while Gray's friends, Pokemon, and their Pokemon began cheering.

"Keep it going! Use Flamethrower to char him to a crisp!"

Before Braviary or Skyla could even breathe, Potens unleashed a wicked wave of blue fire from her mouth, which zipped through the air and engulfed the eagle whole. As he cried out in pain, Braviary plummeted towards the platform nearest his trainer, who was shellshocked, to say the least. Staring at her falling Pokemon, Skyla forced herself to focus, and she stomped angrily.

"That's it! Use Heat Wave and show them what a real fire attack is!"

"We'll take it head on! Potens, fly right into the fire!" Gray shouted, putting a confident smirk on her Pokemon's face.

Loading back, the Noivern exploded forwards, nearly breaking the sound barrier, and just as the fire was about to hit her, she let out a booming roar. The winds created by the roar dispelled the flames, leaving Skyla and her Pokemon speechless, no longer knowing how they could possibly win the battle.

 _"What is that!? There's no way she could've been this strong the entire time!"_ the Gym Leader thought to herself as Potens rapidly closed in with the intention of ending the battle.

"Time to wrap this up! Dragon Pulse!"

Stopping on a dime, Potens mouth shot open and she released a purple blast of energy that quickly transformed into the shape of Zennyo, though no one other than the bat realized it. Within a nanosecond, the jaws of the draconic energy snapped on Braviary and exploded, launching him into Skyla, who nearly fell off her tower. When he saw the eagle's eyes were shut, the ref raised his arms right away and pointed at Gray and Potens.

"Braviary is unable to continue! That means Gray, Dicax, Furcifer, and Potens are the winners!"

(Music stops)

As soon as the ref declared the battle was over, the purple aura surrounding that had surrounded Potens faded, and she smiled at Gray before springing forwards and embracing both her and Potens.

Everyone else, meanwhile, stared at the dragon type in shock.

Meanwhile, in his chamber, Zennyo chuckled and felt the chains around his arms begin to loosen, putting a smirk on his face. Potens' laughter filled the chamber, and he chuckled once again as a result before laying down out of boredom.

 _"It's only a matter of time before the chain breaks."_

* * *

 **Potens, you beast! Even though she almost lost, Zennyo, being impressed with Potens' resiliency decided to give her some of his power, which led Gray to a victory over Skyla. Next chapter is the start of the Icirrus Arc, and it'll start with a bang since Flare and Plasma will decide to work together, and there are a bunch of hype chapters coming up. Speaking of hype, or mystery, that quote from Zennyo to close things out is pretty fitting, if you ask me. Anyways, next chapter should be up some time this week, but I'll be focusing more on Rei's journey until I reach the Lumiose Arc. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Zennyo helping Potens out? What's up with that last quote?  
2\. Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "An Alliance!? Flare and Plasma Unite!**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Being teleported to the same area by Advena, Alder and Ghetsis put their egos aside and agree to become allies! What will be the ramifications of the two powerful organizations becoming one?_**

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 76: Battle for Twist Mountain  
Chapter 77: Finding Courage  
Chapter 78: A Not so Winter Wonderland  
** **Chapter 79:** **Dragon and Fairy: Beast Brawl!?** **  
Chapter 80:** **Last Piece of the Puzzle** **  
** **Chapter 81: Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice** **  
** **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	75. An Alliance? Flare and Plasma Unite!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and a butterfly in light blue aura standing behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Heyo! So it's been a little while since I've updated this story, but I'm confident that for every three-five chapters of Rei's story, I'll post one for this. Last time around, Gray and Skyla had a two versus two battle, which Gray won thanks to Dicax and Potens. Then, at the end, Zennyo's chains began to loosen a bit due to the power he gave Potens, and that was it. This chapter will focus on Teams Plasma and Flare joining forces, and that's really it, so this is going to be extremely short. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. Zennyo could be evil, or he could be good. There's no telling_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _And don't you ever come back! XD If that were to be a fraction of Zennyo's power, I'd say it might be 1/1000 or something like that. I mean, he'll only dole out a lot of it when there's an opponent that's too strong to handle by normal means, so while you may only see it once or twice, the battles will be epic. As for the quote, take it however you see fit, there's no real right answer. Not yet, at least. What would happen if the chains break? Well... you'll find out eventually (maybe 40 or 50 chapters for the concrete answer)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Sums it up perfectly XD Potens (thanks to Zennyo) went beast-mode and it's great to hear that you liked the ending! Be careful what you wish for though, the hype is going to be at lethal levels_

 **Defender31415:** _The last quote could be an indication, or it might not be. XD I knew what you were trying to say, but I couldn't help but think about that in a creepy way. Totally meant to put Lysandre too, and I like the predictions!_

 **Guest:** _Haha, I like the boldness behind that prediction. This definitely won't be the longest story on here (there are some that just blow this out of the water), but there should be anywhere from fifty to seventy more chapters, depending on how things go. Thanks for the support!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _I like where you're going with that idea (about Potens), though you'll have to wait a few chapters to learn the answer. Type Beasts are going to be so awesome, especially when they all get together for one massive battle at the end. They'll be playing a way bigger role in Rei's story though :/_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _XD Netflixing must never wait! Never! Thanks for the compliments, btw! Zennyo is, well, the god of dragon types, but getting to see what he's like at full power is going to be... I don't know. Words won't do it justice. Maybe I'm reading too into your answer, but there's a connection. I can't say what it is for the sake of not spoiling :/_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 48,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Lysandre tapped his fingers on the oak table he was sitting by and stared at the man across from him. Ghetsis, who had a stupid look on his face, remained silent and leaned back in his chair. The room was empty, and the two leaders of Team Flare and Team Plasma continued staring at one another, waiting for the stillness in the air to dissipate. After adjusting his seat, Ghetsis leaned forward with a stern expression, prompting Lysandre to mimic him.

"Look, we have goals that could potentially interfere with one another if we continue working as separate entities," the long-haired man started, "but I think I've come up with a solution to the issue."

The redhead raised his eyebrows, prompting Ghetsis to explain.

"You want to take get rid of people that don't appreciate the world's beauty, right?" he quizzed, drawing a nod. "Well, we could make that happen, but we're going to need your help. You see, Team Plasma's goal is to fuse the legendary Pokemon, Reshiram and Zekrom, together so they can return to their original form, and that would allow us to take over Unova. If we're able to gain control of those two, you could defeat anyone on this planet, therefore granting you the ability to determine whether people truly care about the planet."

As Ghetsis began to walk around the room, Lysandre twiddled his thumbs and pondered the idea. While doing so, he noticed the evil man smirking at him, brining a grin to Lysandre's face. Rising from his seat, the businessman extended a hand and Ghetsis shook it, solidifying their deal. With that, both men called in high-ranking officials from each organization, and they occupied the remaining seats. On Lysandre's side were Aliana, Mable, Bryony, Celosia, Xerosic, and Dominic while the Shadow Triad and Colress sat on Ghetsis' side of the table.

"We've called you in here to relay an extremely important message. Would you like to tell them, Lysandre?"

The leader of Flare nodded slowly, worrying his admins, as well as Colress and the Shadow Triad. Dominic, however, remained unfazed by the odd way in which his boss responded, and he continued leaning back in his chair with both arms crossed over his chest.

"Ghetsis and I have come to the conclusion that it'd be beneficial for both parties if we joined forces. Our goals complement each other very well, and no one will be able to stand in our way," the Kalosian announced, drawing groans from his admins, who shot nasty looks at the Shadow Triad shortly afterwards. "Your first mission, and this is coming from both of us," Lysandre started, looking at the three ninjas across the table and his admins, "is killing Alain and Gray."

* * *

 **Well, Gray's screwed. There's going to be a lot more activity with Flasma (abbreviation, not typo), and Gray will find herself in deep shit down the road. Next chapter will shift the focus back to the group and there'll be some development for Virtus. I'll try finishing Chapter 22 tonight, but if it isn't done, it should be posted tomorrow. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Flasma tho?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Battle for Twist Mountain**_ ** _"_**

 ** _While on their way to Icirrus City, the group is forced to travel through Twist Mountain. However, when they stumble upon a Beartic attacking a Snover, Gray intervenes and defends the victim. When Gray's put in danger, Virtus challenges Beartic to a duel where the loser is banished from Twist Mountain! Will Virtus be able to overcome her menacing foe?_**

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 77: Finding Courage  
Chapter 78: A Not so Winter Wonderland  
** **Chapter 79:** **Dragon and Fairy: Beast Brawl!?** **  
Chapter 80:** **Last Piece of the Puzzle** **  
** **Chapter 81: Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice** **  
** **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	76. The Battle for Twist Mountain

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and a butterfly in light blue aura standing behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus evolves and three shadows stand behind her)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey there, everyone. It's been a while since I updated this story, and it feels weird to be writing about Gray instead of Rei. Last chapter, Flare and Plasma decided to join forces (I'll address them as Flasma/Plare in author's notes), and that was it. This chapter didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but once I start writing this more consistently, it'll come back to me. Now let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Wait, were you? XD Flasma isn't actually the name, that's just what I'm calling them until I can think of something (in the end it'll probably just be Teams Flare and Plasma). There won't be any betrayal, although I could add that into the outline. However, if there was, then that'd cause them to break apart and become enemies, which, as cool as that would be, I'm not up for :/ Thanks!_

 **MysticBeatz21:** _Ooh... they won't. Not one bit_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _I don't understand the answer, but yeah, they better run_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Most definitely. Let's just say Advena's death will stroke a fire... and I'll leave it at that. This should be the craziest finish yet, at least in the main story (which I count as up until the conclusion of the league), and I can't wait for everyone to see how it plays out_

 **davidtheman23:** _Yep. RIP_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _We all have those moments, no worries XD Flasma is going to open a can of whoop-ass eventually, but Gray will have a new weapon that she didn't know about during her last interaction with them (along with a desire for revenge)_

 **Defender31415:** _Pretty much. I should just end it this chapter with Flasma/Plare taking over XD I don't buy into that theory, mainly because the Striaton Gym Leaders stunk and I don't like them (biased response is biased). But yeah, I think, setting bias aside, that it's a pretty sound one_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 48,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 32, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch* - (Mienfoo)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Staring at the colossal exterior, the peak of which seemed to reach a different stratosphere, Gray turned to Noah, Alain, and N. None of the three males appeared to be intimidated in the slightest, nor were there Pokemon. Unlike them, Unicus and Gray were.

"Do we have to climb that?" the Sandslash quizzed, her voice shaking as she continued staring up at Twist Mountain.

The others didn't respond and instead scaled the hill leading to an opening at the foot of the mountain. Charizard and Fortis trailed the group while talking about the training regimens Owen had for the latter, while Zoroark and Arcanine lead the charge as a result of their speed and strength.

"Oh thank god," Unicus muttered, drawing a smile from Gray, who shared her Pokemon's relief. "Gray?"

Turning after hearing her name, the aforementioned trainer looked down at her starter, who had stopped walking and waited for everyone to get a few dozen feet ahead before speaking.

"What happened to Potens during the Gym Battle? Has she ever done that before?" the ground type asked, causing Gray to tense up nervously. "It was almost like that thing Bellator was able to do, don't you think?"

The brunette nodded, playing dumb in an attempt to end her Pokemon's questioning. The two suddenly picked up their pace after noticing the others were looking at them oddly, and after catching up, N spoke.

"Twist Mountain is notorious for being the end to hundreds of trainers' Unova League hopes, so I think we should travel in groups and create a system that allows us to find our way back. Agreed?" the eldest of the group asked, drawing nods from the others. "Good. Every time we pass through a hall, or make a turn, make sure you mark the way you're going. If you hit a dead-end, put an X through the marker."

Gray, Noah, and Alain nodded at the instructions, as did Unicus, Arcanine, Fortis, and Charizard.

"Alain, you and I will be one group, and Gray and Noah will be the other," N announced as he and the aforementioned trainers walked into the mountain and made note of their surroundings.

The hall split into two paths, one going to the left and the other to the right. The walls were made of stone, and it was impossible to see the end of the hall in either direction due to the darkness that had swallowed the interior of the mountain.

"Charizard, lead the way for us, please," Alain told his starter, who nodded and obeyed the order.

Using the flame on his tail as a torch of sorts, the winged lizard illuminated the hall, albeit barely, and Alain, N, and Zoroark followed closely while Gray, Noah, Arcanine, Fortis, and Unicus began to walk down the left.

"Arcanine, would you mind making a fire to give us light?" Noah asked.

The four legged Pokemon before him deadpanned at the request and shook his head, causing Noah to scratch his head in confusion while Gray giggled.

"What would I light?"

Hearing the response, Noah hung his head while his face burned red in embarrassment, though Gray didn't notice. Instead, she grabbed a Poke Ball from her belt and tossed it, releasing Potens.

"Fortis, would you mind getting back in your Poke Ball? I'm feeling kind of claustrophobic," the Kantonian inquired, prompting her Pokemon to shake his head before being zapped inside his capsule. "Potens, we need you to guide us through the cave."

The Noivern grunted in response before using her massive ears to emit ultrasonic waves, which flew down the hallway. After waiting a few seconds, Potens turned back to her trainer and Noah, who looked at her intently.

"There's an opening in a wall at the end, but I can't tell what it leads into."

Shrugging nonchalantly, Gray walked forward, patted her Pokemon on the head thankfully, and headed towards the end of the hall with Unicus in tow. Noah and Arcanine glanced at one another and then at Potens, who shook her head at Gray's actions before following. She stopped, however, and turned around upon noticing the lack of Noah or Arcanine's presence.

"Well, are you guys coming or not?" the dragon type asked, her voice echoing through the mountain.

Snapping out of their trance, the teen and his Pokemon raced after Potens, Gray, and Unicus, disappearing into the darkness.

 **000**

Alain and N waltzed down another hall of the mountain and eventually found a light at the very end. Both of the young men continued at their casual pace, as did their Pokemon, and once they exited Twist Mountain, they looked around while shivering. The snow-covered ground and roofs of buildings were accentuated by the dreariness hanging over the city, whose streets were filled with people strangled by scarfs and smothered by layers and layers of clothing.

"Do you think Gray and Noah found their way out?" Zoroark asked aloud as she glanced at the others surrounding her.

Alain shrugged carelessly while N and Charizard turned back to stare at the gigantic mountain worriedly.

"Maybe we should go back after them," the fire and flying type suggested, only to be shot down by his trainer.

"They'll be fine. We put markers for them, so when they find one, they're basically out of there," Alain argued as he began to walk away from Twist Mountain. "I'm going to check into the Pokemon Center."

With that, N, Zoroark, and Charizard followed the Kalosian down the road.

 **000**

Gray and Noah walked side-by-side while Unicus, Arcanine, and Potens lead them through the bowels of Twist Mountain. The dragon type continued emitting ultrasonic sound waves from her ears in order to navigate, and after taking another left turn she glanced back at her trainer and sighed.

"This place is too huge," Potens muttered, shaking her head disappointedly. "I have no idea where we are."

Fuming, Gray folded her arms over her chest and let out an annoyed sigh, causing the bat to hang her head.

"It's not your fault, Potens, honestly," the brunette stated as she zapped her powerhouse back into her Poke Ball. "Well, I guess we're out of luck. None of the others can find a way out for us."

Silence fell over the group as they sat down and brainstormed ways to escape Twist Mountain. While Gray and Noah did so, Arcanine performed a Flamethrower attack in order to provide light for both trainers. Unicus, meanwhile, began digging around in hopes of finding a way out.

"Well, is there any way Celsus could use his psychic abilities?"

Gray shook her head.

"How about Dicax? He's really smart."

Again, Gray shook her head. However, upon doing so, one of the capsules on her belt snapped open and she gasped in shock when Virtus materialized from the light. Taking in her surroundings, the fighting type scratched her head in confusion.

"Uh, where are we?" she asked, ignoring her trainer, who was laying down on the ground. "Wait... I know this place," she muttered, snarling.

Staring at the mustelid, Gray cleared her throat, but was cut off when Unicus spoke up rather quickly.

"How?"

Refusing to answer, Virtus continued looking around when a loud cry echoed through the halls and rang in everyone's ears. As soon as she heard it, Virtus turned around and locked eyes with Gray and Noah, catching both of the trainers off guard, as well as Arcanine and Unicus.

"Come on! We need to check that out!"

Virtus took off at top speed and everyone followed right behind her, gaping at the ease with which the mustelid traveled through the hallways. After several wild turns and about ten minutes of running, the group appeared outside and looked around in confusion before realizing they were in the center of Twist Mountain. Bridges, both broken and in-shape, were high above, as were Pokemon.

Among them were Cubchoo, Cryogonal, and Excadrill, and all were cheering wildly. In the middle of the mountain were a Snover and Beartic, the latter of whom was roaring in a blind fit of rage.

Hearing the ferocious sounds coming from the ice type, Noah and Gray exchanged concerned glances while Arcanine and Unicus stood by their respective trainers' sides. Virtus, however, stepped in front of everyone and glared at the bipedal bear, who had icicles hanging from his chin.

"What's going on over there? Can either of you understand?" Noah inquired, glancing at both Unicus and Arcanine.

With his ears perking up, Arcanine listened intently, trying to block out the rabid cheers from the spectating Pokemon. Suddenly, before he could say anything, the fire type watched as Beartic charged at Snover, causing the ice and grass type to scream in shock.

"Unicus, intercept it with Gyro Ball!" Gray shouted in an instant, taking Noah by surprise.

Not hesitating, Unicus began spinning like a drill while she was enveloped in silver light. Zipping across the area, she slammed into Beartic's chest before he could strike his much smaller opponent, making all of the spectators go silent. Shifting their gaze from the strange newcomer to the downed bear, each of the Pokemon began cheering once Beartic rose to his feet and roared fearsomely.

"Wow, that thing's really strong," Gray muttered to herself as she reached for Fortis' Poke Ball while Unicus scampered back to her side while Snover stared at her with a blank expression. "Nice work, Unicus," she added, drawing a nod from the Sandslash. Taking a deep breath, Gray yanked Fortis' Poke Ball off her belt, as well as Potens', and she hurled them both in the air.

As soon as both dragons appeared, they stretched their wings and let out a groan when they saw all of the ice types.

"Guys, we need you both to fly to Icirrus City and tell Alain and N where we are, okay?"

Nodding in unison, the powerful duo took off at mach speed, but the wild Beartic refused to let them get away without a fight. Rearing his head back, the hairy creature shot a zigzagging beam of light blue energy towards both Potens and Fortis, though the winged creatures evaded it effortlessly.

"Hey, you have to focus on us!" Unicus shouted before taking off towards Beartic, who grunted in response while locking his eyes onto the speedy shrew. "Gray, let's do this!"

Giggling at her Pokemon's eagerness, Gray threw her right hand forwards emphatically.

"Use Crush Claw!"

Unicus grinned at the command and loaded her arm back while both sets of claws were enveloped in cobalt energy. Beartic wasn't overwhelmed in the slightest, and he slammed his glowing red arm over Unicus' head, causing the ground underneath her to crack. Staring in horror, Gray watched as chunks of the ground shot up and the rocky surface began to split and shake violently.

"Unicus!" Arcanine hollered as he bolted over to the ground type, who was unconscious. Grabbing her by her neck like a puppy, the fire type bounded back to Noah and Gray, both of whom were frozen in awe at Beartic's strength.

Snover, who was only a few feet away from where Unicus had been hit, trembled while Beartic slowly turned to face her. Walking towards his original opponent, the bipedal bear began to crack his knuckles intimidatingly. Gray snapped out of her daze as soon as she saw Beartic closing in on the smaller ice type, and the brunette bolted towards Snover.

Swinging his glowing red arm down towards Snover, the feral Pokemon snarled when he saw Gray dive and grab Snover, and then the two rolled out of the way of his Hammer Arm attack, which destroyed the ground that had remained in-tact.

"Gray!" Noah shouted as he attempted to run to the girl's side along with Arcanine. Much to his dismay, Noah was stopped by several Ice Beam attacks that were fired from the Pokemon watching above. "So that's how you want to play, huh? Alright then. Arcanine, Flamethrower!"

Doing just as he was told, Arcanine unleashed a wicked blast of fire from his mouth and nearly scorched the ice types watching. However, all of the Excadrill stepped in front of the targeted Pokemon and took the attack head-on. While glaring at the four legged beast thirty feet below them, the spectating creatures grunted to one another and refrained from attacking, confusing both Noah and his Pokemon.

Meanwhile, off near the other side of the opening, Gray, laying on her side, let go of Snover and smiled at the grass type.

"Are you okay?" the Kantonian inquired before receiving a nod. Before she could say anything else, Gray shrieked as Beartic descended towards her like a comet hurdling towards Earth. The ice type roared mightily as it prepared to crush both Gray and Snover while Virtus, who had been standing in-between her trainer and Noah, began to blink. Upon doing so, everything in motion froze, catching the Mienfoo off guard.

Suddenly, her hearing cut out and Virtus began to look around nervously, unaware of what had bent time. Even the clouds in the sky had stopped dead in their tracks, perplexing the mustelid. Her attention snapped back over to Gray, who was throwing her hands up to her face in an attempt to stop Beartic's attack, and once she saw the terrified expression on the brunette's face, an odd sound broke the silence.

Ba bump. Ba bump. Ba bump.

 _"I need to protect Gray,"_ Virtus thought to herself as she narrowed her eyes and took a sprinter's stance.

When everything began moving again, Gray screamed at the top of her lungs, causing both Noah and Arcanine to turn. An explosion ensued, leaving both in utter shock. However, after the smoke dissipated, the two let out sighs of relief when they saw Virtus had blocked Beartic's attack with her right fist.

Enraged by the failure of his attack, Beartic roared once again and loaded his left arm back. Once it was shrouded in icy energy, the bipedal Pokemon attempted to punch his foe. However, he stopped when he locked eyes with Virtus, who smirked.

Before anyone could react, the fighting type was engulfed in a blinding white light, forcing those nearby to shield their eyes. When it dimmed, Gray, Snover, Noah, and Arcanine gaped at the sight.

The mustelid's appearance had changed drastically, with her hair going from yellow to primarily white. Her lower body was entirely purple, as was the fur around her chest, which was in the shape of a ring. A long, white tail with a purple tip looked similar to her arms, which were white with long endings that were also purple. Two long whiskers of white fur stuck out to her sides, and the tips were yellow.

"Vir-Virtus?" Gray stuttered while pulling out her Pokedex in order to scan the newly evolved Pokemon.

"Mienshao, the Martial Arts Pokemon, and the evolved form of Mienfoo. Using the long fur on its arms like whips, it launches into combo attacks that, once started, no one can stop. New move learned: Aura Sphere."

Gray continued staring at her newest Pokemon, as did Snover, Arcanine, and Noah. Shaking her head to regain her composure, the brunette rose to her feet and smiled at the fighting type, who was glaring daggers at Beartic.

What the eighteen year old wasn't able to see was the color of Virtus' eyes, which had turned gray. Staring at his enemy, chills went down Beartic's spine.

"I won't let you hurt Gray, or any other Pokemon that calls Twist Mountain home," the Mienshao proclaimed, silencing everyone except her trainer who, for reasons she couldn't explain, knew exactly what Virtus was thinking.

"Send Beartic flying with Force Palm!"

Slamming her hand against the ice type's chest faster than a bullet, Virtus let out a battle cry while releasing all of the pent-up energy she had transferred to her palm. The sudden wave of power exploded and launched Beartic into the side of the mountain, but Gray and her Pokemon weren't done with their assault.

"Virtus, let's end this by using your new move!" Gray yelled to the fighting type, who nodded immediately. "Aura Sphere!"

Placing her hands a few inches away from one another, Virtus hummed lowly as an orb of blue energy formed. The attack suddenly reached an astronomical size and Virtus hurled her arms forwards, sending the ball of aura flying towards Beartic.

Having no chance of dodging due to the size and speed of the super effective attack, Beartic closed his eyes and braced himself. The Aura Sphere attack immediately exploded upon impact and Beartic was sent flying over the mountain, his body limp as he ascended.

"Holy shit," Arcanine and Noah muttered in unison as they stared at Virtus.

Gray, meanwhile, beamed and walked over to the newly evolved Pokemon, whose back was to her.

"Virtus, that was amazing! I never knew you were that strong!"

Nodding in response, Virtus slowly turned to face Gray. The two locked eyes and Gray flinched slightly, instantly recalling the picture of all Mienshao her Pokedex had shown her. Instead of being red, they were gray.

* * *

 **Well I'll be damned. That didn't turn out anything like I expected (a lot worse, really), and I apologize. I think I've come up with a schedule that will allow Kalos to catch up without deserting this story, which will be 2 Unova updates for every 5 Kalos starting the next time I post. It doesn't mean it'll be five in a row for Kalos or two for this, but there may be times where I decide to stick with one a bit longer than the schedule says. Next chapter is going to focus on Noah and Alain, so it'll be a nice change of pace with Gray not being the focal point. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Virtus evolving?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Finding Courage**_ ** _"_**

 _ **Spending the morning with rest and relaxation, the group tries to start their day off right, only for things to boil over when Noah and Alain interact. Will the two get over their feud?**_

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 78: A Not so Winter Wonderland  
** **Chapter 79:** **Dragon and Fairy: Beast Brawl!?** **  
Chapter 80:** **Last Piece of the Puzzle** **  
** **Chapter 81: Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice** **  
** **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	77. Finding Courage

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and a butterfly in light blue aura standing behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **First thing's first, this chapter isn't like the preview that was given last chapter (which should be changed by the time you're reading this) so it won't be revolving around everyone being down about something. While it will still have some aspects of that, it's mainly going to be focusing on Noah and Alain along with their relationship. Anyhow, last chapter featured Virtus evolving and ended with her eyes having changed colors (red to gray). Now let's get going!**

 **TheGreat0ne:** _It's going to take a while to get used to the name change, haha (pretty sure I put this in the Kalos response too), but the answer is certainly right_

 **davidtheman23:** _That's a possibility, though you'll find out the answer eventually. Virtus will kick a lot of ass, but this chapter isn't so much Twilight as it sounded. It's more of Noah and Alain fighting because of what happened between them after Advena died. The predictions are very solid too!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yes, it definitely should make you wonder how deep their connection is XD Hopefully their issues can be resolved (I think they will be, but I'm not entirely sure)_

 **Defender31415:** _XD No, that was more for dramatic effect. No ninjutsu's or anything like that here XD_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _RIP. Beartic stood no chance to the might of Virtus. Thanks for the compliments, btw, I really didn't like how that turned out, but I'm hoping the rest of this arc can more than make up for it :D I wasn't sure if Virtus evolving was the right time here, but considering how the rest of the story is really the group battling Flasma, it was the only time that didn't seem too forced_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Oh, I see that now XD It definitely does, and Johto... I wish it didn't happen. Why does Virtus scare you? Is it how strong she is, or something else?_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Much ass-kicking lies in her future, that's for sure. Hopefully this is one of the better updates (I really don't like last chapter), and Noah fighting for Gray is a very interesting idea. Virtus 2k20!_

 **DansGame (guest):** _If I told you you'd know when she'd evolve_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 48,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 38, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Gray looked up at the ceiling, refusing to move a muscle while the rest of her Pokemon sat around, glancing one another and then at their trainer. Rubbing her head nervously, Unicus sighed inaudibly and leaned back against the wall next to the door.

 _"Is she still down about Advena?"_ the ground type thought to herself before shooting a look at each of the others that seemed to relay the question.

Each of them proceeded to nod or shrug, though Fortis was the only one not to respond. Instead, he looked out the window and onto the practice battlefield, which was empty. Upon noticing the lack of people, the Flygon waltzed out of the room without a word, and the others followed close behind.

After a few minutes of walking in silence and exiting the Pokemon Center, the seven creatures looked at one another. Eventually, they huddled around the eldest, who spread his wings and folded his arms over his chest.

"Fortis, why is Gray getting sad about Advena again? It's been a month, and we already mourned," Furcifer inquired, staring at the dragon type along with the others.

Shaking his head at the stupid question, Fortis looked back up at the room Gray was occupying before shifting his gaze back to the young group.

"Guys, you do realize how messed up it is to be completely over someone dying this soon, right?" the winged creature asked, causing the others to shake their heads, save for Dicax, who raised his hand as if he were in class. Fortis nodded at him, prompting the steel type to rise and speak.

"Humans don't have to live in the wild, so they're not accustomed to the reality of death like we are, so we need to be aware of Gray's emotions. Isn't that what you're trying to tell us?" the Hoenn Pokemon asked Fortis, who nodded.

Once Dicax sat down, Fortis began speaking again, though Virtus paid no attention. Sitting with her legs crossed, she drifted off and began thinking about her own past experiences.

 _"Why? Why do we have to bury her?"_

The mustelid tensed up at the question that had plagued her so long ago. Uneasily shifting her weight, Virtus rose to her feet and began walking away, paying no attention to the questions from her teammates. As they watched her disappear, each of the five Pokemon turned back to Fortis and waited for him to explain the odd actions. He didn't, but Potens rose to her feet and took to the air in order to pursue the newly evolved Pokemon.

"Guys, go back inside and keep Gray busy! I'm going to talk to Virtus!" Potens shouted, drawing nods from the others, who piled inside and headed towards their trainer's room.

Once she saw them disappear, Potens shook her head and sighed before shifting her focus back towards finding her friend. As soon as she tried to, a familiar, deep voice echoed in her mind.

 _"Everything okay?"_ the booming voice inquired as Potens continued soaring through the air. _"Do you need my help for anything?"_

 _"I'm fine. And no thanks,"_ the Noivern replied mentally, knowing exactly who she was communicating with. _"Say, Zennyo, how are you able to fit in my body? You're like, fifty feet tall, right?"_

The enormous dragon chuckled in response, putting a slight grin on his container's face.

 _"It's not me that's stored in you, it's my energy... or power. Whatever you'd like to call it,"_ the beast replied. _"Come to think of it, you don't know anything about me, do you?"_

 _"Not in the slightest,"_ the dragon type replied. _"Aside from you being the god of dragon types, or something along those lines, I know nothing."_

Zennyo, who was still chained to the wall in the room within Potens' subconsciousness, rubbed his chin due to the chain weakening, and he took a deep breath before beginning.

 _"Well, let me start with some basic stuff, and then I'll tell you about the origins,"_ Zennyo stated, drawing a mental grunt from Potens. _"There are gods, for lack of a better term, of each type, and we all reside in Pokemon that share the type: you're a dragon type and I'm the 'god' of dragon types."_

Potens nodded and continued searching the ground for Virtus, only to come up empty. Descending in order to get a better view, the dragon type was shocked to hear Zennyo's voice suddenly explode.

 _"The thing is, we must work in harmony with our containers or else it'll be a long time before we're finally released. And the thing is, once we're released from one container, we're sent to another. It's a never-ending cycle, but one that I love."_

 _"Wait, what do you mean you get released?"_ Potens questioned.

She was met with silence.

 _"Whenever a container dies, I'm released. Of course, I can be extracted, but that's never happened before,"_ the dragon-god answered. _"However, you'll live much, much longer than most other Pokemon thanks to yours truly. I'm able to give you my energy to extend the duration of your life."_

Potens grinned at the information gleefully before spotting Virtus laying on a tree branch, prompting her to descend and land on the ground beneath it.

 _"Sorry to cut you off, Zennyo, but do you mind having this conversation later? Something's going on with Virtus and I need to check on her,"_ the bat inquired, putting a smile on the beasts face.

 _"Of course not. Just give me a ring whenever you can."_

Laughing at the response, Potens felt a sudden release in her mind, letting her know that Zennyo had disconnected contact. Turning her attention to her friend, the big-eared Pokemon sighed and sprung up to her.

"Thank god you're here, I've been looking everywhere!" Potens exclaimed, only to be ignored by Virtus. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked.

Virtus sighed, knowing full well Potens would pester her until she died.

"It happened at Twist Mountain when I evolved."

The Noivern leaned in closer to her teammate, who was speaking at a volume just a hair above whispering.

"It was... it was almost like Gray and I became one."

 **000**

"Noah," Arcanine called as he nudged the door open with his nose. "Come on! I need food!" the canine shouted.

Laying on his bed, Noah turned slightly, fully clothed, and grunted in response. Arcanine sweat dropped in response before biting Noah's sleeve and tugging him to the ground. Dragging his trainer along the floor like a toy, the fire type let out an annoyed sigh when he closed the door behind the eighteen year old, forcing Noah to get up.

"Arcanine, could you please just leave me alone today?"

Tilting his head in confusion, the dog watched as Noah began walking back into the room, but he was stopped when Gray's door opened. Spinning on his heels, Noah beamed at his childhood friend, but stopped when he realized it was only Celsus, who was giving him a freaked out look.

"You okay?" the Girafarig inquired nervously, causing Noah to hang his head dejectedly and nod. "Uh, Noah?" the psychic type continued, drawing the young man's attention. "I think Gray and N are downstairs in the foodcourt. And if you want, Arcanine, we have a bunch of food in our room."

The aforementioned Pokemon's ears shot up and he began salivating before bolting into the room and knocking Celsus onto his back. Noah sweat dropped at his Pokemon's desire for food before helping up the downed giraffe. Once he did, he turned back around and headed towards the foodcourt, which was at the other end of the hall.

 _"Hm... I wonder what I should say to Gray. How about 'What's cookin', good lookin'?"_ Noah thought to himself suavely, only to realize how creepy his idea sounded. _"Okay... maybe just a simple 'hello' will do the trick."_

Once he reached the booth his crush was sitting in, Noah's eyes lit up and he slid into the seat next to her.

"Hey, Gray!" he exclaimed before turning to see N, who he waved to. "Morning, N!"

The two remained silent and continued staring at Noah before he turned around and saw Alain glaring at him while holding three trays of food. Confused by the older trainer's body language, Noah remained still and continued staring at Alain, further angering him.

"Alain was sitting there," Gray stated, causing Noah to deadpan and hang his head dejectedly.

"You can sit over here, Noah," N offered, patting the area to his left, which caused the eighteen year old to sigh and nod.

As he slid out of the booth, Noah tripped over his own two feet and bumped into Alain, causing the three trays to slam into him. The trainers then fell on the ground, drawing the attention of everyone in the room as well as Gray and N's. Slowly sitting up, Noah looked over to see the Kalosian covered in coffee stains, syrup, and eggs.

"Hey, are you okay, Alain?" N questioned while offering a hand to help his friend up.

Smacking it away, the nineteen year old shot off the ground and onto his feet, glaring at Noah shortly after cleaning off some of the mess on his shirt. Storming over to the one that had ruined his morning, Alain grabbed Noah by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground like a bully would to a nerd.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Alain screamed while bringing his face within inches of Noah's.

The eighteen year old had no response, and he attempted to break Alain's grip. He failed, however, enraging the Kalosian even more so. N sweat dropped at the scene, as well as the attention it was receiving while Gray simply walked out of the foodcourt and headed for her room.

"Look, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"I don't give a shit if you didn't mean to!"

The room fell silent and everyone stared at Noah, waiting for him to respond. Despite sensing the room's anticipation, Noah refrained from making another comment, and Alain turned his hand into a fist. Cocking his arm back, the older trainer attempted to strike Noah, only to be stopped by a sudden force yanking him backwards.

Spinning around and pushing what had just stopped him, Alain saw that N had been the one to prevent his blow from landing. The pale young man fell over due to the force of the push, and a look of anguish spread across his face. Hurrying over to his friend's side, Alain offered a hand, but N simply turned away and pushed himself up to his feet. Walking off without a word, N disappeared into his room and everyone glared daggers at Alain and Noah.

The two then locked eyes, and before anything could happen, Nurse Joy ran over and put her hands up to the trainers' faces.

"That's enough! You two have made enough of a mess! Get out!" she shouted, pointing at the front door.

Both young men refused to argue, and they walked out side by side. As soon as the doors closed, Alain grabbed a hold of Noah's shirt and loaded his arm back once again.

"I've had it with you!" he shouted, swinging at the younger trainer.

Much to his surprise, Alain felt his fist stop dead in its tracks. Shifting his weight to the left in order to get a better view, he gaped at the sight of Noah's hand clamped around his fist. Before he could say another word, Alain watched as Noah threw his hand back, and then he shoved the Kalosian, who tumbled and landed on his rear end. Looking up at the Kantonian, Alain began to snarl, but he stopped when a fearsome gleam flashed in Noah's eyes.

"Do you think I don't have that same idea!?" he shouted, referencing what the black-haired male had just said. "To be honest, I've never liked you, Alain. You're condescending and, even though you don't act like it, arrogant! The way you carry yourself gives me chills!"

People passing by in the street glanced at Noah but paid no attention after seeing him. Alain, however, could only stare, dumbfounded by the sudden explosion.

"I don't care how good a trainer you are! You're a dick!"

Narrowing his eyes, Noah rose to his feet and pointed at Noah as he began walking away.

"You know what? You're a weakling!" the older trainer screamed, though Noah kept walking towards the back of the Pokemon Center. "No wonder you lost the Kalos League! You're a loser and a pathetic trainer, and your Pokemon are prime examples of that!"

Noah stopped immediately, and Alain took note of the abrupt halt. Slowly turning his head without moving the rest of his body, Noah glared at Alain out of the corner of his eye and began to clench both of his fists as tightly as he could. In doing so, his arms began to shake violently, but the eighteen year old refused to turn around.

 _"If I turn around, I know I'm going to swing at him. But no one makes fun of my Pokemon!"_

Rotating so his shoulders were square with Alain's, Noah contemplated charging forwards but stopped.

 _"No. I'm not stooping to his level."_

With a deep breath, Noah turned his back to the older trainer for a second time and resumed walking towards the back of the Pokemon Center. Despite removing himself from the situation, the eighteen year old was able to hear Alain's boots hitting the ground behind him. With each step Noah took, Alain did too.

Eventually, after reaching the practice battlefield, Noah attempted to enter the building. Much to his dismay, he was stopped when Alain grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled in an attempt to turn him around. Anticipating what was waiting for him when he fully spun, Noah formed a fist and hurled it as hard as he could.

The event ended as quickly as it happened. The crack of his fist hitting Alain's jaw; the thump of Alain's body hitting the ground; the pained groan released by the Kalosian. Feeling his heart rate increase, Noah began to breathe quickly and he began to hyper-focus on the Kalosian that had tried striking him. Walking over towards Alain, Noah attempted to deliver another punch, but he was caught off guard when the nineteen year old threw his leg upwards.

 _Crack!_

Noah was launched onto his back and he held his face while writhing on the ground in pain. Alain, meanwhile, dusted himself off and wiped away the blood dripping from his mouth. He then focused on his right boot, which had landed the dirty blow, before looking at Noah. As the eighteen year old continued yelling into his hands in an attempt to muffle the sound, Alain strolled over to him and grabbed Noah by the throat.

Throwing his right fist forwards once again, Alain dealt a heavy right hook, causing Noah to curse while blood shout out of his mouth. Surprisingly, Alain was upended by Noah, who hurled his bodyweight towards the sky all at once, allowing him to flip positions. Pinning Alain down, he unloaded his pent-up rage by throwing a bevy of punches, each of which hit harder than the last.

With the two continuing their all-out brawl, a crowd formed around the automatic doors inside the Pokemon Center which, coincidentally, was right in front of Gray and N's rooms.

"Look at them go!" one person shrieked.

"Holy shit! I bet they could take on my Machoke!" another trainer exclaimed.

"Hey, I've got five bucks on the tall one! Anyone want to bet!?"

As the spectators' volume increased rapidly, Gray, who had been laying on her bed emotionlessly, shot up and glared at the door. Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Dicax, Fortis, Arcanine, and Zoroark all focused on the brunette intently as she made her way towards the irritating noise. Swinging the door open, Gray's glare faded and she looked at the crowd in confusion before slamming the door.

"What's going on out there?" Unicus inquired after rolling over to her trainer's side. "Is everything okay?"

Gray didn't reply, instead focusing on Zoroark.

"Hey, open the curtains for a second," Gray demanded.

Without hesitation, the bipedal dark type did as she was told. She then scampered out of the way after Gray rushed over to the window, and when she looked outside, she gasped. Purely out of instinct, all of the brunette's Pokemon rushed to her side and stared out the window in utter shock.

"Wh-why are Noah and Alain beating each other up?" Furcifer asked, causing Arcanine's ears to shoot up. Sprinting towards the window, he face palmed at his trainer's actions.

"He's getting his ass kicked out there! Why did you have to fight Alain, Noah?" the fire type asked rhetorically before Zoroark tapped him on the shoulder.

"He's the one doing the pummeling," she stated, causing Arcanine to sweat drop.

As the Pokemon continued talking about the battle between humans, Gray hurried over to her closet, threw on a fresh outfit, and ran out the door. Shoving her way through the crowd of random trainers, Gray finally reached the doors, which slid open. Rushing outside, the brunette attempted to shout at the two, but something stopped her cold. Her legs were no longer pumping, her anger dispersed. Whatever it was that had gotten a hold of her was far too powerful to combat.

"Get.. off... me!" Alain screamed, punching Noah in the nose. "You piece of shit!" he hollered as the bloodied trainer rolled onto his back and began to curl up into a ball to protect himself. "I never did anything to piss you off and I never bothered you!"

Alain stopped swinging at the younger trainer, instead opting to stand over him.

"So tell me, Noah, what the hell did I ever do to you!?"

The battered trainer slowly looked up from the ground and locked eyes with Alain, though the silence continued. After a few seconds of no response, the Kalosian threw his arms out to his sides, urging Noah to speak.

"Because..." he started, his voice cracking slightly due to fatigue. "Because you're stealing Gray!" he shrieked at the top of his lungs.

The aforementioned brunette felt a pile of bricks fall on top of her before her ability to feel anything was gone. She was just standing, though had she been blindfolded, Gray wouldn't have known. The weight of Noah's words struck harder than a metal bat, though they did no physical damage. It was her emotions that had just shattered into a million pieces.

"I came here just to be with her, but then you enter the picture and just like that, she's GONE!"

This time, Alain was the one to lose all feeling in his body. Staring at Noah as he rose to his feet through sheer willpower alone, the Kalosian looked down at his hands and cursed mentally. Had he really caused so much harm without even noticing?

"I was even going to ask her to be my partner at the Mistralton City Ball," Noah announced, his voice trailing off. "In fact, I was just about to when you, Mister Too-cool-for-school, kept flapping your lips about not wanting to do anything!" the Kantonian roared while throwing both of his arms around like a madman.

After a few seconds, Noah began panting and fell on his rear end in exhaustion. Then, he hung his head and stared at the blood - his blood - on the ground.

"I can't beat you at anything."

Chills ran down Alain's spine and he was suddenly brought to the ground. Sitting just like Noah, he brought both hands up to his head before allowing them to fall to his sides.

The fight was over. He didn't have to be on his guard.

Noah continued staring at the ground, wallowing in his depression.

 _"It's no use. I'll never be as good as Alain at anything, and even worse, Gray's never going to like me. Hell, even if she does, I'm too much of a wimp to tell her. Why do I have to be such a loser?"_

Just before tears could swell in his eyes, Noah felt a hand fall on his shoulder, causing him to recoil slightly. Raising his head, the young man stared at Alain, who was smiling slightly.

"I'm... sorry, Noah," the nineteen year old said, forcing the words out as if they burned his tongue. "I didn't intend to do that."

Still staring at the powerful trainer before him, Noah watched as Alain extended a hand and continued smiling. Suddenly, a similar smile crept across Noah's face, and he shook Alain's hand.

"Now come on," the older of the two said as he pulled both himself and Noah off the ground. "We should apologize to Nurse Joy and clean ourselves up."

Nodding, Noah attempted to follow his new friend, but found that his legs refused to move even an inch.

"Hey, Alain," he called, prompting the bloodied trainer to turn around. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit! I just need to sit out here a little while longer!"

Understanding Noah's feelings, Alain walked into the Pokemon Center, failing to notice Gray, who was sitting off in the corner near the door's exterior. Once she heard the doors click shut, a sudden wave of energy pumped through the brunette's veins and she headed towards Noah. As she drew closer, the girl felt her heart rate increase, but that didn't stop her. With each step she took, more weight began to fall on her, and eventually, once Gray reached the boy, it almost felt as if she was about to be crushed by gravity.

"N-Noah?" she stammered, the weight growing exponentially with each passing second.

Upon hearing her voice, Noah tensed up and stood as still as a statue while sweat began beating down his head. Taking several deep breaths to regain his composure, he turned around once he was able to fake a calm demeanor.

"Oh, what's up, Gray?" he inquired. Noah's voice cracked immediately, giving away his nervousness.

Gray shifted uncomfortably, fully aware of the watchful eyes belonging to the Pokemon in her room. Flipping them off, she felt a bit calmer and ran a hand through her hair.

"I... I heard what you said about, well..." the brunette stopped speaking and Noah's face nearly turned as red as a tomato, prompting Gray to speak instantly. "Me. I heard what you said about me."

Silence followed for only a split second before Noah forced a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You did? Haha, that was just to keep him from beating me up. I didn't have enough energy to stand, so I knew I had to stop him somehow," Noah fibbed, which Gray saw right through.

"Is that so?" she questioned, folding her arms over her chest as she faked an angered look.

Noah nearly fainted due to the stress of the situation, but he remained conscious once he saw the concerned look on Gray's face. When he did, the Kantonian took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Once he opened them, Noah spoke without thinking.

"No, it's not. Everything I said was true."

Gray maintained the same expression and motioned for the boy to continue, which he did.

"I came to Unova solely because of you, not because I wanted to travel the world or any of that crap. Being with you has made these the best months of my life."

Once again, Gray motioned for Noah to speak.

"Wow, you're not making this easy on me, are you?" he joked, breaking the brunette's stern look and drawing laughter.

After a few moments, the two regained their composure and Noah took one final breath before concluding his speech.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... I like- no, love you, Gray."

The words nearly knocked Gray over, but she somehow remained standing. Was it the strange force that had stopped her from interfering with the fight?

"And you know what? Screw being scared of rejection!" Noah shouted, snapping Gray out of her daze. "Do you want to go out tomorrow night for dinner? Just the two of us?"

Trapped deep in thought, the Kantonian hung her head and began to laugh inaudibly, giving Noah the impression that she was crying. Before he could screw up the moment, the bloodied teen watched Gray throw her head up and laugh heartily.

"What's so funny?" Noah asked in confusion.

After wiping a tear from her eye, Gray smiled at her childhood friend and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing," she replied simply. "I'd love to go out with you tomorrow."

Floored by the response, Noah nearly collapsed. However, he forced himself to look cool in front of the girl he had known for over a decade and began limping back to the Pokemon Center with her by his side.

"Perfect! It's a date!"

 **000**

Sitting atop a snowy hill in the middle of the night, a young man and a Pokemon looked down at Icirrus City. The snow continued falling and the winds howled. Not a soul was outside, save for the duo.

"Ar-are you sure?"

"Yes, I trust her fully. Eden would never lie to me."

The two turned away from each other and looked back down at the city swallowed in darkness. While one of them trembled nervously, the other kept their eyes locked onto the Pokemon Center.

"There's another Type Beast in this very city, and we will find it."

* * *

 **Well dayum, Noah isn't too bad at fist fights XD To summarize, Noah and Alain fought out their differences (with fists, not Pokemon), Noah inadvertently confessed his feelings for Gray before asking her out (successfully, might I add), and there was an ominous entrance of two characters at the very end. Also, I know Potens and Virtus' conversation never finished, but I plan on bringing it up very soon. As for next chapter, it will be Noah and Gray's date, which should be very interesting, to say the least. Till then, peace out**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "A Not so Winter Wonderland**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Gray and Noah finally go on a date and things couldn't go any more perfectly. That is, until an enemy appears and begins attacking them! Without a Pokemon on hand, will Noah and Gray be able to overcome this mysterious enemy?_**

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 79:** **Dragon and Fairy: Beast Brawl!?** **  
Chapter 80:** **Last Piece of the Puzzle** **  
** **Chapter 81: Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice** **  
** **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	78. A Not so Winter Wonderland

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and a Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and a butterfly in light blue aura standing behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey there, readers! Time for something some of you have been waiting 70+ chapters for! That's right, it's time for Gray and Noah's date which, after writing it, I realized was barely shown XD I will make up for it (assuming it shouldn't suffice) soon. As for what caused this to happen, well, Zennyo. Zennyo happened. Now let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Lololol, I like the response. Virtus is a pretty mysterious character, though you'll learn a lot about her in the near future, so she won't be as scary. Inadvertent spoiler ftw XD This chapter will be awkward, though I feel like it's a lot more cringe-y as a writer. And I guess great minds think alike :D_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _Well, yeah XD He could've murdered him, but nothing too severe happened for that to be the outcome (would've been hilarious if that's what did happen though). And Gray wasn't pissed because of that 'force' that had stopped her (which also stopped Noah). You most certainly do know who that person was at the end, too. I didn't realize I got the name wrong XD_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _It really was about time, haha. Friendship through fist... that sounds like a famous quote XD Hopefully this ends up being worth the... 77 chapter wait!_

 **Defender31415:** _XD I always think it's funny that people in the Pokemon universe never actually fight one another, but it is a kids' show and all, so I get it. Wooh! Noah!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _It was a long time coming, but it finally happened. And thanks! I didn't want to go overboard with the fight, so I cut it off pretty quickly. The last Gym will be Virbank, though I think Gray will end up visiting most, if not all, of Unova (so Humilau could happen). I'm definitely hyped for Sun and Moon, but I'll have to see what the legendaries look like before I decide on which one (atm, I'm Moon, but that could change)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lol, I found it more enjoyable to write more than some trainer battles. They have resolved their differences, but they will argue every once in a while. She said yes! Yes! I'm pretty sure you know who they are (I screwed up the name that was mentioned), and the Type Beast battle is going to be awesome!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _It only took 77 chapters, but it finally did. I think the whole fight made Noah a lot more likable than before, given he had little to no development up until then. He will get his ass kicked in front of Gray, though. Maybe not in a fistfight, but it could happen in a battle_

 **SirSwag333:** _Exactly XD I was rooting for him during the fight, but that was because I didn't want him to get destroyed. And Noah won't be catching a Pokemon because he already has a full team due to competing in the Kalos League while Gray was in Johto, plus it wouldn't do anything at this point, given how strong Flasma is. Gray and Rei (or Grei) will have another crossover, but that's waaayyy down the line, like, three to six months from now, but when it does happen, it's going to be for a decent chunk of chapters_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 48,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Virtus, (f), level 38, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Fortis, remember, you're in charge," Gray said while looking in the mirror to see the dragon and ground type behind her. "Potens and Virtus shouldn't give you any trouble, Dicax will probably read, and Celsus is most likely going to want to train. The two you need to keep an eye on are-"

"Relax," the Flygon ordered with a grin, causing his trainer to sigh. "Just because you're all grown up and going out on dates now doesn't make you a mom," he concluded, immediately making the brunette blush in embarrassment. "Besides, none of them ever give me any trouble, so there's nothing to worry about. Just go out and have some fun."

Smiling as she turned around, Gray embraced her strongest Pokemon for a second before walking towards the door. She glanced back at the mirror one last time to look over her outfit, making sure she wasn't wearing anything revealing. She wore a yellow blouse, a pair of washed jeans, and black boots. She also had a pair of earrings on, which were emerald.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later tonight! Be good for Fortis!" Gray shouted after her Pokemon scurried out of the playroom.

Waving to each of them, the Kantonian disappeared as she closed the door, and after she walked into the lobby of the Pokemon Center Gray began to look around nervously. Noah was no where to be seen, so Gray sat down and tapped her foot impatiently. Every time someone entered the lobby, she'd glance up only to be irritated that it wasn't Noah.

After several minutes of waiting, he finally walked in wearing a dark blue polo, khakis, and boots due to the snow. He also had a coat thrown over his shoulder and was looking down at his phone. Unaware of Gray's presence, Noah sat down at a different table and began texting her, only to hear her phone go off a few feet away. Sheepishly turning around, the Kantonian grinned cheekily at his friend. Gray rolled her eyes almost immediately but rose from her seat once Noah walked over.

"Sorry I was late," he started, speaking a mile a minute. "I was looking up tips for how to make a first date successful and-"

Noah was cut off by Gray giggling, causing him to sweat drop nervously. After a few seconds of silence and the two looking around the Pokemon Center, Gray finally cleared her throat and spoke up.

"So, uh... what do you have planned for tonight?"

Grinning like an idiot, Noah began walking out of the Pokemon Center and Gray followed, waiting for him to speak. He didn't, however, and she frowned while putting on her coat.

"Well, I figured we'd get some dinner first and then, well, I'm just going to wing it," he admitted, drawing laughter from his fellow Kantonian. "I'm kidding. I actually won't tell you, so you're just going to have to wait and find out," Noah said with a wink.

Gray faked a scowl and folded her arms over her chest like a child, pouting at the response. Noah, however, paid no attention and continued walking alongside the girl. The sound of the snow crunching beneath their feet, oddly enough, became as calming as a grandfather clock's ticking, greatly easing Noah's nerves.

The two continued walking towards their destination, laughing and talking the whole way. Unbeknownst to either of them, two pair of eyes stared at them, watching their every move.

"Is that the girl? The one you've been talking about?" a masculine voice inquired while pointing at Gray.

The other person, a woman, nodded and sat down on the roof of a tall building before turning to lock eyes with the man.

"She doesn't seem like a great trainer. I mean, who goes out without any of their Pokemon?" the man asked rhetorically, only to see his friend shake her head adamantly. "Okay, so what do you want me to do?"

Laughter was the immediate response.

"Just test her. I'm not telling you she's going to become the Champion or anything, but she could be a Gym Leader, that's for sure."

Nodding at the opinion, the pessimist made his way down the ladder that had led to the roof, leaving his friend by her lonesome. Once she no longer sensed the man's presence, the woman smiled to herself and continued tracking Gray and Noah.

 **000**

"So how do you think it's going?"

"I'm not sure, but I hope it doesn't go terribly. That'd be very awkward for us."

Alain nodded at N's response along with Charizard and Zoroark. All four then turned towards Gray's Pokemon and Arcanine, who were off doing various activities. Unicus and Furcifer were practicing close-range fighting, Celsus was working on his agility, Dicax was reading about battle tactics, Fortis was conversing with Arcanine, and Potens and Virtus were resting in tree branches that were only a few feet apart.

"Man, I can't get over how weird that group is," Zoroark muttered, drawing laughter from N and Charizard while Alain folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Seriously, just look at 'em."

While the quartet continued talking about random topics, Potens, who could've listened if she wanted to, decided to close her eyes. As she did so, the dragon type began to concentrate on the darkness, and it was suddenly washed away by dim lights from candles. Smiling at the sight, Potens flew down a hallway and after zipping through a doorway, arrived in a room that had started to become increasingly familiar.

Once she entered the new area, a low grunt greeted her, prompting the bat to wave. As soon as she did, Zennyo moved out of the shadows and nodded before watching Potens sit down as if she were a student.

"So you figured out how to call me," the larger of the two dragons started, drawing a nod from Potens. "Heh. What's up?"

"We didn't finish our conversation earlier today, and I want to know more about you and this whole thing in general."

Chuckling at the eager response, Zennyo began to stretch his arms, only for them to be restricted by the chains. Potens noticed them and immediately spoke up even as the gigantic dragon continued to tug at the steel.

"Why are you chained up?"

Sweat dropping at the question, Zennyo turned to face the Pokemon he was sealed within and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Well, uh, it kind of keeps you from using all of my power. Or you could say it keeps me from giving you all of my power," he said, causing Potens to tilt her head in confusion. "You see, it's for both of our safety. A few of us Type Beasts aren't exactly the nicest, so in order to prevent us from gaining complete control over our carriers, we're usually chained up. It also keeps anyone from abusing our powers."

Letting the information sink in for a moment, Potens rose to her feet and her face dropped in a split second. The Type Beast before her looked on in confusion before Potens was finally able to explain her actions.

"Wait, so when I was battling Braviary, how much power did you give me!?" she screamed.

The purple, Chinese dragon chuckled for about thirty seconds, causing Potens' patience to wear thin. Noticing her agitated facial expression, Zennyo stopped and leaned forward a bit so that he wouldn't have to speak as loudly.

"Well, if I had to put a percentage on it, maybe one out of a thousand."

Potens fell on her back in shock.

"And that thousand is the most I can give you with these chains. Without them... well, let's just say you'd be on par with, if not stronger than legendary Pokemon," the Type Beast continued casually as he stared at the tiny Pokemon. "Then again, there's a lot more to it than just having these chains break."

Shooting off the ground and onto her feet, Potens flew up to Zennyo and landed on his snout, staring him right in the eyes. The purple beast instinctually snarled and attempted to swipe at the Noivern, but he stopped himself from mauling her. Seeing his reaction, Potens bowed apologetically about a dozen times, causing Zennyo to raise his eyes slightly until he watched her stop.

"Sorry about that. I just remembered something you said yesterday."

"And that is?"

"Something about you telling me the origins... or maybe it was another word. I don't remember, but I know you said something along those lines."

Immediately recalling the discussion, the Type Beast nodded and motioned for Potens to get off his nose, which she did. After landing on the ground, the Noivern turned around and stared intently.

"You see, dating back several millennia, back when Pokemon were still evolving - and not in the way that you did, from a Noibat to a Noivern - there was one that consisted of every type."

Potens eyes went wide and her jaw hit the ground, flabbergasted.

"After several centuries of humans hunting it in hopes of using its power to control the world, said Pokemon decided that, in order to maintain balance, it had to divide itself into each singular type. That way, if someone were to capture one, there would still be seventeen other Type Beasts, who would be more than capable of defeating the captured one."

"So, basically what you're saying is humans caused you to be, well, you?"

Zennyo nodded at the inquiry, causing Potens to fold her arms over her chest and pout, piquing the beast's interest.

"Would you mind explaining how you ended up getting sealed into Pokemon?"

"Essentially, the same concern emerged with humans attempting to collect all eighteen of us, so we figured the only way to truly protect ourselves was by being sealed within wild Pokemon. Before our carriers die, they tend to find a replacement and teach them how to wield our power."

Floored by the background information, Potens brought both of her hands up to her head and let out a sigh. Taking another deep breath, she attempted to ask another question. Before Potens could, she watched Zennyo flinch.

The dimly lit chamber suddenly vanished and, before she knew it, Potens found herself in a different room. Looking around at the walls, she noticed several different elemental signs hanging. In-between each was a slightly convex portion of the wall, and the floor was divvied up into eighteen colors. However, only two of areas were lit up, those being the purple floor, as well as the dragon type element, and the pink floor, which led to the fairy type element.

"Zennyo?" Potens inquired, turning slightly to see the enormous dragon was about ten feet behind her, the chains around his wrists no longer present.

Surprisingly, the dragon didn't reply, and instead, he continued staring across the room. Mimicking the beast's actions, Potens stared at the other lit area. Two blasts of pink light flashed in the front and back seats of the fairy section. Two figures slowly materialized, but neither were visible to Potens, causing the winged creature to scratch her head. Turning back to Zennyo for a second time, she opted to remain silent, not wanting to disturb him.

"Eden," he said neutrally, folding both arms over his chest. "It's been a while."

A feminine laugh followed, though it still boomed like Zennyo's voice, perplexing Potens.

"Oh? It's only been a hundred years," the foreign voice replied sarcastically, eliciting a chuckle from Zennyo. "I'm surprised you were able to sense my energy after such a long time. Impressive as always."

The purple dragon smiled and bowed appreciatively before hearing Potens clear her throat obnoxiously, prompting Zennyo to nod at her.

"Forgive me for being so rude, I forgot to introduce you to someone," the Chinese dragon stated. "Eden, this is Potens."

Slamming both of his hands together, Zennyo was enveloped in an overwhelming amount of purple aura, flooring his carrier. She had no time to say anything, however, as she was suddenly able to see a pink butterfly that was about thirty feet tall. A light coat of blue aura surrounded her body, and the two antennae on her head were radiating with pink energy.

Staring at the beast in silence, Potens nearly fainted. Zennyo, however, caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Nice to meet you too," the butterfly commented before laughing at her own joke along with Zennyo.

Potens, on the other hand, scowled.

 _"Type Beasts sure do have weird senses of humor,"_ the Noivern thought to herself with a sigh.

 _"No we don't,"_ Zennyo shot back, causing Potens to yelp in shock.

"It is nice to meet you, though," the butterfly reiterated, prompting Potens to bow. "My name is Eden, and I am the Fairy Type Beast. And this," she began before smacking her antennae against one another, causing a blast of pink light to shoot downwards, "is Sylveon."

The aforementioned Pokemon appeared out of the blue and in front of Eden, drawing the attention of both Zennyo and Potens. Once its eyes opened, the eeveelution yawned and waved one of its ribbons frenetically.

"Hi!" the fairy type shrieked. "You must be the one they were all talking about!" Sylveon exclaimed while looking at Zennyo, who glanced up at Eden. Seeing the inquisitive look in her friend's eyes, Eden nudged Sylveon in an attempt to shut her up, which worked.

Potens stared at the quadruped intently before focusing on her Type Beast. Narrowing her eyes, the Noivern scratched her chin.

"We just so happened to run into a few old friends," Eden informed her dragon type counterpart. "It was quite the cast of characters, might I add."

"Who?" the dragon asked impatiently, drawing Potens' attention.

Laughing at her friend, Eden looked back down at Sylveon, who hopped out of their seating area and onto the colored tiles. She then nodded at Potens, prompting her to do the same, albeit reluctantly. As soon as she did, Potens gasped when a bubble formed overhead, preventing her from hearing anything Zennyo or Eden were saying.

"Relax," the random Sylveon ordered as she sauntered over. "You'll know exactly what they talked about once you hop out of here."

Puzzled by what the fairy type meant, Potens sighed and sat down, waiting to return to Zennyo, who seemed to be enraged by what he had heard.

"Oeseurus, Kirini, Atlantio, and Lunia? What did they want?" the purple dragon questioned aggressively. "What was Oeseurus even doing there?"

Eden shrugged with her wings and waited for Zennyo to calm down. Several minutes later, when he finally did, she answered his first inquiry.

"They all heeded warning. It had something to do with an organization by the name of Team Grim," the butterfly began. "Apparently, Kirini fought some kind of manmade Pokemon by the name of Volcanion, which was wielded by that group. And both Atlantio and Lunia told me they had to fight some kind of Dark-Mega Evolution."

"That doesn't sound too bad. I mean, they should be more than capable of holding their own if they were able to talk to you and Sylveon, considering the fact that we actually have to respect our carriers in order to do this."

Seeing Eden sweat drop, Zennyo immediately face palmed and groaned.

"Except Oeseurus, right?"

The butterfly nodded.

"Of course. Why the hell is he the strongest if he never helps them?"

"He's not the strongest. Rather, he's not the only one that's the strongest," Eden retorted, shooting the dragon a look that made him slouch and mutter something under his breath. "Going back to what I was saying earlier, Oeseurus' carrier told Sylveon to look for a girl by the name of Gray Plain. He said something about a Dewott, but-"

Eden was cut off by Zennyo placing his hand over the bubble, causing it to pop. After watching Sylveon hurry back to Eden's side, Potens did the same. Much to her surprise, Zennyo extended his hand and she landed on it before being placed on his snout.

"Isn't your trainer named Gray Plain?" he inquired, drawing a nod from the Noivern while Eden's eyes went wide. "Do you know anything about a Dewott?"

Tensing up, Potens started snarling and showing her fangs. Zennyo narrowed his eyes as he felt the hatred oozing out of Potens and onto his hand, causing the large-eared bat to stop and grumble.

"Please, Potens, if you do, we must know about it. This is extremely important," Eden begged.

Reluctantly, Potens nodded and sat down on her Type Beast's snout, making him groan.

"He used to be one of Gray's Pokemon, but then he demanded to be released," the dragon and flying type. "Apparently we were holding him back."

Ignoring what Potens had said aside from the fact that she did know of Bellator, the Fairy Type Beast across the room spoke once again.

"Is there anything else? One of the carriers said he had a strange power."

Again, Potens snarled before nodding.

"The first time I saw it was when he battled against this guy, Alain, and his Mega Charizard X. A bunch of water surrounded him, and then after a while it changed and took on the shape of a fox."

Floored by the response, both Eden and Zennyo glanced at one another before the latter scratched his chin while deep in thought.

"That's odd. It certainly wasn't Atlantio," the butterfly muttered, drawing a grunt from the other Type Beast. "And it couldn't have been a Mega Evolution, because there aren't two stages to it. Very interesting."

Potens' ears perked up at the hypotheses and shook her head, drawing Eden's attention.

"It was something called Synchro Evolution. According to the World Champion, Red, it only happens every couple hundred years."

Zennyo snarled at the information while Eden frowned and lowered her head.

"That is... disturbing news. Potens, we must find your trainer right away. Where are you right now?"

 **000**

"Sorry, Noah," Gray apologized, glancing at the eighteen year old as the snow continued falling. "I can't say that enough. I'm so sorry," she iterated while the young man hung his head and continued staring at his wallet, which was empty.

 _"Of course she orders the most expensive thing on the list. I should've known that was going to happen; she's not the kind of girl that'd order a damn salad,"_ Noah thought to himself.

"It-it's okay," he said, sniffling comically. "It's not like I was saving it or anything," Noah whispered lowly enough so his date couldn't hear.

Putting the empty wallet back in his pant pocket, Noah sighed and lifted his head in order to avoid bumping into anyone on the sidewalk.

"If you had anything else planned, I'm more than happy to pay for it," Gray proposed, only to receive a swift and determined 'no'. Not knowing whether to laugh at Noah's tone, the brunette simply turned away from him to look in the windows of stores. "Why don't we head back to the Pokemon Center and call it a night?"

 _"Shit! I blew it!"_

Gray continued staring at Noah as they walked down the snow-covered sidewalk until he turned and smiled.

"Not yet. There's still something I want to do, if that's cool with you," he replied, drawing a smile and a nod.

The two made a right at the corner and after several minutes of walking, they reached a building that was built into a hill. Two enormous icicles stuck out of the ground and were on either side of a narrow path leading to the entrance, but the glass doors were shut. Spinning on his heel to look at his crush, Noah grinned cheekily while Gray scratched her head in confusion.

"I... don't get it," she stated reluctantly, waiting for Noah to react dejectedly. Much to her surprise, he laughed and leaned against one of the icicles nonchalantly.

Turning back to look at the city and its lights, Noah sighed with a smile. Following his actions, Gray leaned against the other icicle and stared out at Icirrus City. Immediately, her eyes went wide when a stream of fire shot into the sky. Once it reached its apex, the fire turned into a massive ball and, just before exploding, a ray of icy energy hit it. The result of the combination was a stunning fireworks show, causing Gray's eyes to go wide while her jaw dropped. Noah, meanwhile, grinned and rubbed the bottom of his nose with his index finger.

"Did you do that?" Gray asked, only for her fellow Kantonian to point.

As she stared back out at the city, Gray marveled at the sight of several fireballs shooting into the air. Each of them were pierced by various bodies of energy, resulting in different colors of fireworks to appear. The two trainers continued watching the spectacle for what seemed to be hours - when in actuality it was ten minutes - before the show ended and they sat down on a bench.

"That was amazing, Noah!" Gray exclaimed, embracing her childhood friend.

"You liked it?" the aforementioned trainer inquired with a grin, knowing the answer. Playing along, Gray shot him a look before shaking her head.

"I feel bad though," she said, confusing her date. "There's no way you can one-up that the next time."

Silence fell over the two and Noah turned away immediately, his face flushing at Gray's indirect message.

"Challenge accepted."

Turning away from one another, the two began to look at their surroundings uncomfortably, several thoughts racing through their minds.

 _"Should I make a move? It's too soon. Wait, I've known her for eighteen years! How the hell could that be too soon!?"_

 _"Is he going to make a move? What should I do if he does? What does it mean if he doesn't? Wait, do I really like him like that? How did I not know!?"_

Awkwardly, both Noah and Gray turned towards one another and forced smiles. Then, without a second thought, the two began to subtly lean in towards one another, their hearts reaching a hundred miles an hour. Closing their eyes, the two waited for impact.

 _"It's finally happening! YES!"_

 _"I can't believe we're actually going to do this,"_ Gray thought to herself self-consciously.

"Ice Beam!"

Hearing the hostility behind the stranger's voice, Noah's eyes shot open and he shoved Gray out of the way before diving in the opposite direction. After lifting his face from the snow and cursing at how cold he was, Noah turned to check on his date, who had already risen to her feet. He then noticed Gray was glaring in the direction of the attacker, prompting Noah to do the same.

Standing about fifteen feet away were a masked man in an eskimo coat and a Beartic.

Tensing up at the sight of the creature, which looked nearly identical to the one from Twist Mountain, Gray and Noah both reached for a Poke Ball. However, after remembering they had left all of their Pokemon back at the Pokemon Center, they face palmed.

"You two," the man said, pointing at the duo. "Give me all of your money or else!"

Noah fell on his back at the catastrophic situation while Gray hung her head in embarrassment, confusing the man and his Pokemon. Once the eighteen year olds regained their composure, they sheepishly said, "We don't have any money."

The robber groaned at the response and cursed under his breath.

 _"Dammit, Caitlin! What the hell am I supposed to say now?"_

"Give us your money now," Beartic ordered, snapping the man out of his thoughts. "Otherwise I'll rip you in half!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Aura Sphere!"

Much to everyone's surprise, a blast of draconic energy - which had transformed into the shape of a dragon - was accompanied by a large ball of blue energy. Both attacks struck Beartic and exploded on contact, sending him skidding along the ground face-first. Gray and Noah smiled as two figures landed in front of them protectively while the masked man and his Pokemon scowled.

"What are you two doing out here?" Gray interrogated, her smile vanishing immediately. "And to think I told Fortis you were the good ones."

"Potens told me to come with her and said it was urgent."

"That's because I had a hunch, Virtus!" the dragon type shot back, hiding the fact that she had been told to find Gray. "Regardless, you should be happy we broke your trust, Gray," Potens continued, causing her trainer to laugh along with Noah.

Virtus suddenly stepped forwards and lowered herself, causing the masked man to narrow his eyes and grin. Beartic did the same, but his expression changed immediately when he saw Gray stand in-between her Pokemon.

"Virtus, let's take care of this. Potens, back her up if this guys tries pulling something funny."

Grunting in response, the bat jumped back while Virtus stepped forwards before Gray spoke up once again.

"You're not going to beat us here," she started while pointing at the thug and his Beartic. Oddly, the Mienshao in front of her did the same thing without even turning around. "We won't lose!"

Suddenly, Virtus' eyes began to change from red to gray, perplexing her opponents.

"Virtus, use Drain Punch!"

Bending her knees, the mustelid shot forwards at a breakneck pace, taking back the man behind the mask. Before he or Beartic could do anything, Virtus slammed her fist, which was glowing orange, against the ice type's stomach and sent him flying. Slamming into his trainer, the bipedal bear let out a pained cry, causing his trainer to flinch slightly before pulling himself out from underneath the heavy creature. Once he looked up, the man saw Virtus standing over him, and she grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Wait!" the man shouted, pulling his mask off as Gray, Noah, and Potens walked over. Upon revealing his face, the man looked at the two trainers and then back at Virtus. Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished, causing Virtus to recoil violently.

Reappearing a few dozen feet away on top of the building, the blue-haired man chuckled while his Beartic hopped off the ground and made its way to his side.

"Who are you?" Noah interrogated, stopping the laughter immediately.

"My name is Brycen, and I'm the Gym Leader of Icirrus City. I look forward to our battle, young lady," the ninja replied, withdrawing Beartic before disappearing with the wind.

 **000**

"How much longer until we re-reach the Pokemon Center, Sylveon?" a boy asked while turning to his right.

The Pokemon marching by his side, smiled and closed its eyes, attempting to calculate the distance.

 _"It's five minutes,"_ a feminine voice said deep within her mind.

Relaying the answer to her trainer, the quadruped beamed and once again closed her eyes. "We're gonna have lots of fun, Trevor. I know it's going to be an awesome battle!" Sylveon exclaimed.

 _"Are you ready, Eden? That Zennyo-guy seemed pretty strong."_

 _"Of course. Even though it's been a few hundred years since we last fought, I'm sure you and I can take him and Potens."_

* * *

 **Man, Noah is the unluckiest guy in the world XD After successfully asking Gray out, their date (or kiss) was interrupted by Brycen, who ended up leaving after a little bit anyways (he was the guy talking to the unnamed woman before Potens' whole scene). Zennyo also gave some background to the origins of Type Beasts, and we finally met another one in Eden (the Fairy Type Beast)! Next chapter will be the battle between Potens/Zennyo and Sylveon/Eden, so brace yourselves, because y'all are going to see just what type beasts are capable of. Till then, peace out.**

 **Thanks to TheGreat0ne for the submission of Trevor and Eden!**

 **1\. Thoughts on Eden?  
2\. What type do you think Oeseurus, Lunia, Atlantio, and Kirini are?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Dragon and Fairy: Beast Brawl!?"**_

 _ **While Gray prepares for her Gym Battle against Brycen, Trevor and Sylveon arrive at the Pokemon Center and challenge her and Potens to a battle! Though they seem like normal opponents, Gray and the others are shocked when both Sylveon and Potens undergo similar, strange transformations. As the battle wages on, Sylveon - with the help of Eden, her Type Beast - unleashes her full power, leading to Potens and Zennyo strengthening their bond and unveiling a new transformation! Who will win this heavyweight clash?**_

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 80:** **Last Piece of the Puzzle** **  
** **Chapter 81: Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice** **  
** **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	79. Dragon and Fairy: Beast Brawl?

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and Eden standing behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hello, people! It's time for the very first battle between Type Beasts, and I'm amped to get to it. Last chapter, Gray and Noah went on their date while Zennyo and Potens met and conversed with Eden, the Fairy Type-Beast, and Sylveon, her carrier (mentally, though I'll elaborate on that in this update). This chapter, Potens and Zennyo will duel with Sylveon and Eden. Now let's get going!**

 **Guest:** _Haha, the "Grei Arc" is about forty chapters away, so the wait is going to be real. Potens vs Sylveon is going to be epic, hopefully, and now that I think about it, Sylveon's one of my favorite Kalos Pokemon, possibly one of my favorite in general. Great minds think alike :D In regards to Virtus, she's going to be an absolute monster - maybe not as great as Potens or Fortis, but right around their level. And while I can't confirm if she has a Type Beast, I will give you a hint by telling you to read the descriptions of the theme song closely. Thanks for the review!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _2close5me... I'll leave now XD The reason for the attack will be explained very, very soon, and as for Bellator having a Type Beast, you may not be wrong ;) More foreshadowing for Grei will come soon too, and I think Eden's really interesting too! Also, solid guesses with the Type Beasts!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Well, I kinda realized I overhyped the date XD Noah will never win! Never! XD You're spot-on with Sylveon's personality (something I'm hoping to show off in her limited time here). Eden's relationship with Sylveon may or may not be brought up, but I can tell you she isn't necessarily wiser... just more exposed to the other TB's. Man, Lunia is totally the worst name ever. Who on Earth would come up with such a name? I wonder... XD_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Yeah, I see what you mean. Tbh, I had no idea where to end it :/ Eden's definitely one of the nicer, softer Type Beasts. She'll kind of be like a mother or older sister, in a way. In response to your second answer, who exactly is this Atlantio gentleman?_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _RIP. I laughed a bit too hard at that one XD And I don't find it disrespectful at all! I totally agree with you, actually, since Zennyo's one of the more neutral personalities of the TB's and that'll make him seem kind of boring in a way. When/if he and Potens can harness their power - just like Sylveon and Eden - then I think he'll be within the same realm of likability_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _I had to read that opening twice to make sure there wasn't a hidden pun XD Glad you found their thoughts to be amusing, since I was kind of making fun of myself with Gray's (since she showed little to no feelings for him). The last bit of dialogue was actually supposed to be Eden, but Zennyo will show he feels the same way, and for good reason. Thanks for the compliment!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 48,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Virtus, (f), level 38, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Keep pushing yourself, Furcifer!" Noah cheered enthusiastically while throwing his right fist into the air.

Grunting in response, the Sneasel ducked underneath another one of her opponent's attacks before snickering and dropping to the ground, almost as if she were about to do a pushup. Then, releasing a zigzagging beam of light blue energy from her mouth, the ice type rolled back to her trainer's side and nodded.

Meanwhile, off to the side of the battlefield, Arcanine sat by his trainer, Charizard, Alain, and the rest of Gray's Pokemon.

"I can't believe she's so quick," Charizard commented, drawing a nod from Unicus, who smiled as her teammate walked off the battlefield proudly. "And she was even able to freeze Zoroark's feet to the ground in a mere second. That's impressive, to say the least."

Alain smiled and lowered his head while listening to his starter, replaying the series of events in his head, analyzing each move and coming up with several dozen counterattacks.

"I must say, Gray, everyone's looking to be in peak form," N proclaimed as he headed towards the center of the battlefield. "However, might I suggest having them train more on their defenses?"

The brunette smiled at the comment and nodded, putting a smile on her older friend's face.

"How would we go about that though?" Celsus quizzed before whinnying. "I'm not exactly in the mood to get pummeled by Zoroark, Arcanine, or Charizard."

The aforementioned trio of Pokemon glanced at one another and sweat dropped at the compliment while their trainers collectively gathered ideas. The three were too slow, however, as Fortis cleared his throat and rose, drawing the group's attention.

"Well, Owen would have us do some exercises that would target specific muscles in your body, and I think I speak for all of his Pokemon when I say we were lucky to make it out alive."

Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, and Dicax's faces dropped in horror at the dragon type's statement while Gray beamed and patted her powerhouse on the head appreciatively. Then, turning to the four younger Pokemon she narrowed her eyes upon realizing the looks she was receiving.

Meanwhile, in the tree that was about forty feet away from the quartet of trainers, Virtus hung from a branch by her legs and cranked out several sets of a hundred sit-ups. Potens, on the other hand, was leaning against the trunk of the large object and picked an apple from it. Using her ears to determined whether or not the shiny fruit was sweet, Potens grinned when she learned it was, chomping into the delicacy.

"Man, this sure does beat that food we get from the Pokemon Center. Want one?" the bat asked while peeking on her teammate, who continued with her training.

"No," the mustelid replied swiftly, causing Potens' gaze to harden before she shrugged and returned to her previous, relaxed position.

"More for me." Slumping against the tree once again, Potens took a massive bite out of the apple in her right hand and glanced to her left upon hearing all of the ruckus her teammates were making.

Even though snow continued to fall in Icirrus City, trainers that were lucky enough to have checked into the Pokemon Center were able to use the battlefield out back at anytime due to it being fully enclosed by glass windows. The sun was still able to pierce through and provide light for all of the plants and trees, allowing Potens to hide behind the leaves while listening in on Gray's torturous training.

"You know," Virtus began, preventing the resting Noivern from hearing what everyone else was saying. "You've really gotten lazy this past week and a half. Ever since you beat Skyla-"

"I'm aware of that," Potens snapped, cutting her friend off mid-sentence. "Just because I'm not training with the team doesn't mean I'm sitting on my ass all day."

Hopping off her branch and onto one closer to Virtus, Potens shot her a slick grin.

"I see how hard you're working, and I don't plan on letting you - or anyone else, for that matter - become stronger than me!"

Virtus cracked a grin and locked eyes with her dragon type teammate. The two remained silent for a few seconds before nodding at one another. However, their personal time was cut short when a destructive force of sound sliced through the leaves around them. Once the attack ceased, Potens and Virtus uncovered their eyes and the former deadpanned when she saw Gray, Fortis, and the others staring at her. Virtus, on the other hand, jumped out of the tree and performed several front flips before landing.

Turning back to Potens, the mustelid gave her teammate a subtle nod and began walking onto the battlefield while Zoroark stretched.

"Potens, come here for a second," Fortis ordered, prompting the younger dragon to fly towards, and land next to him. "Please tell me you were doing something productive. Please," he begged, causing his student to rub the back of her head sheepishly.

Face-palming at her antics, Fortis proceeded to inhale deeply in an attempt to keep his cool.

"Excuse me, Fortis," Dicax began, prompting the firefly to open his eyes. "If I may interject, Potens actually has been working quite diligently, even more so than myself and the others."

Shooting an undetected glance at Virtus, who hadn't heard what the Mawile said, Fortis folded his arms over his chest angrily. Dicax scratched his head in confusion while Unicus rolled over and attempted to come to his defense.

"I think what he's trying to say, Fortis, is that if anyone's going to take a break, Potens is the most deserving... or should get the least amount of flack. However you want to put it, you know what I mean," the ground type explained while Dicax nodded in agreement.

"Plus, as much as I hate to admit it," Celsus began as he looked over at Potens before shifting his gaze back to the elder dragon type, "she is the strongest. She doesn't _have_ to work as hard as us."

"On top of that, don't you think you could let it slide this one time?" Furcifer inquired, attempting to pin the blame on her superior. "Put yourself in her position for a second - how would the younger you feel if he had to train so hard every day?"

Charizard and Arcanine's ears perked up immediately at the question, as did Noah, Alain, N, Gray, and Zoroark's. Then, the brunette and three Pokemon began to backpedal slightly.

Each of the claims rang loud in Fortis' mind, negating the deep-breathing Owen's Heatmor had taught him. Fighting every fiber of his being, the dragon and ground type simply walked away without so much as saying a word, leaving Gray's Unova team perplexed. Once Fortis walked into the Pokemon Center, Charizard turned and shook his head at the young group, puzzling them even further, save for Dicax, who instantly recognized the reason for Fortis' reaction.

While the intelligent Pokemon explained and Virtus began sparring with Zoroark, Potens stared at the automatic doors separating the Pokemon Center's interior from the battlefield.

 _"Potens,"_ Zennyo said, his voice ringing in her mind. _"We need to talk."_

The flying type was immediately transferred to the chamber in her subconscious, and Zennyo was looking down at her.

"What? He needs to give me a break once in a while. I've been getting up before everyone else, training until they wake up, stick around to watch them train, and then train until they go to sleep! I'm putting in more hours than all of them combined!"

The enormous creature shook his head in response, causing his carrier to raise her eyes questioningly.

"Let me say this: he's just trying to help you. Fortis wasn't bestowed the fortune of having a mentor, let alone one of his caliber," the Dragon Type-Beast began, causing Potens to fold her arms and turn away like a child. "Furthermore, you don't work the hardest. In fact, you don't even work the second-hardest."

Slowly opening her left eye and turning slightly so that she could look at the god of dragon type Pokemon, Potens shook her head adamantly.

"Stop trying to screw with me, Zennyo! You're supposed to have my back, not spit in my face!"

The fifty foot tall beast let out a fearsome roar, something Potens hadn't heard in quite a while. Fear rushed through her veins and she trembled without thought while Zennyo threw his arms forwards, only for them to be stopped by the chains around his wrists.

"Idiot!" he shrieked before turning away, huffing and puffing, and closing his eyes. "Who's up before you?"

Flinching at the odd question, Potens fumbled over her words for a few moments. Finally, she gathered her thoughts and looked into Zennyo's purple eyes.

"Fortis."

Nodding, the Chinese dragon then exhaled through his nostrils, releasing black flames.

"Now - don't think too hard about this one - who do you see improving the most?"

Stroking her chin while deep in thought, Potens sat on the ground and crossed her legs like a Native, causing her Type Beast to try and face-palm. Several minutes later - at least, in the chamber - Potens opened her eyes and stared at the much larger figure.

"Well, all of my teammates are improving, and at exponential rates, to boot," the Noivern stated, causing Zennyo to raise his eyes a bit before a slight smile crept across his face. "I can't pick, really. They're all busting their butts every day when Gray calls for training, and even more so during battles."

Nodding at the response, Zennyo waited for his carrier to continue. Reading the dragon's body language, Potens did just that.

"If I had to say who's _impressed_ me the most, it'd be Virtus."

Potens paused once again. This time, as Zennyo motioned for her to continue, he noticed the Pokemon that was maybe a tenth of his height hang her head.

 _"That's odd,"_ he thought to himself, recognizing the way she was staying still didn't signify sadness.

"She's blown me away, really, and not even in terms of battling," the bat started, her head rising slightly with each word escaping her mouth. "Ever since the day we met, I sensed... I don't know if I'd call it a friendship or something else."

"And why is that?" Zennyo questioned, masking the annoyed tone yet failing to do the same with his eyes.

Suddenly, Potens' neck snapped up and she locked eyes with the gigantic beast.

"Because it's more than that."

Zennyo's eyes shot wide open and he flinched at the bold words. Potens didn't pay him any attention, however, and continued speaking about her teammate.

"We're similar, she and I," the dragon and flying type announced while rising to her feet. "Our goals are the same, and we'll achieve them, no matter what it takes!"

Lowering his head and smiling warmly, Zennyo began to feel the chains around his wrists loosen drastically, though he didn't seem to care. Instead, he listened to every word his carrier uttered, enjoying each one more than the previous.

 _"Potens,"_ he thought to himself, the smile stretching from one ear to the other.

"So, uh, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Zennyo began to stroke his chin before shrugging, causing Potens to deadpan.

"Oh, wait!" he exclaimed, grabbing the Noivern's attention. "I know training may not be fun, and Fortis is demanding a lot from you, but in order to reach your potential, Potens, you must slog through unpleasant things. Not only do your friends think highly of you," he stated, causing Potens to flinch, "but Fortis does too. In fact, he believes you have the ability to become stronger than every Pokemon in the world - past, present, and future."

Potens recoiled at the announcement and hung her head in shame, picturing Fortis walking into the Pokemon Center.

 _"He really has gone above and beyond to help me, whether it was with getting over Bellator leaving, or helping me when I told him I wanted to be stronger than Bellator ever could,"_ she thought to herself as tears swelled in her eyes, once again eliciting a warm smile from Zennyo.

"Fortis, I won't let you down!" Potens proclaimed, her voice echoing in the chamber.

Nodding at her own words, the dragon type bowed to Zennyo and began to turn her back to him before stopping.

"Hey, Zennyo?" she asked.

"Yes?"

Silence.

The Dragon Type-Beast narrowed his eyes while staring at Potens, his patience rapidly wearing thin. Just as he prepared to snap, the young creature turned to him.

"I won't let you down either," Potens vowed, beaming at the wise creature. "And thank you for this talk. I need to go apologize to Fortis."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait to do that," Zennyo replied immediately, throwing the big-eared Pokemon off. "Eden and Sylveon are coming for a battle."

Tilting her head in confusion, Potens attempted to make an inquiry about the observation.

"I know Eden's aura too well after all these years," the dragon said, chuckling. "It's at a way higher level than usual. Potens, I know this is sudden, but listen very carefully to these next few words, got it?"

"Got it!"

"This fight will be unlike any other you've ever had. It won't be like your last Gym Battle; I'm going to be by your side the entire time."

 **000**

Potens slowly opened her eyes and watched Virtus and Zoroark charge at one another shortly after Noah threw both of his arms up. Dicax, meanwhile, had only begun explaining why Fortis reacted the way he did.

 _"That's... weird. I could've sworn Zennyo and I talked for almost an hour."_

Shaking off the odd progression of time, the Noivern turned and walked towards Arcanine and Alain. Once she reached the two, they looked her way before immediately shifting their attention back to the battlefield.

"Hey, could either one of you possibly talk to Fortis and get him to come back out here?" the young dragon type questioned as she looked back and forth between the Kalosian and quadruped.

Sighing, Arcanine nodded and walked into the Pokemon Center.

Just as he did so, Zoroark unleashed a flurry of slashes, yet Virtus seemed to be as composed as ever. Evading each and every one with the utmost grace, she left not only N and Zoroark in utter shock, but Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Dicax, Gray, and Alain as well. Potens grinned at the purple mustelid and watched as Virtus suddenly shot forwards and performed a series of Force Palm attacks, just like Gray had ordered.

Zoroark's attempted dodges eventually failed after about ten, though Virtus refrained from releasing the pent-up energy in her palm. Once her hand stopped glowing white, the mustelid bowed to Zoroark and vice versa, drawing applause from all in attendance.

While the group continued cheering for Virtus, Potens noticed a pair of figures in the Pokemon Center, bringing an excited smile to her face. Just as she was about to run forwards, she heard a slight ring in her head.

 _"What is it, Zennyo?"_

The dragon laughed, finding Potens' picking up on the signals he sent to contact her comical.

 _"They're here. Are you ready?"_

 _"As ready as I'll ever be."_

A much lower ring followed the answer, and Potens sighed at the Type Beast's sudden departure from the conversation. However, she shook it off quickly and walked over to Gray and her teammates at the same time as the door sliding open.

Stepping foot in the room, a boy, maybe sixteen or seventeen years of age looked around while a Sylveon seemed to be glued to his side.

He was a bit shorter than five and a half feet - maybe 5'4". His short, black hair and fair skin tone accentuated two light-blue eyes.

His Sylveon spotted Potens almost right away, and the fairy type broke into a dead sprint while beaming. Gray turned as she heard the sound of something skidding, which turned out to be none other than the fairy type. Staring at it, the brunette smiled before noticing the eeveelution's trainer appear.

"S-s-sorry," he stammered, retracting his hands into the sleeves of his blood-red hoodie. Twiddling his thumbs through the fabric, the unfamiliar trainer began to sweat a bit after noticing he was the center of attention. "U-uh, Sylveon, apo-apologize, please."

Turning away from her trainer nonchalantly, the aforementioned Pokemon extended the four ribbons on her neck to each of Gray, Noah, Alain, and N before speaking with the help of a translator that was around her neck.

"Hi! I'm Sylveon, and this is my good buddy, Trevor, Trevor Collins!"

Trevor nearly turned as white as a ghost when Sylveon gave away his name, causing everyone else to look at each other uneasily.

"What are your names? I want to make as many friends as possible before our journey ends!"

Zoroark, deadpanning at the overly-enthusiastic Pokemon, leaned towards Furcifer and whispered, "This girl's a weirdo."

Unfortunately for Zoroark, Sylveon was able to hear exactly what she said because no one had responded.

"You're lucky I'm not closer, because if I was, I'd choke you out and stomp on your head until it turned to applesauce!" the fairy type shrieked with bloodlust, sending chills down everyone's spines, including Trevor's.

In the blink of an eye, the happy-go-lucky ditz of a Pokemon had turned into a bloodthirsty demon, but after taking a deep breath, the cute, innocent look she originally had reappeared. Gray glanced at Noah and the two sweat dropped nervously while Alain and N remained emotionless.

All of the Pokemon, however, backpedaled away from Sylveon after watching her aggressively shake Noah, N, Alain, and Gray's hands, save for Potens and Virtus. Seeing the confidence both were radiating, Sylveon smiled like an idiot, though that didn't appear to catch Virtus by surprise. Potens refrained from sighing at the shenanigans, knowing she'd most likely be scolded by Zennyo for doing so.

"Sorry about that," Sylveon said, referring to her outburst from earlier. "Anyhow, what are your names?"

"I'm N, and I believe you're already well-acquainted with Zoroark," the green-haired man said jokingly, only to tense up when Sylveon's eyes were filled with rage.

"My name's Alain."

"Noah. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Gray Plain. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sylveon. You too, Trevor," the brunette said with a cheeky smile.

Sylveon cheered in response while Trevor began to blush at being addressed.

"Hey, that's a pretty cool necklace you've got there," Unicus opined while pointing at the silver link of chains around the awkward boy's neck.

Sweating intensely, Trevor began to bow but tripped over his own two feet. Inches away from meeting the ground, he was suddenly stopped by his Pokemon, who continued smiling even as she stared at Trevor.

"So what do you want?" Alain asked bluntly, making his traveling companions glare at him. Noticing the angered looks, he sighed and reworded the question. "I mean, what brings you here?"

Trevor continued twiddling his thumbs and stuttered wildly, prompting Sylveon to make things easier by speaking for herself and her trainer.

"Well, I just finished getting healed by Nurse Joy when I saw that Noivern," the fairy type stated, pointing one of the ribbons from her neck at Potens, who glared daggers in response. Oblivious to the dragon type's non-verbal communication, Sylveon continued blabbing. "Yeah, her eyes started turning purple and stuff, so here we are!"

Potens looked around nervously as she felt all of the blood in her body rush up to her face. Surprisingly, no one made a scene, which baffled Trevor.

"Hasn't that happened before?" Dicax inquired.

"Yup! Potens transformed into this weird thing and then she got-"

Slamming her hand over Unicus' mouth, Potens gave her teammate the most terrifying look she could, shutting the shrew up. She was shocked, however, when Trevor said, "Th-that's cool!"

Sylveon nodded emphatically while smiling at Potens, who continued glaring at her. Too enraged to speak, the dragon and flying type channeled a bit of her energy to her mind. After a second, she was relieved to hear a response from Zennyo.

 _"Hey, what's wrong?"_

 _"I can't tell if she's stupid or an incredible actress."_

 _"Hahaha! That's a good one. I'd write it down if I had a pencil and paper... and if I wasn't chained up."_ The dragon's voice drifted off awkwardly for a moment before he spoke once again. _"I forgot to mention this earlier, but, according to Eden, this isn't their first time battling against a Type Beast and carrier, so we need to be even more careful than I initially thought."_

"Potens?"

Snapping out of her conversation with Zennyo, Potens looked straight at Sylveon, who was eyeing her intently.

"Let's have a battle!"

Trevor face-palmed at his Pokemon's impatience, but quickly put his hand down and looked at the dragon type, as well as her trainer.

Turning to one another, Potens and Gray broke eye contact and nodded in unison, eliciting a series of cheers from their fairy type opponent.

After entering their trainer boxes, Trevor and Gray locked eyes while Noah raised both arms towards the sky.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Sylveon and Potens! Furthermore, the battle will be over when either side is unable to continue! Gray, because you were challenged, you have the first move!"

Nodding, Gray turned her attention to both of her opponents while Potens narrowed her eyes and glared at Sylveon.

"Potens, let's do this! Use Flamethrower!"

"Light Screen!" Trevor countered immediately.

Throwing her head forwards while her jaws snapped open, Potens shot an intense ball of fire that uncurled itself and transformed into a stream. Sylveon, however, extended her four ribbons into different directions in the shape of a square. Instantly, a box of psychic energy formed around the fairy type, shielding her from the intense wave of fire.

"Damn, that's crazy!" Furcifer exclaimed as the fire from Potens' Flamethrower parted and skidded past Trevor, who remained stationary despite how close they were.

"You can say that again," Dicax muttered, shaking his head in awe. "If Sylveon can block Potens' strongest move that easily, this isn't going to go well," he concluded.

Unicus, Celsus, and Virtus turned towards their brilliant teammate and frowned at the analysis. As the sunlight broke through the clouds in the sky above, it reflected off the glass panels on the roof, creating an intense glare. Being the victim of the unfortunate event, Potens cover her eyes with her right wing and let out a cry while stumbling backwards.

"Now's our chance, Trevor!" Sylveon shrieked as she bounded across the battlefield and lunged at her dragon type opponent.

"Right! Sylveon, turn up the speed with Quick Attack!"

While still airborne, the eeveelution extended her front legs and shot straight forwards like a jet. A white ray of light railed her body and she braced for impact. Much to the quadruped and her trainer's dismay, Potens bent her knees and sprung into the air. Gray cracked a grin at her Pokemon, focusing on the large pair of ears atop Potens' head.

"What!?" Trevor and Sylveon shouted in unison while Potens flew around naturally, ignoring the fact that she had been temporarily blinded.

 _"It's almost like she has an extra pair of eyes! I didn't think she'd be this strong,"_ Sylveon thought to herself, narrowing her eyes in frustration.

 _"Relax, Honey,"_ Eden said in the eeveelution's subconscious. _"You've only attacked twice, and if things don't go your way, I'm here to bring support."_

"Potens, keep building up speed and then use Acrobatics!"

Roaring in response, the Noivern was enveloped in teal light. Suddenly, she began to change directions on a dime, though Sylveon was still able to track her movements. With both eyes glued to the bat, Sylveon suddenly leaped back while Potens crashed into the ground her target had been standing on. A cloud of dust shot up and covered Gray's half of the battlefield.

"Don't hold anything back! Moonblast!" Trevor commanded, stomping as he did so.

In a mere second, the entire cloud began to glow pink before another explosion ensued. Flying out of the smoke and slamming into the glass behind her trainer, Potens slunk to the ground with her eyes being forced shut. The powerful Pokemon bit her lip in pain while placing a hand over her chest before her breathing picked up.

While everyone focused on the winged creature, Charizard, Arcanine, and Fortis walked out of the Pokemon Center and over to the sideline where the others were. Stopping once they reached Alain's side, the trio of older Pokemon accurately analyzed the situation within four seconds.

"Potens looks like she's in pretty bad condition. That thing's no joke," Arcanine said, glancing at Sylveon. "Potens doesn't stand a chance."

Charizard reluctantly nodded alongside Zoroark, N, and Alain while Fortis leaned against a tree without saying a word. Overhearing the comment, Virtus looked at the quintet and joined them. The fighting type locked eyes with both of the trainers and their Pokemon, ignoring Fortis, and then shook her head.

"You're wrong," she said matter-of-factly.

"How?" Zoroark shot back, immediately returning her attention to Potens, who was still leaning against the glass. "She's only taken one attack, and yet her health is almost gone."

The purple mustelid scoffed at Zoroark's remark and shook her head, irritating the dark type.

"Something tells me things are about to get interesting."

 **000**

A sliver of light. Expanding, expanding, expanding. Potens groggily stood up and rubbed her throbbing head, muttering something under her breath. Much to her surprise, she found herself in Zennyo's chamber. The purple dragon was staring her down intently, though he didn't seem agitated, oddly enough.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to get knocked out this early," the Chinese dragon announced. "Sylveon's personality doesn't exactly correlate with how strong she is."

The smaller creature nodded slowly before turning away in shame. She suddenly looked back at the Dragon Type-Beast when the chains around his wrist emitted a jingling sound. Staring at the pieces of metal, Potens narrowed her eyes and sighed, hanging her head.

"I'm sorry, Zennyo. I wish I could've lasted longer to let you get a chance at fighting Eden."

A soft, deep chuckle followed the Noivern's apology, causing her to glare daggers at the fifty foot tall beast. Her intensity was erased though, when she noticed the kind look in his eyes.

"You don't need to be conscious for me to lend you power."

Potens flinched in shock.

"I would tell you to use this carefully, but I'm not going to reserve anything that I can, so go nuts," the kind dragon announced as he was enveloped in purple aura. Transferring it to the ground, Zennyo watched closely as his energy crept across the ground and surrounded Potens. Then, creeping up her body as if it were its own entity, the energy swallowed her whole. But instead of being drowned by it, the Noivern felt as if she were being brought back from the dead as an ungodly power coursed through her veins.

Looking down at the water on the ground, Potens gasped when she saw that her facial structure had changed.

"The power I give, at least for now, will make you take on some of my physical characteristics. Think of it as you becoming a part of me."

Potens remained silent.

"Now, when I snap my fingers," he started, locking eyes with his carrier, "you're going to be behind Gray. Sylveon's going to tap into Eden's energy in four moves. Make sure you finish with an attack that's a dragon type."

Zennyo, snapping his fingers as soon as he finished speaking, watched as Potens disappeared.

 **000**

"Hey, do you see what's happening to Potens?" N asked as he faced Alain. "Please tell me I'm not crazy."

Potens eyes began to turn a burning purple, making it easy for everyone on the sidelines to see. Following that, a circle of purple aura spun around the dragon type's feet. While it crept up the fainted Pokemon's body, Sylveon and Trevor looked at one another - the latter appearing to be intimidated while his Pokemon cracked an eager grin.

Gray and Noah, as well as Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, and Dicax, stared with their mouths agape. Virtus remained composed on the exterior despite being in utter shock.

The Kalos Pokemon suddenly rose to her feet while the aura continued spiraling around her, and she locked her sights onto Sylveon. Unleashing an ear-piercing roar, Potens then looked at the brunette by her side and smiled. Flinching at the action, Gray was immediately brought back to her Gym Battle with Skyla, and how Potens had done the exact same thing.

"Gray, let's win this thing - you and me," she said, failing to mention the source of her power.

Nodding after a few seconds, the eighteen year old smiled and locked eyes with Trevor.

"It's time we stop playing around!" she and Potens shouted in unison, catching both of their opponents by surprise while Noah and Arcanine gasped, drawing Fortis' attention.

"If they're going to lower your long-range attacks' powers, then we'll get in close! Potens, use Super Fang!"

The aforementioned Pokemon nodded at her trainer's command and took off at warp speed, leaving a trail of purple aura, which seemed to take the property of stray flames, in her tracks. Everyone gasped once again as Potens reached Sylveon before the quadruped could even blink, and she sunk her teeth into her target's neck. A pained shriek followed, and Potens began shaking the injured Pokemon violently.

"Sy-Sylveon!" Trevor stuttered, his confidence suddenly evaporating as he watched his lone Pokemon cry bloody murder. "Use Swift!"

"Throw her and cancel it out with Air Cutter!"

Just as she attempted to send a flurry of golden stars at the dragon type, Sylveon was sent hurtling through the air. She still managed to get the attack off in time, however, Potens was more than ready to counter as her wings began to glow light blue. Throwing them both with unparalleled force, she roared as several crescents of air flew through the golden stars. Slamming into Sylveon, they exploded on contact and hurled her against the ground.

"Please hang in there! Please!"

Sylveon grunted weakly in response while attempting to get herself off the ground, but she was unable to, prompting Gray to thrust her right hand forwards.

"Acrobatics!"

Disappearing like a flash, Potens caused her opponents' eyes to shoot wide open before she materialized a few feet above her fairy type foe. Then, descending without care for her own wellbeing, the Noivern rammed into Sylveon while blinding teal light surrounded her. The force of the attack caused the ground underneath them to crack, and the air seemed to leave the room while Potens returned to Gray's side.

"How?" Celsus asked aloud. "How did she just turn the tables so quickly?"

His teammates were too wowed to respond, staring at the bipedal bat, who let out another roar which nearly shattered the glass panels protecting them from the harsh elements outside. As she did so, Potens began to look at everyone supporting her before eventually stopping at Virtus, who still seemed poised. Fortis had the same expression, but wasn't visible from Potens' viewpoint.

 _"I won't let you become stronger than me, Virtus! I'll train until I can't move if that's what it takes!"_ the super-powered Pokemon thought to herself before seeing Sylveon, out of the corner of her eyes, stand up.

Panting wildly while slouching over, the fairy type winced in pain as soon as she allocated weight to her front left leg. Still, she refused to back down and continued looking right at her foe before finally spinning around to talk to her trainer.

"Trevor, I don't know how much longer I can go at this rate," she admitted. "I'm going to have her help," the fairy type whispered, drawing a reluctant nod from Trevor. "Okay, I need to do this, and fast."

"We won't be letting you do anything!" Gray shouted as she watched Sylveon close her eyes. "Potens, Flamethrower!"

 _"Remember, Potens, use a dragon type move,"_ Zennyo stated right after hearing Gray's command. _"Trust me, it'll work."_

Reluctantly obeying the Dragon Type-Beast, Potens reared her head back before exhaling dramatically. A burst of draconic energy zipped out of her mouth and, much to her shock, took the shape of Zennyo. Instead of being multicolored like it usually was, the Dragon Pulse attack was a deep purple, making it nearly identical to the Chinese dragon.

Enraged by her Pokemon's disobedience, Gray turned to Potens and inhaled in preparation of screaming. She was unable to get a word out in time, though, and the god-like power of the attack made itself known to everyone in attendance. Swallowing Sylveon, it exploded and engulfed the entire room in smoke, causing everyone to hack up a lung. Lucky for them, vacuums shot out of the ground and sucked up the thick air. In doing so, it was revealed that Sylveon had fainted.

"What!? That's not possible! Fairy types are immune to dragon types!" Furcifer screamed while jumping up and down like a lunatic. "I call shenanigans!"

Unicus emphatically agreed with her teammate and mirrored her movements, hollering the exact same phrase. The other Pokemon, meanwhile, were silenced by the unfathomable strength that had been displayed.

 _"Potens,"_ Virtus thought to herself, biting her lower lip as she clenched her hands as tight as possible. _"What... are you?"_

Staring at her closest friend and teammate, the mustelid remained baffled by both Potens' odd transformation and newfound power. Then, looking down at her hands, she cursed under her breath while cracking a slight smile and laughed to herself.

 _"If that's what you're capable of, I don't know how I'm going to catch up to you. Even so, I will find a way to be stronger!"_

Fortis continued leaning against a tree off on the sidelines by his lonesome and analyzed his pupil closely behind the red covers over his eyes. Looking even closer, he noticed that her eyes - her purple eyes - contained something that caused him to recoil.

 _"That's not Potens' strength. It can't be."_

As the spotlight refused to leave Potens, Sylveon, who had been laying on the ground with her face down, began to move. N and Charizard were the first two to notice and pointed, drawing the attention of everyone else in a heartbeat. With each passing second, Sylveon stood taller and taller before, finally, she was upright.

In what felt like less than a nanosecond, the fairy type's eyes turned pink, and she was shrouded in a sky-blue coat of aura, similar to the purple energy around Potens. Shooting out from the top of her head were two antennae made from the odd body of aura.

Trevor was the only person, other than Potens, to not shout in confusion, and he grinned cheekily at Gray, stopping the brunette's frenetic questioning. When she quieted down, the young woman noticed Sylveon's wounds begin to disappear just like Potens' had.

 _"So it looks like Eden's finally coming out to fight,"_ Zennyo announced within Potens' subconscious, eliciting a mental grunt from the big-eared bat. _"Sylveon's defense is going to be sky-high, and her attack power will be at dangerous levels. From here on out, you can't be reckless. Got it?"_

 _"Got it,"_ Potens replied boldly before taking off.

Soaring around the battlefield at mach speed, the Noivern let out a ferocious cry as she descended and attempted to strike her target. Sylveon, however, hopped over her and evaded the attack with relative ease, causing Gray to bite her lower lip in concern.

"Knock Potens out of the sky with Fairy Wind!" Trevor commanded.

Doing just as she was told, Sylveon flicked her ribbons towards Potens and sent a gale force, pink wind at the dragon type, though Gray was quick on her feet and hurriedly issued a counterattack.

"Use Agility to evade it, and follow it up with Acrobatics!" she cried, throwing her right arm out to her side.

Potens smirked and disappeared in an instant, though Trevor nor Sylveon seemed worried in the slightest. Then, without even looking, the quadruped jumped back while Potens, encased in teal energy, slammed into the ground from above. The ground cracked once again, though this time it caved in and had changed into a different terrain.

"Again, Sylveon! This time, follow it up by using Swift!"

The fairy type whipped her ribbons towards Potens once again, though this time a pink tornado flew across the battlefield. Unable to avoid, the big-eared Pokemon cried in pain as she was trapped in the middle of the super effective attack. Sylveon refused to relent, however, as she fired a wave of golden stars, which were sucked into the spiraling body of wind before striking Potens and exploding on contact, hurling her towards Gray.

"We'll answer right back! Potens, Flamethrower!"

"Not so fast! Cushion the blow, Sylveon! Use Light Screen followed by-"

"Shit, he's using that again?" Noah asked himself aloud before sweat dropping when he noticed everyone had heard what he said. However, Sylveon and Trevor weren't fazed by the interruption, as they had effectively communicated the set of orders.

Potens suddenly threw her head forwards and unleashed a tremendous blast of fire that had, somehow, turned purple. As the fire type attack closed in on her, Sylveon slammed her front paws against the ground while the blue aura around her body began to glow intensely. Shortly thereafter, she was encased in a box of psychic energy, which had no trouble withstanding the Flamethrower attack. Right after the flames ceased, Sylveon shot forwards while engulfed in a pink ball of energy. Orange streaks spun around it like a drill, and she crashed into Potens, who let out a shriek in pain before being slammed into the ground yet again.

"How are Sylveon's defenses so strong?" N asked aloud, stroking his chin while deep in thought.

"I'm not sure, but I want to have a battle against her and Trevor," Alain stated, followed by a grunt of agreement from Charizard.

The two older trainers continued thinking about the answer to N's question before Fortis stopped leaning against the tree behind them and walked forwards. Turning to face the dragon and ground type, both Alain and N, as well as Charizard and Zoroark, waited for him to speak.

"Even though it doesn't look the same, Sylveon's transformation is vaguely similar to Potens'," he said, pointing at the fairy type. "Look. They're both enveloped in aura, their appearances changed slightly, and they're even stronger than before."

The quartet glanced back and forth at the combatants before Charizard laughed under his breath and patted his friend on the back, seemingly unsurprised by Fortis' ability to pick up on subtleties.

Back on the battlefield, Potens - who was drifting in and out of consciousness - attempted to get back on her feet, but fell forwards. Her face smacked against the ground, and the aura around her body began to disappear.

"Hang in there, Potens! I know you can do it!" Gray cheered.

"Yeah! Come on, Potens!" the aforementioned Pokemon's teammates screamed in unison.

"Show 'em what you're capable of!" Noah and Arcanine exclaimed.

"You can't fall here! Not after how hard you've fought!" Zoroark barked while N nodded in agreement.

"Make Fortis proud!" Charizard shouted while Alain awkwardly muttered the same thing.

Hearing all of the support, Potens forced her eyes open and looked at each of her friends with a weak smile. After seeing all of them, she focused intently on Fortis, who hadn't said anything and still appeared to be upset with her. Cursing under her breath, the Noivern's eyes began to close until she saw her mentor stick his arm out and give her a thumbs up.

As soon as Fortis did so, Potens' eyes shot wide open and she was on her feet in a split second.

"I'm not losing here!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as the aura around her body began to change from a light shade of purple to one that was almost black.

Sylveon and Trevor stared in shock along with everyone else before gasping when two wings shot out of Potens' back while her normal ones retracted back inside her. However, in their place were two arms, similar to those of Fortis and Charizard. The end of her tail also had a spiked ball on the end of it, and her eye color matched that of the aura.

"That's..." Gray paused, her mind immediately going back to the battle she and Noah had against Bryony and her Bisharp. "Potens..." She stared in awe at her powerhouse as she pictured Potens as a Noibat. Arcanine and Noah also gaped at the sight like Gray, sharing her memory.

While everyone continued staring at the new transformation, Sylveon began to tremble slightly before hearing Eden speak in her subconscious.

 _"I would've never expected them to be able to activate the second transformation. That Zennyo,"_ she muttered.

 _"So what are we going to do?"_ Sylveon inquired mentally, waiting for the enormous butterfly to calm her nerves.

 _"Stay at this stage, because it's only a matter of time before Potens tires herself out. No one's able to last long the first time they do this."_

Meanwhile, Zennyo's eyes went wide in shock as he felt the chains around his wrists weaken severely. Closing his eyes, he was able to see that Potens had taken some of his energy and used it to transform.

"How?" the Chinese dragon inquired, shocked by his carrier's appearance. "How did she..." He paused and chuckled at the answer that popped into his head. "Well, if you really don't want to let Fortis down, then go for it."

Meanwhile, off to the side of the battlefield, Gray's Pokemon remained silent and couldn't help but stare holes through their teammate. Even as they attempted to look at one another, their necks refused to turn away from the unfathomable sight.

"Trevor!" Gray called, snapping everyone out of their trance. "We won't hold anything back from here on out! Are you ready?"

Nervously twiddling his thumbs, the younger trainer nodded in unison with Sylveon.

"Y-yeah. I think it's y-your move."

The Kantonian nodded and inhaled deeply before punching her right fist forwards.

"Potens, use Air Cutter, and don't let up!"

Roaring at a deafening pitch, Potens sprung into the air with her new, powerful wings and locked onto Sylveon. Then, as her wings began to glow light blue, she flapped them as hard as possible several dozen times, sending a flurry of enormous crescents towards the fairy type.

"Get away from them with Quick Attack!"

Bolting across the battlefield in hopes of evading the devastating attacks, Sylveon wailed as she was struck by several of the air-crescents, which all exploded on contact. Smoke swallowed the room, though the vacuums underground popped out of the battlefield and sucked it away, revealing the combatants.

"Keep it going, Potens! Time to use Super Fang!"

"Sylveon, don't back down! Use Giga Impact!" Trevor screamed.

Both Pokemon took off at full speed and let out battle-cries as they closed in on one another. While four gigantic fangs of white energy shot out of Potens' mouth, Sylveon was enveloped in pink energy with orange streaks spiraling around it. Colliding, the two Pokemon fought back and forth for about ten seconds before Sylveon prevailed and sent Potens spiraling into the glass behind Gray, who spun around and let out a sigh of relief when she saw the panels hadn't cracked.

"Can you keep going, buddy?" Gray asked after Potens landed a few feet in front of her and grimaced, gripping her right side.

Waving off her concerned trainer, the dragon type shot into the air and snarled at her opponent.

"I'll take that as a yes," the brunette muttered, sweat dropping as she did so. "Okay, use Flamethrower!"

Potens inhaled and reared her head back before throwing it forwards and releasing a powerful wave of fire from her mouth. The purple flames closed in on Sylveon and scorched her, but the blue coat of aura around her body seemed to take the brunt of the attack, which caused Gray to narrow her eyes.

"You know what to do! Use Swift to take her out of the sky!"

"Potens, destroy it with Dragon Pulse!"

Firing a flurry of gold stars at her winged opponent, Sylveon grinned as she watched her attack close in. In the blink of an eye, Potens shot a beam of draconic energy that took the shape of Zennyo and rammed through the normal type attack. Exploding on the ground right in front of her, Sylveon was hurled into the glass wall behind Trevor. The teen spun around worriedly before letting out a sigh of relief when he saw his Pokemon walking back to his side, and then he pointed at the cloud of smoke masking Potens.

"Get rid of the smoke with Fairy Wind!" Trevor shouted.

Hurling her ribbons forwards, Sylveon created a tornado of pink energy that swallowed and cleared the smoke. As the body of wind danced across the broken battlefield, it inhaled Potens. The dragon type shrieked in pain as the super effective attack cut her body, but Gray's quick thinking kept her Pokemon from receiving any additional damage.

"Use Air Cutter to slice through it!" she shrieked.

Flapping both of her wings as hard as she could, Potens let out a sigh of relief when the crescents of air shredded Sylveon's Fairy Wind. She then descending slowly - again grimacing - and provided an opening for Trevor. Gray, however, anticipated her opponent's actions.

"Now, Quick Attack, Sylveon!"

"Potens, use Acrobatics to counter!"

Both Pokemon obeyed and reached the center of the battlefield before anyone could breathe, and they collided at full speed. Upon impact, an explosion occurred and launched the two creatures into the ground, leaving everyone in shock as chunks of the battlefield shot into the air before falling and cracking against the earth.

Somehow, Potens and Sylveon stood up with lacerations, bruises, and blood covering the former's body.

"That doesn't make sense!" Unicus screamed, pointing at Sylveon as she did so. "There's no way Potens is in that bad of shape and she isn't!"

Furcifer, Dicax, and Celsus remained speechless, and so did Virtus, who walked over in hopes of calming them down. Her flustered demeanor, however, only made things worse.

"That's amazing," Fortis muttered, shaking his head in awe. "Not getting hurt from attacks as powerful as Potens'... it's like Sylveon's invincible."

Gray stared in dismay as Sylveon turned back to Trevor and nodded, prompting him to issue one final command. The eighteen year old then looked at Potens and bit her lower lip, not wanting her to get hurt.

"Sylveon, it's time to end this! Moonblast!"

Eagerly charging the attack, a massive ball of fairy energy formed in front of Sylveon's mouth at an exponential rate. Just as she was about to fire, the quadruped watched as Potens suddenly fell on her face. The purple aura around her faded immediately, and she reverted back to her normal appearance once on the ground, prompting Sylveon to stop her attack.

Noah watched as Gray ran over to her Pokemon's side and when he saw the bat's eyes were closed, he raised his arms.

"Potens is unable to continue! That means Trevor and Sylveon are the winners!"

Upon hearing the conclusion of the bout, Virtus, Dicax, Celsus, Furcifer, and Unicus rushed over to Potens' side and worriedly gathered around her.

"Hey, are you okay? Potens!?" Unicus questioned wildly as she attempted to grab and shake her teammate, only to be held back by the huge jaws on Dicax's head.

Slowly opening her eyes, Potens looked up at the others and chuckled. Before she could say a word, she went unconscious, prompting Gray to withdraw the Noivern and rush towards the interior of the Pokemon Center along with her friends and Pokemon.

Trevor and Sylveon watched as the group disappeared inside and they looked at one another once they were alone.

"Do you think we should tell them why we're here?" Sylveon quizzed, eliciting an indecisive response from her trainer. "Maybe when the time's right," she muttered, unaware of a pair of glowing pink eyes in the distance that had watched the entire battle.

* * *

 **Well, that was fun. Not as epic as it could've been, but I didn't want it to be. So Potens and Sylveon battled with the latter winning, and things ended with Sylveon wanting to tell Gray and the others the reason for her and Trevor being there (at the Pokemon Center). Next chapter will tease/tell y'all about what's going to happen in the future, as well as the fates of some members of the group. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on the battle?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Last Piece of the Puzzle**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Frustrated with her loss to Sylveon, Potens goes off to train on her own. However, after running into a relatively familiar face who has a warning for Gray, the two return to the Pokemon Center. What lies in store for Gray and the others?_**

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 81: Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice** **  
** **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	80. Last Piece of the Puzzle

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's** **)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and Eden standing behind them, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go!** **Together we'll weather the storm!** **(Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (** **The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hallo, readers. Last chapter, Gray and Potens battled Trevor and Sylveon, and they lost :/ Potens did unlock a new transformation though, so that's a solid consolation. This chapter, Now let's get going!**

 **Defender31415:** _Thanks, and Zennyo was able to determine it because... he's badass? XD I don't know, to be honest, I just thought it was kind of cool to throw it in there. As for Virtus and Potens, nope. The final capture, however, will be interested in both of them (I'll elaborate on it when he joins)_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _XD Thanks! I don't know if there will be another battle between Type Beasts (in the main story, at least), but I'm hoping to get some epic battles in with_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _If you mean Bellator, then no. In fact, Atlantio's carrier hasn't been introduced in either story. And yes, 'nuff said XD_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Haha, yeah. Sylveon's very unique compared to the other carriers, and her personality is fun to portray. Bellator's case is a weird one that's going to need a lot more explaining for anyone to really understand what was happening to him. There is a Type Beast, but it's not one you've been introduced to_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Gracias, but I don't think Sylveon and Eden will get another battle in this story :/ TLG will have them featured quite a bit, though. Hardcore Potens is hardcore XD_

 **SirSwag333:** _Well, yeah, haha. Potens would win because she's Potens, but Sylveon has Eden and experience... so you make a good point. And Virtus will be great. Sure, she'll lose some tough battles, but overall, she'll easily be Gray's second strongest_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Ayy, no worries, man. I'd much rather get another chapter of TGQ than a longer-than-short review XD Potens and Sylveon were really awesome - and Zennyo and Eden, even though the latter didn't really talk much, if at all. Keep on trucking!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lolol, I don't see what's wrong with that, considering I do it quite a bit. Sylveon and Trevor are a really great duo (thank TheGreat0ne for the submission) and, now that I look over it, Sylveon really did crush Potens XD Thanks for the compliments!_

 **DansGame (guest):** _That doesn't make sense. Synchro needs a trainer, and I've said countless times that Bellator won't evolve. Gray hasn't dated no several times either. And stop using guest names when I know this is NodokaLover. You were blocked for a reason_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)** **  
** **Potens, (f), level 48,** **Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang,** **Acrobatics** **, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)** **  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)** **  
** **Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Virtus, (f), level 38, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Gray?"

The brunette turned.

She had been sitting in a booth in the foodcourt with N and Zoroark. Her Pokemon had gone outside to train with Alain, Arcanine, Charizard, and Noah. Snapping out of her daze, Gray looked over at N.

"Everything okay?"

The eighteen year old slowly sighed and rested her head on her hands. Zoroark glanced at her friend and then back at Gray, who looked off to her right and at random trainers who were eating with their Pokemon.

"I'm fine," she said. "But..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head.

N remained silent and waited for his traveling companion to continue. After a few moments, she did.

"It's Potens. That transformation she underwent against Sylveon happened once before when Teams Flare and Plasma attacked us," Gray stated. "But I don't know why it happened then or yesterday."

The green-haired man nodded and rubbed his chin while pondering the question. Zoroark mimicked N's actions, drawing muffled laughter from Gray. The trio remained silent, however, until N's eyes shot open and he slid out of the booth. Both Gray and Zoroark looked at him in confusion until watching the twenty year old walk away, prompting them to glance at one another before following.

Walking through the foodcourt and out of the Pokemon Center, the girl and fox made their way towards N, who was speaking with Alain and Noah.

"Hey!" Zoroark shouted, causing N to spin around. "Tell us what you're thinking!"

"Well, let me preface this by saying I wanted to make sure Noah and Alain thought it was sound first before I spoke to Gray."

The brunette and Zoroark watched as the Kalosian and Noah nodded in support of N's statement.

"Okay, so what's up?" Gray quizzed before noticing all of the Pokemon were off at the other end of the battlefield, minding their own business.

"It might be some type of Mega Evolution she can do on her own. I wouldn't have thought of this had we never met Trevor and Sylveon," N stated, causing Gray to look over at the Noivern while narrowing her eyes.

Watching Potens converse with Fortis and Virtus, Gray began to run a hand through her hair before folding her arms and biting her lower lip.

"That'd be crazy if it's true," Noah opined, drawing nods from his companions and Zoroark. "But, I mean, Synchro Evolution's crazier if you ask me."

As the trainers continued speaking, Virtus sat down and wiped the sweat from her brow. The intense rays of the sun were beating down on Icirrus City, yet somehow, the snow wasn't melting entirely. Her teammates followed suit and did the same, save for Potens, who, despite being drenched in sweat, called for Fortis.

"Hey, what else do I have to work on?" she questioned, causing the Flygon to raise an eyebrow and stare at his student.

"What do you mean? You're done for today. Hell, with how much you worked, you could be good for another three."

The younger dragon type scowled in response and stomped like a child. Celsus stared in confusion for a second, but stopped when Potens spun around and looked at him, Unicus, Furcifer, Dicax, and Virtus.

"What's going on, Potens?" the Girafarig asked as he stood up, drawing the bat's attention.

"I need to train some more. The league's coming up and I need to be in peak form to help Gray," she answered. "You guys are already done?"

Unicus shook her head at the rhetorical question but turned when she heard Dicax.

"That's not what's bothering you though. It's not hard to tell you're lying."

Potens frowned at the intelligent Mawile before conceding defeat.

"I'm not lying, but," she said, "I need to get stronger. There was no chance of me beating Sylveon, and that bothers me."

Her teammates nodded understandingly but watched as Potens made her way for the door. When she reached it, the Noivern turned back and nodded at the others.

"I'll be back later. I have to go train."

Fortis sighed and shook his head at the adamant nature of Potens, though he refused to try and stop her, knowing it would be futile to do so. Instead, he waved and turned away. Motioning for the Unova team to follow, he walked over to Gray and listened in on the conversation she and the others were having.

"Do you know how we could confirm something like that?" Alain asked, looking at the other three, who shrugged in unison along with Arcanine and Zoroark. Charizard groaned at the responses along with his trainer, piquing Fortis' interest.

"What are you all talking about?"

The group went silent before turning to him. Sensing the lack of desire to speak coming from her friend, Gray decided to answer Fortis' question.

"The transformation that happened to Potens yesterday."

 **000**

Hours had passed since she left the Pokemon Center, yet Potens continued training. The sun had set long ago and the moon was creeping over the trees. Panting in exhaustion, the big-eared bat dropped to one knee - covered in sweat - before forcing herself to sit down. As soon as she did so, Zennyo's voice rang in her head.

 _"Training as long as you have isn't healthy. You really should stop,"_ he said like a concerned parent.

Potens shook her head and attempted to push herself up, only for her legs to give out. Falling on her rear end, she threw her arms down and pouted.

 _"Would you mind loaning some energy?"_

Zennyo groaned but obliged, sending less than a fraction of his strength to Potens, who immediately took to the air with an excited grin. Zipping through the pitch-black, snow-covered woods as fast as she could, the Noivern attempted to weave through the trees. After navigating her way through safely for about five minutes, she eventually slammed into a branch. After hitting the ground hard, Potens cursed furiously and dusted the snow off herself.

 _"Had enough?"_ Zennyo inquired with a joking tone, angering his carrier. _"You really should go back now. It's getting really dark."_

 _"Are you serious? For being a god, you sure are a weenie."_

The Chinese dragon muttered several expletives in response while Potens chuckled and began walking back towards the red-roofed building. Using echolocation with the help of her ears, the dragon type easily navigated the forest until she saw an odd object lying on the ground. Reaching down for it, she lifted the sharp item and brought it to within a few inches of her eyes.

 _"Ah, a Razor Claw. Furcifer can evolve if she holds that,"_ Zennyo exclaimed, prompting Potens to hold onto it.

The two remained silent as Potens walked through the snow, which crunched under her feet with each step she took. The closer she got to the Pokemon Center, the louder the silence became.

 _"Zennyo,"_ Potens said mentally, eliciting a response almost immediately.

 _"Yes?"_

 _"I know this is out of the blue and all, but aren't you the least bit annoyed that we lost to Eden and Sylveon?"_

Zennyo flinched at the question and stared at the ground in his chamber. Clenching his fists tightly, the purple beast spat and looked up before replying mentally.

 _"Are you?"_

The Noivern frowned at Zennyo's response and refused to answer, sending him a clear message.

 _"Okay, I'll admit I'm very angry about it. But this is one of several hundred- no, thousand times I've lost to the others. It's never easy losing, but over time you learn how to deal with it, and that's what I'm doing now."_

Potens bit her lip at the answer and stared at the snow as she continued making her way through the woods, avoiding every tree with the help of her ears, which acted as a second set of eyes.

 _"Am I correct in assuming that's what this training is all about?"_

Stopping dead in her tracks, Potens listened to her surroundings and let the calming sound of nature ease her boiling rage. She slowly looked up until her eyes were pointed directly at the gray clouds above and the snow pelted her face, just like the loss had done to her confidence.

 _"I'll take that resounding silence as a yes."_

 _"Shut up,"_ she snapped after hearing the hyperbolic assertion, causing Zennyo's smirk to fade immediately. He sat quietly, trying to get a read on his carrier's emotions as she continued to remain motionless. A rushing wave of disgust surged into his chamber and sent chills down his spine.

 _"I'm sorry, I didn't know you hated losing so much."_

 _"It's not losing that I hate."_

The purple dragon tilted his head in confusion before Potens spoke up.

 _"It's knowing that he's right."_

Again, the type beast responded with a confused physical reaction, and he was startled when Potens suddenly appeared before him. Impressed by the Noivern's ability to shift between mental and physical conversations, Zennyo was unable to mask his smile. However, he wiped it off in an instant and returned to the conversation.

"Who are you talking about?"

Locking eyes with Zennyo, Potens began to snarl once more.

"You really don't know? Haven't you been sealed inside me since I was born?"

Zennyo nodded.

"Yes, but I didn't wake up from slumber until that bout with the green-haired scoundrel and her Bisharp. I know nothing about anything prior to that, so you'll have to catch me up on some details."

Potens groaned and began to talk, but froze just before she could.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, the Dragon Type-Beast watched as his carrier vanished in a flash. Soon after, he closed his eyes and began seeing through Potens' point of view. There was an odd figure hiding behind a tree about fifteen yards ahead and to the right.

"Why don't you come out where I can see you?" Potens inquired, the tone behind her voice sending chills down Zennyo's spine.

Shortly thereafter, the stranger revealed themselves and stared through Potens. The long hair that nearly reached the ground brought about flashbacks deep from within Potens' mind.

"What are you doing here, Caitlin?"

Remaining expressionless as she walked towards the Noivern, Caitlin stopped once she was about ten feet away and turned in the direction of the Pokemon Center.

"Would you mind taking me to Gray? I have something important I need to tell her."

Perplexed by the odd request, Potens simply stared for a bit before nodding.

 **000**

"Look, if we don't go out there and try to find her, who knows if she'll come back!?" Gray screamed at Fortis, who adamantly shook his head.

The five other Pokemon shot confused glances in Fortis' direction before looking back at Gray, who continued yelling furiously. Even with her added rage, she was unable to convince her Flygon to go out and search for Potens.

"She's more than capable, Gray. You're forgetting who we're talking about here," the Hoenn Pokemon said calmly, further angering his trainer. "Potens can hold her own, and you should believe in her."

Pouting, the brunette turned her back to Fortis while Noah and Arcanine shifted uneasily, drawing the attention of all Gray's Pokemon. Noticing the twelve eyes that were locked onto them, the duo sweat dropped and began to slink away, only to be stopped by Alain and Charizard.

"Gray, if you want, we'll look for her," the Kalosian offered.

"N and I will too," Zoroark added, making Gray smile.

"Thanks, guys."

She sniffled slightly but continued smiling as wide as she could in hopes of masking her distress. The group saw through it, however, and they began to walk away. Just as N, Charizard, Zoroark, and Alain were about to leave the Pokemon Center through the front, they stopped dead in their tracks when the automatic doors slid open and Potens nonchalantly waltzed in.

"Potens!" the Noivern's teammates - excluding Fortis, of course - exclaimed while running to embrace her. The quintet tackled Potens in the frenzy and she groaned before being helped off the ground by Noah. Before she could speak to her powerhouse, Gray watched as a woman with long, blonde hair that almost scraped the ground walk in.

Recognizing her immediately, the brunette hurried over to the woman's side with a jovial smile and bowed several times. Alain and Charizard did the same while Noah and Arcanine scratched their heads in confusion before recognizing her.

"Caitlin, what are you doing here?" Unicus questioned, recalling the hippy-like Elite 4 member.

Smiling as she bowed to the Sandslash, Caitlin turned her attention to Alain, N, Noah, and Gray.

"I just so happened to be in the neighborhood when a good friend of mine told me about you. I believe you met Brycen, correct?"

Gray and Noah nodded while their older companions shook their heads.

"Oh, by the way, this is our friend, N," Gray said, introducing the green-haired trainer.

"We've met before," he replied, causing the brunette to stare at Caitlin until she nodded.

"Why don't we go out back and talk for a bit? There are some things I need to tell you all about."

Nodding in unison, the group turned and they, along with Caitlin and their Pokemon, walked towards the practice battlefield and sat at a large table. As soon as they did, the psychic type master looked around for any eavesdroppers before tossing a Poke Ball.

When it opened, a Pokemon that looked to be made of jello materialized from the light and it smiled.

"Reuniclus, please seal off the entrance, if you don't mind, as well as the windows."

Nodding, the psychic type closed his eyes and threw both arms forwards. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a thin coat of light blue energy, which then formed in front of the glass doors and windows, preventing anyone from seeing or getting into the room. After doing so, the fully evolved Pokemon floated over to the table and nodded at his trainer, who thanked him.

"So what's all this about? It must be serious," N quizzed, drawing a nod from the powerful trainer sitting at the head of the table.

"Hold on," Unicus ordered as she hopped up onto Gray's lap and then jumped on the table. "How do you two know each other?" she interrogated.

Before either N or Caitlin could answer, Fortis yanked her off the table and scolded Unicus, drawing laughter from her teammates and friends.

"Sorry about that. Please continue."

Caitlin nodded and put her hands together before resting her nose against them, hiding her mouth.

"I'm sure you remember what happened in Nimbasa City with Team Flare." She looked around and saw the four trainers and their Pokemon - the ones that were there - nod. "I've been speaking with the Elite 4 and Gym Leaders about coordinating a tight-knit defense system in case of an attack, but things are moving slowly, to say the least."

The blonde paused and hunched over a bit more, sending warning signs to the group she was speaking with.

"Bellator isn't with you, Gray, right?" she asked, catching the eighteen year old off guard.

Noah, Arcanine, and Gray's Pokemon all flinched at the inquiry and shifted their focus to the Kantonian, who remained calm. Potens, meanwhile, snarled and turned away from the table in hopes of keeping herself from disrupting the flow of conversation. Caitlin watched intently as the dragon and flying type angrily paced back and forth while muttering something to herself.

"No, he left when we were in Driftveil City," the young woman answered.

Caitlin nodded and ran a hand through her hair in frustration, then sighed. Shortly thereafter, she pointed at the brunette and then spoke.

"I had to let you know that my vision about you and him was wrong. It happened right after you left, actually, but I was unable to tell you because of the damage done to the city."

The group nodded and listened intently as the powerful trainer sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"It was another Pokemon of yours, actually. Allow me to show you," she said while closing her eyes.

Reuniclus did the same and a sudden orb of green energy formed in the middle of the table, shocking everyone despite most of them having seen it before. It then expanded exponentially and soon enveloped the whole room. N, Zoroark, Dicax, and Virtus looked around in awe at the odd light before seeing Caitlin's eyes glow bright pink.

Putting her hands where the green ball once was, the blonde bit her lip in what seemed to be pain while the light in the room began to transform into a series of images and scenes. After about thirty seconds, Caitlin's eyes returned to their normal color and she let out a sigh of relief while the others continued looking around.

"This is freaky," Dicax muttered loudly, drawing a nod from Virtus while Furcifer and Celsus shrugged nonchalantly.

"The first image I saw after you left, Gray, was of..." The blonde paused for dramatic effect.

Snapping her fingers, Caitlin caused the images and scenes to disappear except for one, which everyone focused on. Her eyes widened greatly as Potens - as a Noibat - appeared. The tiny creature was then enveloped in purple aura, but before the transformation could conclude, the blonde stopped it by snapping her fingers again.

"Potens."

All four trainers and their Pokemon continued to stare at the image of Potens engulfed in purple energy before shifting their attention to the Noivern, who was looking on intently.

"I was confused at first, because, well, just watch," the woman ordered, snapping her fingers for a third time.

The scene resumed and the aura surrounding Potens' body suddenly turned into the shape of a Chinese dragon. It then sped forwards and snapped its jaws, ending the scene immediately afterwards. As a result, Gray turned towards her strongest Pokemon on her Unova team and then back at Caitlin, waiting for the wise woman to explain what it meant.

Taking the cue, she did.

"Originally, I wasn't sure what to make of it, as it was unlike anything I had ever seen. However, after a while, it came to me," the blonde stated, causing Gray to lean in with great intrigue, as well as Fortis and Virtus. "Have you all heard of Arceus?"

"Of course we have!" Noah retorted with an obnoxious tone, which he apologized for almost immediately afterwards.

"It's believed that Arceus is the god of both Pokemon and people, but there are tales I have heard of which paint a much different picture."

N, Alain, and Gray looked at one another, puzzled, before turning back to Caitlin.

"According to the legend, there was one god which was every type, some of which no longer exist. This god's power was far too great, and humans' greed to use its power caused this Pokemon to divide its power into each type. From that point on, each of these gods would seal themselves within wild creatures in order to evade humans and their lust for power, which leads me to believe that vision is saying Potens has the power of one of those gods sealed within her."

Silence ensued and everyone turned to stare at the Noivern, who played it off casually.

"Wouldn't I know if I had a fricking god sealed within me?" she retorted, causing Caitlin to shrug. "I mean, there's no way one of those could even fit within me. There has to be something else."

As she watched the trainers agree with her statement, Potens was shocked when she heard Zennyo's voice ring in her head.

 _"You should tell them. That vision-lady will most likely figure it out in a matter of time, and the others have proven to be trustworthy."_

 _"What!? Look, I get where you're coming from, but I barely know anything about you, so what good would it be telling them!?"_

Zennyo chuckled at the valid response and cracked his knuckles.

 _"Sorry, Potens, but I'm going to tell them."_

Before she could protest, Potens' vision suddenly went black and she found herself in Zennyo's chamber. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a window of sorts that allowed her to see what was happening.

Zennyo blinked a few times and looked down at his hands, which were Potens'. He then looked up and took in his surroundings before walking over to Gray.

The table of trainers immediately turned towards him - or Potens - and they flinched at the sudden change in the Noivern's eye color, which was purple.

"That god theory of yours is correct, madam," the Type Beast announced as he stared at Caitlin. Once again, everyone recoiled, this time at the dramatically lower voice. "My name is Zennyo Ryou, but call me Zennyo for short."

Unicus, Furcifer, Celsus, Dicax, and Virtus looked on suspiciously while Fortis remained silent and kept to himself. As the six continued looking over 'Zennyo' they turned to one another and shook their heads.

"Potens, what's going on with you?" Gray whispered angrily. "Now's not the time to joke around!"

Zennyo continued staring at Gray, unnerving the brunette, and then he chuckled.

"I should've assumed I'd be met with disbelief. Okay then, I guess I'll have to show you," he said before going silent. Suddenly, Potens' eye color switched back to white in a flash, and she looked around in confusion. Then, after about a minute of nothing happening, Gray rolled her eyes.

"She's going back to her old ways," Furcifer muttered, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Prankster Potens is no fun."

Then, just like that, a wave of purple aura shot up from behind Potens and took on Zennyo's shape, though at a much smaller size.

"What the hell is that!?" Noah screamed as Arcanine jumped in front of him and snarled protectively. "Gray! Make it stop!"

The body of aura chuckled in response.

"That's no hoax, Noah," N told the younger trainer. "That's the same laughter from when Potens' eyes were purple."

Alain shook his head in disbelief while Charizard continued standing between Potens and his trainer, snarling at the dragon type.

"So that god theory's legit," he muttered loudly. "Huh. Who would've thought?"

Zennyo's aura nodded while Potens turned and gave it a worried look.

"Potens, is this true?" Gray asked as she leaned towards her Pokemon, who nodded slowly. "How? Why?"

The Noivern shrugged in response before Zennyo spoke.

"The images Miss..."

"Caitlin," the blonde answered.

"Sorry. The scene Miss Caitlin showed you was, in fact, my energy. If you don't mind me asking, Gray, do you recall your bout with that woman in red and her Bisharp?"

Both Noah and Gray nodded in an instant.

"How do you think Potens survived?"

Chills immediately ran up Gray's spine and she stared at the Chinese dragon. Zennyo's aura smiled back and it pointed at itself, answering the question for the brunette.

"So, who are you, Zennyo?" Alain asked, causing the powerful figure to turn towards him.

"Me? Just as Caitlin explained earlier: I'm the god of dragon type Pokemon, and I just so happened to be sealed within Potens here," the Type Beast replied.

"So you've been carrying a god around ever since we met you?" Celsus asked, drawing a nod from Potens before she scratched her chin and elaborated.

"Well, according to Zennyo, he wasn't 'awake' until I battled Bryony, so even though he was inside me, he wasn't capable of doing anything."

Virtus and Fortis, who were off on their own, continued staring at the large body of aura standing behind Potens with their jaws on the ground.

 _"She has a... god in her!?"_ they thought to themselves.

 _"How can I keep up with her now!?"_ was the only other thing racing through Virtus' mind.

 _"If she's that powerful, there's no way I can be her teacher. Gray doesn't need me around."_

As the two continued to pummel themselves mentally, the other Pokemon marveled at their friend's newly revealed powers and swarmed her.

"What is it like having so much reserve power?" Dicax inquired.

"Are you two friends? Do you talk a lot?" Unicus questioned.

Potens and Zennyo sweat dropped at the attention and motioned for someone to help them. Luckily for them, Arcanine, Charizard, and Zoroark practically threw Gray's Pokemon away. Once they were calmed, the five sat down and apologized, though Zennyo paid no attention and called for Caitlin.

"So what exactly was the purpose of your vision?"

The blonde frowned and lifted her left arm before snapping, causing another scene to play in front of everyone.

This time, various cities and towns within Unova were shown before Castelia City appeared. Once it did, the two towers which had been built in the middle of the beautiful city came into view, only for Lysandre and Ghetsis to appear on top of them. Lastly, one gigantic Pokemon that was covered in darkness appeared between them.

"It seems quite obvious, but I'll explain," Caitlin informed the group. "Those two men are going to take control of Castelia and, potentially, the world, with the immense power of an unidentified Pokemon. I believe that the vision of you and Potens is trying to tell me that you two are the keys to defeating them."

Zennyo's aura nodded while Potens tensed up nervously. Gray, meanwhile, shook her head along with Alain, N, and Noah. The Elite 4 member glanced at each of them before the Kalosian finally spoke.

"There's no way Lysandre could do that. He's not strong enough."

"Miss Caitlin never said it'd be his power though," Zennyo interjected. "She said it'd be through the help of that shadow, or Pokemon, or whatever it is."

The nineteen year old frowned and conceded defeat.

"Precisely," the blonde stated, agreeing with the Type Beast emphatically. "That's why I believe, whether by fate or coincidence, that you were awakened."

The Chinese dragon nodded while Potens had an indifferent expression on her face.

"Was there anything else you saw?" Arcanine and Zoroark asked in unison before looking at one another and then back at Caitlin, who nodded and cracked her knuckles. She then snapped her fingers, causing the image of the villains and Pokemon to be replaced by Charizard and a Pokemon in shadows.

Everyone stared in confusion, including Fortis, until Caitlin spoke.

"There was one other vision I had, which doesn't sit well with me. Alain, Charizard," the Elite 4 member called, drawing the attention of the aforementioned pair. "You still desire to defeat every Mega Evolution, correct?"

Both trainer and Pokemon nodded immediately.

"In the near future, you two will be involved in a Mega Battle that will end in either your death, or your opponents'. That is all I know."

The image disappeared and everyone stared at Charizard and Alain, whose eyes were focused on the ground. Silence filled the room and an unprecedented sense of tension soon found its way in. Once it did, Caitlin suddenly rose from her seat and withdrew Reuniclus to his Poke Ball.

"I'm sorry, but I must leave now. I have to alert the other members of the Elite 4."

The green light in the room died immediately and once she reached the automatic doors leading to the interior of the Pokemon Center, Caitlin turned and took one final look at the group. Turning away from them, she muttered something inaudible and, like that, she was gone.

* * *

 **Weird stuff. Very weird stuff. Basically all that happened was the group met Zennyo and was warned about some mysterious stuff regarding Flasma, as well as Alain and a Mega Trainer clashing. Next chapter, Gray will challenge Brycen to a Gym Battle, and it'll go down to the wire! Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Thoughts on the scenes? What do you think will come of each?  
2\. Should Zennyo (through aura) appear more often? Why or why not?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice**_ ** _"_**

 _ **Gray has her sights set on winning another badge, which would make her only one short of qualifying for the Unova League! She soon learns that's much easier said than done, as the battlefield greatly cripples her Pokemon while Brycen's are strengthened by it! Will Furcifer, Gray's last Pokemon, be able to buck the trend and show off her ability on the ice!?**_

* * *

 **Icirrus City Arc**

 **Chapter 82:** **Shrew and Serpent**


	81. Beartic vs Furcifer: Champ of the Ice!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and Eden standing behind them, respectively)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey hey hey! Chapter number 81 is here! Holy crap! We're only seven away from passing Kalos (chapter-wise) for being my longest story, and, to be honest, I was waiting for the inevitable cut in chapters, which has yet to happen! Enough of that though. Last update, Potens ran into Caitlin, who told the group about some visions she had. Zennyo then introduced himself (through emitting aura), and Alain was told he'd be in a fight to the death with a Mega Trainer. Oh, and Flasma is going to wreck stuff really soon. This time around, Gray's going to take on Brycen in hopes of winning her seventh badge, so let's get going!**

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Makes way more sense XD Thanks, and Zennyo is the man!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Very, very crazy. Now that they know about Zennyo, I think (emphasis on think) the group will start treating Potens like a god too. Whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know. Alain fighting to the death is going to be intense as hell and awesome, so yeah, there's the rated M feature coming in clutch! XD The conveniently placed Razor Claw will play a factor in the Gym Battle, and your hopes might just become reality!_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _For a second there, I thought I called you Mystic XD Dedicated reviewer I see. You have been awarded one (insert thing of your choice) for your efforts! As for the questions, I really couldn't think of a way to word the first one, so I'm not even going to try redoing it :/ But for the second one, Zennyo!_

 **SirSwag333:** _That's a very interesting idea. I might end up using it, assuming I don't go ADD and forget right away XD In all seriousness though, I love that, and it might end up happening for a brief period of time (maybe from this or next chapter until the end of the Opelucid Arc). If anything, I think they'd be more afraid, but jealousy is viable considering how nice Zennyo was and not threatening. Again, thanks a ton for the idea!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 40, Beat Up, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Feint Attack, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Sneasel)  
Potens, (f), level 48, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 36, Confusion, Assurance, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 39, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 38, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Alain anxiously looked around and tapped his foot against the snow-covered road. The wind began to howl and he was forced to put his hood up while Charizard simply put his tail flame closer to his body as a means of heating himself up.

"How much longer do you think they're going to take?" the Kalosian asked angrily as he turned to Noah and Arcanine, the former of whom shrugged. "Seriously? How do _you_ of all people not know!? Aren't you going out with her?"

Noah's face burned red and he scratched the back of his neck while Arcanine laughed at his trainer's reaction along with Charizard, who shifted his attention to Alain and placed a hand on the nineteen year old's shoulder.

"Calm down. He's just as cold and annoyed as you are, Alain."

The black-haired teen groaned in response before nodding, and he looked out at the falling snow along with Noah.

"Oh yeah, N wanted me to tell you and Gray that he's got a nasty cold, so he won't be able to go to the Gym Battle," Noah told the older trainer and his lone Pokemon.

"Of course he isn't," Alain muttered, causing his Kantonian counterpart to raise an eyebrow while shivering. "Didn't you realize how he and Caitlin seemed to be familiar, and he even said so? All I'm saying is that it's a really coincidental time for him to get sick if he actually is."

Arcanine shrugged but perked up immediately when Gray waltzed out of the Pokemon Center and into the snowstorm. Cursing, only to be drowned out by the gale force winds, she motioned for her friends to follow, and they did.

"Furcifer, help us get to the Gym!" the eighteen year old cried as she chucked a Poke Ball high into the air.

Snapping open, the spherical device released Furcifer. Basking in the harsh, wintery climate, the Sneasel eventually snapped out of her joyous state and noticed the annoyed expression plastered on Gray's face. Sighing, Furcifer obeyed and guided the trio to the Gym, which was under an immense amount of snow.

"Here you go," she exclaimed sarcastically, causing Gray to giggle and shake her head at the comment while walking inside.

Once the doors closed, Gray took her jacket off, only to be met with freezing cold air blasting into the room. Shivering uncomfortably, the brunette glared daggers at Brycen waltzed in and smiled.

"Ah, you're cold?" he quizzed.

Gray, Noah, and Alain deadpanned and stared at the Gym Leader, who was wearing a blue robe and a blue undershirt along with blue sandals. By his side was the Beartic that had attacked Noah and Gray during their date, causing them both to scowl at it.

"Please come with me," the ice type specialist instructed as he walked through yet another door, which separated the battlefield from the waiting room.

Upon entering, the temperature dropped even lower, and both Noah and Alain began to shiver wildly. Gray and Furcifer, on the other hand, appeared to be dealing with the sudden change rather well.

"The spectator area is right along that way, gentlemen."

Both trainers and their Pokemon sprinted towards the encased bleachers and let out sighs of relief, as the room was heated very well. Noah then took the four Poke Balls Gray had given him and released the creatures. Unicus, Potens, Virtus, and Fortis emerged and the younger trio slammed up against the glass while Fortis dropped back and sat with Arcanine and Charizard.

"Damn, it must be really cold out there," Virtus muttered as she looked at the icicles hanging from the ceiling. "I'm too happy Gray didn't choose me for this."

Unicus and Potens nodded in agreement while the fire types and Fortis chuckled. Meanwhile, Gray and Furcifer looked at the battlefield and analyzed it, taking note of the rocks and ice covering it.

"Alright, so this is catered towards Brycen and his Pokemon that are used to ice. This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought," the brunette muttered, drawing a nod from her Pokemon. "Furcifer, I may need you to step in pretty early."

"Sounds good to me," she replied confidently while a referee dressed like an eskimo appeared.

"This will be a three versus three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leader of Icirrus City, Brycen! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Brycen, choose your first Pokemon!"

The man dressed like a ninja nodded and tucked his hand into the sleeve of his robe. After it reemerged, Gray noticed the blue-haired man was holding a Poke Ball.

"Cryogonal, go forth!"

The capsule blasted open and a huge snowflake materialized from the light. Once its eyes fell on Gray, it roared and released a chilling burst of wind that caused the eighteen year old to shiver violently as she reached for a Poke Ball of her own.

"Celsus, I choose you!"

Once the Poke Ball reached its apex, a beam of light escaped and Celsus appeared on the ice, slipping almost immediately. Everyone in the heated section of the room suppressed laughter at the sight and then looked at one another nervously.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Cryogonal! Begin!"

"Ice Beam!" Brycen shouted hurriedly.

The large snowflake opened its mouth and shot a zigzagging beam of light blue light at Celsus, who, once again, lost his balance on the slippery floor.

"Get out of the way and counter with Psybeam!" Gray commanded.

Celsus' eyes went wide as the ice type attack was about to hit him, but his tail chomped down on the ground and threw itself so that Celsus was pushed along the ice. Sighing in relief, the Girafarig hopped onto his feet and fired a multi-colored ray of psychic energy that quickly closed in on Cryogonal.

"Use Light Screen to lower its power!"

A glass box suddenly formed around Cryogonal and greatly weakened the strength of Celsus' attack, irritating the giraffe and his trainer, who slammed her right fist into her left hand.

"Fine by us! Celsus, get across the ice with Agility and then use Stomp!"

Whinnying in response, the powerful psychic type suddenly vanished and reappeared in a completely different spot. Doing so several more times, Celsus then sprinted towards Cryogonal without trouble and lunged at it. Extending his front legs forwards, the normal and psychic type smashed his hooves against his target's face, spiking Cryogonal into the ground.

"Wow! Way to go, Celsus!" Unicus shrieked, jumping up and down as she did so. "That was awesome!"

Virtus and Potens nodded in agreement while their teammate continued to scream in support of Celsus.

Grinning at the damage he had done, the Girafarig slowly made his way back to Gray's side, nodded at her and Furcifer, and then turned back around to focus on the downed ice type across the battlefield. Surprisingly, the large creature floated back into the air and roared angrily while Brycen smiled at his Pokemon. Throwing his right hand forwards as if he were fighting, he then yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Retaliate with Night Slash!"

Spinning like a disc, Cryogonal sent a blade of black energy towards Celsus, and it exploded on contact, sending the quadruped flying past Gray. Whipping her neck back, the Kantonian stared at her Pokemon and watched as he struggled to his feet.

"Hang in there, buddy! You've got this!" she cheered, drawing a nod from the Girafarig, who then made his way back onto the battlefield.

"Impressive. That's the kind of determination not many people come across," Brycen commended, bowing as he did so along with Cryogonal. "You are a worthy opponent, indeed."

"Thank you, sir," Celsus replied while nodding.

Off to the side of the battlefield, Noah pumped his fist emphatically and jumped off his seat. As he cheered along with Unicus, Arcanine rolled his eyes.

"Gray really should use Celsus a lot more," Charizard muttered. "He's probably the next strongest after Potens," he continued quietly, which Alain agreed with just as discretely.

Fortis, however, shook his head and eyed Virtus closely. The Mienshao was standing next to Potens and the two were laughing about something with Unicus.

Gray slowly lifted her hand and grinned at Brycen before clearing her throat and pushing her arm out.

"Use Assurance!"

Celsus grunted loudly, spun, and pointed his tail at Cryogonal all in one motion. Then, the creepy-looking end had black energy swirl around it before firing the energy in the shape of a bullet. Due to the speed of the attack, Cryogonal was unable to get out of the way in time and was brought to the ground. However, it got back up very quickly and Brycen reacted just as fast.

"Hurry and hit Celsus by using Rapid Spin!"

"Intercept it! Use Agility and Zen Headbutt!"

The two Pokemon obeyed their commands and took off. While Cryogonal spun like a frisbee, Celsus lowered his head and had light blue energy radiating from it. They then collided and a wave of force shot in all directions, hurling both along the icy battlefield before skidding to a stop. Once the referee looked at both combatants, he raised his arms in the air and began to speak until Celsus rose to his feet.

"Cryogonal is unable to continue! Brycen, choose your next Pokemon!" the man in several layers of clothes decreed, pointing at the Gym Leader shortly thereafter.

"Thank you, Cryogonal. Return."

Once the snowflake was zapped into its Poke Ball, Brycen grabbed another from somewhere under his robe. Showing off the device, he then tossed it.

"Froslass, go forth!"

The aforementioned Pokemon appeared in a burst of light and gave an ominous cackle when she saw Celsus standing on the other end of the battlefield.

"That thing's giving me the creeps," Potens muttered, shivering at the sound of Froslass' cackling. "Celsus better knock her out fast."

Virtus and Unicus nodded emphatically at their teammate's words while the older Pokemon, Alain, and Noah looked on silently.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Froslass! Begin!

"Celsus, start with Assurance!"

"Evade it and use Ice Beam, Froslass!" Brycen countered.

While the Girafarig pointed his tail at his target and shot a bullet of black energy, Froslass widened her eyes and flew around the super effective attack. Gray cursed at the ice type's agility before watching the opposing Pokemon form a ball of ice in front of her mouth. Then, releasing the attack, she struck Celsus with a zigzagging beam of ice, which knocked him onto his side. Despite the pain surging through his body, Celsus rose to his feet and swiped at the ground aggressively.

"Use Confusion to answer right back!" Gray hollered.

Firing a beam of red energy from his eyes, Celsus grinned as he watched the attack hit Froslass and knock her to the ground. Much to his and Gray's dismay, the ice and ghost type shot back up - just like Cryogonal had earlier - and zipped across the battlefield.

"Payback!"

Froslass sent a ball of black energy towards Celsus and it exploded on contact, catapulting the giraffe. Once he hit the ground, the psychic type let out a pained cry before forcing himself up once again.

"Way to hang in there! Strike with Zen Headbutt!"

Celsus took off in a light gallop before speeding up dramatically and lowering his head like a bull. Blindly lunging at Froslass, the quadruped smashed his head into a large rock covered in ice due to the ghost type dodging.

"Use Payback once again!"

Firing another ball of black energy at her downed opponent, Froslass snickered when the attack exploded and launched Celsus into the wall off to the side of the battlefield. The referee gave a quick glance and saw the Johto Pokemon's eyes were shut, prompting him to turn back to the trainers.

"Celsus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

In the spectator area, Arcanine turned away from Celsus and inhaled sharply, grabbing the attention of the others.

"Damn, Gray's got her hands full with this one. She needs to be careful," he opined.

Potens and Virtus turned around and shook their heads at the older Pokemon's words, but they stopped when both Fortis and Charizard agreed with Arcanine.

"He's right. If Froslass takes out one more Pokemon without going down, Gray won't win," Charizard stated matter-of-factly.

"Very true, but she'll be fine," Fortis said assuringly while looking at Gray.

Sensing Fortis' eyes falling on her, the Kantonian turned and nodded at him and the others before withdrawing Celsus.

"Thanks so much, Celsus. Take a long rest," she whispered to the Poke Ball in her hand. Clipping it back on her belt and grabbing a different capsule, Gray nodded at Brycen subtly before releasing her second Pokemon.

"Dicax, I choose you!"

The intelligent creature materialized from his Poke Ball and grinned after taking in his surroundings. Once he locked eyes with Froslass, Dicax made the jaws hanging from his head snap ferociously, intimidating his opponent.

"This battle will be between Dicax and Froslass! Begin!"

"Use Feint Attack to get in close!" the Kantonian demanded.

"That won't work! Use Double Team and form a circle!"

Dicax vanished and reappeared a few feet behind Froslass before lunging at her. Much to his surprise, he ran through her and, in the blink of an eye, the Mawile found himself surrounded by Froslass and her clones. Dicax then lowered himself to the ground while taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, but there was no need, as Gray spoke up shortly afterwards.

"Spin and use Fairy Wind, Dicax!"

The dual type Pokemon smirked at the smart move before following through with it, spinning like a top while creating a powerful gust of pink wind. The powerful attack destroyed all of the clones and smacked Froslass into the ceiling before she began falling to the ground.

"Retaliate by using Wake-Up Slap!" the Gym Leader screamed confidently.

The falling Pokemon's eyes shot open and she flew towards Dicax while her ears began to glow a blinding white.

"Brace yourself and use Iron Defense! Then follow it up with Bite!"

Dicax obeyed and he shone intensely while a ring of green energy spun around his body. Once the ring disappeared, the Mawile took Froslass' attack head-on and snapped his enormous jaws on her arm, making the ghost type scream in pain while Brycen cursed. However, he quickly calmed down and attempted to issue yet another command.

"Now throw her and use Flash Cannon!"

In an instant, the ice and ghost type was flung through the air and Dicax took aim. Shooting a huge ray of metallic energy from his mouth, he cheered when his target hollered at the top of her lungs. Smacking against the ground limply, Froslass appeared to be down for the count, but she remained conscious, albeit barely.

"Froslass, I hate to ask this of you, but please use Destiny Bond," Brycen said quietly, drawing an emphatic nod from the ghost type.

Humming lowly, Froslass closed her eyes and an odd veil of white light appeared around her body while her shadow became larger. The same happened to Dicax's, but Gray and her Pokemon didn't seem to notice. On the other end of the battlefield, the Kantonian anxiously looked at her opponents along with Dicax. Cracking her fingers, the brunette allowed her emotions to get the best of her, and she threw her right fist forwards.

"If you won't attack, then we will! Finish this with another Flash Cannon!"

Throwing his head forwards, the Mawile unleashed a wicked blast of silver energy that zipped across the room and engulfed Froslass. Little did Gray realize the opposing Pokemon had a smirk on her face as she was struck, and the force of the attack sent her flying into the wall behind Brycen.

Dicax cheered emphatically along with Furcifer, while their teammates on the sidelines began to jump up and down excitedly. Much to their horror, however, the steel and fairy type suddenly dropped to the ground with his eyes shut, leaving Gray flabbergasted.

"What just happened!?" Virtus shouted, turning to Noah and Alain, as well as Charizard, Arcanine, and Fortis.

"That's what Destiny Bond does," Arcanine began. "If the user is knocked out on the following move, the attacker goes down too."

The referee suddenly raised his arms, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Both sides are unable to continue! Choose your final Pokemon!"

Brycen smiled and withdrew Froslass, whispering something to her Poke Ball while Gray slowly grabbed Dicax's capsule off his belt. Staring at her fainted Pokemon, the third-year trainer took a deep breath and zapped Dicax back into the spherical device with a smile.

"Amazing effort, Dicax. You earned a really long rest," she said softly.

Then, inhaling deeply once again, she turned to Furcifer and nodded at the Sneasel, prompting her to jump onto the ice with a confident expression plastered on her face.

"Beartic, go forth!" Brycen demanded, prompting his strongest Pokemon to march his way onto the battlefield. The ice types locked eyes and stared at each other intently while their trainers did the same, creating an overwhelming amount of tension.

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Beartic! Begin!" the referee screamed.

"Skate towards Beartic and use Quick Attack!"

Using her familiarity with ice to her advantage, Furcifer began to skate her way towards Beartic before she reached mach speed, causing a ray of white light to appear behind her. The Gym Leader tracked his opponent's movements closely before noticing the pattern in which Furcifer was moving, allowing him to counter optimally.

"Meet her head-on by using Aqua Jet!" the blue-haired man shouted.

Bursting forwards while enveloped in water, Beartic slammed into Furcifer and the two crashed into the ground, causing several chunks of ice to shoot into the air. The Sneasel, meanwhile, bounced along the ice, but managed to land on her feet and skid back to Gray's side. Turning then nodding at her trainer, Furcifer took off once again.

"Don't back down! Retaliate with Metal Claw!" Gray commanded.

Furcifer lowered her stance in order to pick up more speed, and her claws extended while glowing a bright shade of silver. Spinning gracefully, she slashed Beartic's right leg, causing the large Pokemon to drop to his other knee and punch the ground furiously. Brycen paid no attention to the shape his friend was in and issued another command with a grin.

"Determine her path and then use Thrash!"

Nodding in response, Beartic closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Furcifer speedily moving along the ice. After measuring the distance between himself and his dark type foe, Beartic subtly adjusted his stance so that his attack would come out faster. Once he heard the Sneasel reach a certain distance, he lunged forwards with his eyes open and hurled his fist at her, punching Furcifer right in the face. Blowing through several ice-covered rocks, Furcifer slammed into the wall behind Gray, who spun around in concern.

"Furcifer!" she screamed while watching the bipedal creature stumble back onto the ice. "Are you okay?" the brunette asked while squatting and putting a hand on Furcifer's head.

"I'm... fine," the ice type replied, waving her trainer off. "I can go all day if I have to," she declared, swaying back and forth like a drunk.

Gray nodded despite not believing her Pokemon, and she kept a close eye on her until she stepped foot on the battlefield. When Furcifer did so, Gray reached for her back pocket and bit her lower lip as she felt the Razor Claw Potens had given her the day before, bringing back a memory of a conversation she had later that night.

 _"What's that?" Furcifer inquired while staring at the object in Gray's hands._

 _"It's called a Razor Claw and, apparently, you'll evolve it if you evolve," the brunette replied, "I'm never going to force you to evolve, so if you ever do want to, just let me know."_

Gray bit her lip and cursed under her breath, unaware of Furcifer thinking of the same exact conversation.

"Continue your assault, Beartic! Play Rough!" Brycen cried, snapping the two out of their thoughts.

Beartic bounded across the ice while enveloped in pink aura, and he dove headfirst into Furcifer, hurling her into the air. Somehow, she managed to regain control of her body mid-descent, and motioned for Gray to order an attack.

"Give this everything you've got! Use Ice Beam!" the Kantonian shouted, picking up on her Pokemon's cue.

Furcifer reared her head back and shot a zigzagging blast of icy energy, which struck Beartic's chest and pushed him back about ten feet. Still, he remained upright and let out a ferocious roar that caused the ground and walls to shake. Even the spectators could feel the vibrations from Beartic's battlecry and stared wide-eyed, save for Fortis.

"Keep it going, Furcifer! Repeatedly fire Ice Beam attacks!"

Grunting in response, the Sneasel sent several rays of ice towards Beartic, though they were much weaker than the previous attack. Still, the sheer force of the several dozen rays knocked the large bear back several more feet until Brycen threw his left hand forwards.

"Power through and finish this with Superpower!"

In the blink of an eye, the Unova Pokemon began to glow red and he punched through each of Furcifer's Ice Beam attacks, making Gray gasp along with the spectators. Sprinting forwards and closing in on his target, the fully evolved Pokemon jumped and loaded his arms back before throwing his fists down over Furcifer's head, causing an enormous amount of ice to shoot up towards the roof while the floor shook with the force of an earthquake.

Alain, Noah, and Gray stared as Brycen's powerhouse retreated, leaving Furcifer facedown on the ground. Unicus, Potens and Virtus brought their hands up to their heads in shock while Arcanine and Charizard sighed disappointedly. Fortis looked around at the others for a few seconds before rising to his feet, grabbing the group's attention.

"This isn't over. Just wait," he said half-heartedly, wanting to believe his words.

Back on the battlefield, Furcifer twitched slightly, keeping the referee from ending the battle. Then, after thirty seconds of struggling, she pushed herself up and landed on her rear end, panting wildly with blood covering her face, shocking Brycen and Beartic. The two glanced at each other and then back at Furcifer, who sluggishly rose to her feet. When she did, the Sneasel turned to Gray and, through pants, cracked a cheeky smile while her hand.

"Furcifer..." Gray turned away from the ice and dark type before her and hid a smile while reaching into her back pocket. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" the eighteen year old inquired while extending her open hand, which the Razor Claw was resting on.

The Johto Pokemon immediately snatched it out of her trainer's hand and snickered while white light enveloped her body. Just as she was about to be swallowed whole, Furcifer locked eyes with Gray.

"I won't let you down by losing here."

Chills ran down Gray's spine at the words and watched Furcifer transform - despite the pain caused by the light.

Even though her height didn't change all that much, the ice type did grow another long ear, which pointed down along with the original. Red feathers also covered her neck like a scarf and the top of her head while the three pink spikes that had been on her lower back turned into a dark red tail. Furthermore, Furcifer's skin turned gray and two teeth poked out of her mouth slightly.

"Weavile, the Sharp Claw Pokemon, and the evolved form of Sneasel. They live in cold regions, forming groups of four or five that hunt prey with impressive coordination. New move learned: Night Slash."

Gray lowered her Pokedex and tucked it in her back pocket as a dumb smile spread across her face. The young woman flinched slightly, however, when she watched the newly evolved Pokemon extend her fist, leaving her confused. However, after watching Furcifer shake her arm dramatically, Gray sweat dropped and bumped the Weavile's fist.

"Wow! I can't believe Furcifer evolved!" Unicus exclaimed. "She looks so much stronger now!"

Potens and Virtus nodded in agreement while Fortis eagerly returned to his seat and leaned forwards, wanting to watch the battle then more than ever.

"Well, even though she did evolve and receive a huge boost to her stats, don't forget how much damage Beartic dished out," Alain told Gray's starter, who pouted at the Kalosian's words. "But I will admit, this should be a much more entertaining battle."

Noah nodded in agreement, as did Arcanine and Charizard, and, with that, the group looked on in silence.

Brycen and Beartic, however, remained composed despite the sudden turn of events. Despite their looks of confidence, the Gym Leader couldn't help but laugh under his breath excitedly.

 _"Wonderful! Truly wonderful, Gray and Furcifer! Show us your power!"_

The referee prevented Brycen from thinking to himself any longer, as he raised his arms and began to speak.

"It is Gray's move! Begin!"

Eagerly responding, Gray nodded and punched her right fist forwards while Furcifer spun around and locked eyes with Beartic.

"Let's give this battle everything we've got! Skate along the ice and use a combination of Quick Attack and Metal Claw!"

Obeying, the Weavile sped along the ice as if she had been skating all her life, and a trail of white light appeared behind her body. Then, her claws grew much larger than before while turning a shining silver, and Furcifer lunged at her target. Delivering a wicked blow to the larger Pokemon, she grinned while watching Beartic skid on his back and into a rock near Brycen.

"We must be on our guard at all times, Beartic! Furcifer is much stronger than before!" Brycen shouted to his powerhouse, who rose and roared in agreement. "Good, now use Icicle Crash!"

As soon as she heard the name of the attack, Gray glanced up at the ceiling and smirked after seeing all of the icicles above. Shifting her focus back to the battlefield, she snapped her fingers, causing Furcifer's ears to move back slightly, showing she was listening.

"Use Agility to dodge and then follow it up by teleporting to the ceiling with Feint Attack!"

Beartic suddenly punched the ground and several pillars of ice daggers emerged. Effortlessly evading the powerful attack, Furcifer disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared in-between a pair of enormous icicles hanging from the ceiling, wowing Brycen for about a second.

"Bring her down with Ice Beam, Beartic!"

Quickly shooting a blast of ice from his mouth, the bipedal bear let out a sigh of relief when he watched his attack strike Furcifer and knock her from her perch. Gray cursed under her breath almost immediately, but soon recovered when she watched her final Pokemon land on her feet without a sound.

"Way to hang in there, Furcifer! Now let's try out that new move! Use Night Slash!"

Eager to see what the attack could do, Furcifer sprinted towards Beartic. Suddenly, she was holding a blade of black energy in each hand and began to swing at her target. Much to her and Gray's surprise, Furcifer missed Beartic and watched as the bulky creature's hand approached her. Gray and the others gasped in shock as they watched Furcifer's momentum stop instantly due to Beartic's paw wrapping around her throat.

"Slam her against the ground!"

Holding nothing back, the Unova Pokemon threw his arm down and the ground shook mightily as soon as Furcifer smacked against it, letting out a pained cry upon impact. Still, she refused to back down and bucked in an attempt to break free of Beartic's grip.

"Don't hold anything back! Use a combination of Metal Claw and Night Slash!" Gray shrieked at the top of her lungs, hoping to help her Pokemon escape.

"Superpower!" Brycen countered.

The Weavile swung both of her arms at Beartic while the bulky bear attempted to punch her in the face. In an instant, the combatants' attacks collided and Furcifer began to overpower Beartic. Brycen marveled at the will displayed by his opponent, but turned away and smiled.

"Beartic, don't hold back," he stated calmly.

Crushing Furcifer just as effortlessly as his trainer had spoken, Beartic roared at the top of his lungs and pounded his chest wildly. While the large Pokemon continued to celebrate, Furcifer's eyes were shut and she was sprawled out on the ice near Gray, who ran forwards and kneeled by her Pokemon's side.

"Furcifer is unable to continue! That means Brycen, Cryogonal, Froslass, and Beartic are the winners!"

"Hey, are you okay?" Gray questioned while helping the Weavile to her feet. "That was some hit you took," she added, giggling afterwards.

Furcifer cracked a smile and nodded before sighing in disappointment, causing Gray be silent.

"I just wish I could've won that for you. It sucks being the one that loses last."

"Ah, but being in that situation allows you to grow and come back stronger than you once were," Brycen retorted as he walked over to his challengers. "You can always take something good from the bad, no matter the situation," he proclaimed while staring at Gray.

The brunette nodded and then looked at Furcifer, who sighed and nodded in response before seeing Beartic extend his paw. Staring at the powerful creature that had just clobbered her, Furcifer bowed respectfully and then shook the victor's paw, putting a smile on Brycen's face.

"Great battle. You almost had me there with that Metal Claw-Night Slash combination. If that had hit, I would've been done for," Beartic admitted.

Furcifer beamed at the compliment along with Gray, and the two prepared to walk over to their friends before being stopped by Brycen.

"Sorry to hold you up, but I'd like to ask you both a question - a rather important one," the Gym Leader said, drawing nods from both Gray and her Pokemon. "Well, this is going to be sudden, and I don't expect you to make a decision on the spot, but I'll ask regardless. I want to train Furcifer, and maybe she could be in a movie or two with Beartic and I."

Gray's jaw dropped at the question while Furcifer scoffed at the proposition. However, she soon eased on her stance and decided to hear Brycen out.

"She's a very strong Pokemon, and you've raised her well, but she still has a lot of potential. I believe I can help her tap into, and harness, that power."

Gray frowned at the idea but glanced at her Weavile to see the ice type's reaction. Upon seeing the expression on Furcifer's face, which was one of relative intrigue, the brunette turned back to Brycen.

"I think that sounds like a good idea, but what's with that last bit about movies?"

Brycen and Beartic stared at Gray blankly until they realized she genuinely had no idea about the topic.

"We do action movies quite often," the large bear answered proudly. "You're actually quite lucky to have come to Icirrus when you did, because shooting for our next film begins this coming Monday."

"And after watching the way Furcifer moved on the ice, I couldn't help but picture her doing the same thing on the big-screen. Her skating was unlike anything we've ever seen!"

Gray stared in shock while her newly evolved Pokemon bowed thankfully once again. She then turned to Gray and smiled before looking back at Brycen.

"Sorry," she said, "but... I'm happy traveling with Gray."

The brunette picked up on Furcifer's tone and speech pattern, prompting her to rest a hand on the Weavile's shoulder. As she squatted and turned to face her, Gray heard the sound of Noah, Alain, their Pokemon, and her Pokemon walking over, causing her to hesitate for a second. However, after looking into Furcifer's eyes, she saw a flash of light and knew what she had to do.

"Stay here."

Furcifer flinched at the words coming from Gray.

"I know you too well, Furcifer, and I can tell you want to train with Brycen. It doesn't hurt my feelings at all, honestly." She smiled as a means of reaffirming her statement, and Furcifer looked back at the Gym Leader and Beartic.

In the blink of an eye, the newly evolved Pokemon embraced her trainer tightly, confusing those that hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation. Several seconds passed before Furcifer and Gray broke apart, both wiping tears from their eyes.

"I'm going to miss you, Gray. And everyone else too."

The brunette smiled and nodded in response before placing a hand on the powerful Pokemon's head.

"This isn't goodbye forever, though. We'll make sure to see you again," Gray vowed. "And remember, if we don't meet up for a while, we'll still be able to see you in movies."

The Weavile laughed while tears fell from her eyes, and she suddenly found Unicus, Potens, and Virtus by Gray's sides. Gray then released Celsus and Dicax, allowing Furcifer to bid farewell to her five teammates.

"What's going on?" the Girafarig questioned in confusion, looking at each of the Pokemon next to him before staring at Furcifer. "Are you okay? Did we win?"

Again, Furcifer laughed, but she shook her head in response.

"Guys, it's been one hell of a ride, but this is where I get out. I'm going to stick around and train with Brycen," the ice type announced, causing Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Virtus to gasp in shock at the same exact time. "I'll miss you all."

In an instant, the group of six huddled up and embraced for one final time while Gray, Noah, Alain, Charizard, Arcanine, and Fortis looked on emotionally.

"I can't believe she's really leaving," Noah whispered. "She's been around longer than all of the others except Unicus."

Gray nodded and held back her tears before feeling Fortis' hands fall on her shoulders. Turning, she immediately remembered the day she had released him in order to protect the Pokemon Reservoir near Fuchsia City.

"She was the first Pokemon I legitimately captured in Unova."

Picturing the moment she had met Furcifer outside of Striaton City, Gray sniffled and rubbed her eyes, preventing any tears from falling.

"She's come so far."

Those by her nodded and watched as the six teammates broke apart and, reluctantly, went in opposite directions. While Furcifer walked over to Brycen, the others made their way back to Gray, who suddenly grabbed Furcifer's Poke Ball and stared at it for what felt like an eternity.

"Here, Brycen," she said, tossing the capsule. "You'll need that. And make sure you keep an eye on that one, she has a penchant for pulling pranks."

Furcifer laughed at her trainer's warning, as did her teammates, while the blue-haired man nodded and smiled.

"Well, I guess this is it. I'll make sure to call, Furcifer," the brunette stated while turning towards the door. "And when I do ask Brycen if you can come back, you'd better have some tricks up your sleeves," she continued, holding back her tears.

"I will!" the Weavile proclaimed, waving to her trainer. "I promise!"

Gray nodded and continued waving with the others before watching Unicus roll back to Furcifer, and the two embraced for one final time. After nearly a minute, the two separated and nodded at one another.

"Make sure you help Gray win the Unova League. I'm counting on you," Furcifer ordered, drawing laughter and a nod from her best friend, who reluctantly rolled after the departing group.

Everyone continued waving to Furcifer - and vice versa - until, finally, Gray and the others exited the room and the doors closed behind them.

Just like that, Furcifer was gone.

* * *

 **Nuuuu! Furcifer's gone, and so is what I had planned for next chapter. But yeah, Gray lost her Gym Battle and won't be challenging Brycen again due to him being in movies, plus Furcifer departed to train with him and star in some movies. So yeah, Gray's team is a lot weaker now (maybe?), but she'll be adding a tank/insert adjective of your choice very soon, so that'll offset the loss. Next chapter will be a rival battle between Gray and Bianca, and it's going to be a very close contest. Till then, peace out**

 **1\. Are you surprised Gray lost? Which Gym do you think she'll challenge? (Humilau or Virbank)  
2\. Thoughts on Furcifer's evolution and release?  
3\. What Pokemon do you think will replace her? (Sinnoh only)  
4\. Predictions for next arc's chapters?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Shrew and Serpent**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Resuming their trek to Opelucid City, Gray and the others are stopped by Bianca! When a battle is proposed, Gray accepts her rival's challenge and learns first-hand of Bianca's incredible progress. Will Gray be able to win despite Furcifer's departure and Bianca's rapid improvement?_**

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 83: Fool's Gold  
** **Chapter 84: Mega Battle 7: Virtus vs Greninja!  
** **Chapter 85: Type Beasts' Beginnings** **  
Chapter 86: Mega Battle 8: Charizard vs Greninja!  
Chapter 87: Gray and White  
** **Chapter 88: Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!  
** **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!**


	82. Shrew and Serpent

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and Eden standing behind them, respectively)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Heyo! Time for another update after (what I consider to be) a hiatus. Last chapter, Gray lost to Brycen despite Furcifer evolving and then afterwards, Furcifer was given to Bryce to train and star in movies. This time around, the group will run into a somewhat familiar rival, and Gray will square off with them. Now let's get going!**

 **davidtheman23:** _Indeed it is, sir. However, Furcifer's the last release/departure of the story, so things will stabilize fairly soon. As for the intel, it's been changed, pretty dramatically, might I add :P In regards to the predictions, only the battles were right, but the Flasma idea's interesting :D_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Lol. I've never watched it, so I can't put the episode number into perspective, though I'm going to assume that's quite a lot XD Bianca will flex some badass-ery, and I'm not sure what "Taming of the Shrew" is, but it sounds cool. Unova's been very predictable so far, but the future shouldn't be, to say the least (I hope). BW2 was meh, btw, and Furcifer was like that jock in high school: peaking too soon XD Sadly, I can't see all of your predictions, but I'll just say they're good :D_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Sorry for not responding to your other review. I figured out a little while after posting that the review glitch is going on (again). As for this past review, Gray's team is changing a lot, but that is the final departure, so once she gets her next capture, you'll know her final team. She most likely will come back for the league, too!_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _Luxray was my original choice, but nah, it's not Luxray :/ Your logic to the first two answers makes too much sense, sir. Never use logic! NEVER! XD Luxray really should be a dark type, now that I think about it. Wow. Crazy. And for allegedly being a bad predictor, those were very solid! I won't say which is right, or how close they are, but there are some that are spot-on_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _That pun tho XD I was hoping people would think the evolution would swing things in Gray's favor, so if anyone did think she'd win, I'm glad! Maybe she will head to Virbank for her seventh or eighth ;P Furcifer should return at some point for the league, and I really thought you were going to make predictions after reading that XD_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Both Gyms won't be challenged, that's for sure. There'd be way too many chapters of filler to write XD But this is going to crush Owen's Kalos story big time. I think it's going to be 40 or 50 chapters longer. Gastrodon was actually my second choice (behind Luxray), but that one also isn't going to be on the team, as cool as it is. I like the predictions!_

 **Defender31415:** _Ayy, he's not dead! Great to hear from you again, and thanks for reviewing all the chapters (which I'll try to respond to) :D Brycen's bad timing... that's all I've got XD Zennyo's no longer a secret, and that should be fun to write, though I'll try not to have him appear every chapter just so it's more impactful when he does. The Dark Type Beast would be very interesting, and it may just appear during the Flasma (not actual name) Arc. Furcifer's release will be tough, considering how strong she'd have been, but I'm 95% certain she'll return. It's weird Cofagrigus would be censored, but oh well. The Yamask prediction is REALLY good, but sadly, it's from Unova. Still, amazing idea!_

 **SirSwag333:** _Wow, Alzheimer's already kicked in and I forgot it (don't worry, I looked back) XD Furcifer leaving sucks a ton, since she would've been a badass and an extremely strong #3 behind Potens and Virtus, but I think Gray's next capture should be more than capable of holding its own (depending on which of the four options I go with). All three of those were strongly considered too, and the first two still are, so there's a chance it could happen!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Haha, she will be, and the unintentional shade thrown was too OP. And while I agree with you about Virtus being the clear second best, Celsus does have a much longer history of winning, plus Charizard wasn't there to see Virtus actually kick ass. I'm pretty confident she'll come back (most likely a poll will be made), and I was never a huge fan of Marlon either. Magmortar is being strongly considered (I still haven't decided, and most likely won't until I write the chapter XD). Thanks for the review and predictions!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Rollout, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Potens, (f), level 48, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 40, Confusion, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 42, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 38, Detect, Fake Out, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

The group sat outside Tubeline Bridge to enjoy lunch, no longer restricted to the interior of the Pokemon Center and subzero temperatures. The Pokemon especially enjoyed their freedom, as Gray's entire team was playing hide-and-seek, with Fortis being the one searching.

As she looked on with a smile, Gray sighed when she reached for the sixth Poke Ball on her belt.

N, Alain, and Noah noticed their companion's action and glanced at one another while chewing their sandwiches. Zoroark, Charizard, and Arcanine did the same and began to walk away, preferring the sounds of nature to those of their trainers.

"Still thinking about Furcifer?" Noah asked, drawing a nod from the brunette. "It sucks that she left, but at least you know she's getting taught by an ice type specialist."

Sighing and laying on her back, Gray tucked her arms behind her head, having them act as a pillow. She stared at the passing clouds for a moment and then lifted her head slightly to see Alain whispering to Noah rather violently.

"I can also call Brycen and have her come back for a little while, but they're going to shoot a movie soon, so it'd have to be after that."

While she continued talking to herself, Gray shot off the ground when she heard, and felt, an explosion in the distance. Turning to stare in the direction of the sound, her face dropped after seeing Potens fly away from a cloud of smoke. Along with the Noivern, each of Gray's other four Pokemon sheepishly emerged from the woods.

"What the hell are you doing!?" the brunette screamed while running over to her Pokemon, who looked at one another before staring at Gray as if she were crazy.

"Training. You told us to," Dicax stated, causing Gray to deadpan while her traveling partners laughed.

"Yeah, before you went to go eat, you told us, _'When you're done with eating, I want you to train together, okay?'_ " Unicus informed her trainer, who ran a hand through her hair.

Potens, Virtus, and Celsus nodded in support of their teammates, and Gray sighed.

"Oh, sorry about that. I guess I'm still a little off since Furcifer's gone, ya know?" she quizzed, drawing five nods. "Alright, well, go have some fun instead. We can train when we get to Opelucid City."

Each of the Pokemon beamed and intently watched Gray turn around. When she did, they sighed in relief before running back into the forest.

"I can't believe that actually worked!"

Once she made her way back to her friends, Gray sat down on the grass and stared at the empty Poke Ball on her belt for what seemed to be the millionth time. Then, looking out at the woods, she smiled and ran a hand through her hair, drawing the attention of each of the males.

"What are you thinking about, Gray?" N inquired, putting a slight smile on the brunette's face.

"I figured the only way to get over Furcifer not being on the team would be to catch another Pokemon. Not as a means of replacing her, since we do need a sixth member for the league, but also because I know I need to move on sooner or later."

Staring at her in shock, Noah, Alain, and N nodded stupidly, prompting Gray to rise to her feet and begin walking after her Pokemon. Coincidentally, a young blonde was walking down the road and just so happened to watch Gray run towards the woods.

"Hey!" the blonde shouted, causing Gray to freeze in shock and then turn towards the voice. As soon as she did so, she smiled and walked over to the girl that had called her, which everyone saw.

"Bianca, long time no see!" the Kantonian exclaimed, embracing her rival, who laughed and nodded in response.

"It really has been a while, hasn't it? Well, how've things been with you and your Pokemon? Did you get eight badges yet?"

Gray sweat dropped sheepishly and pulled out her badge case before revealing how many she had, which made Bianca's eyes go wide.

"Oh wow, you're still ahead of me. I only have five," she muttered, showing Gray each of the pieces of metal. "Oh yeah, how's White doing?" Bianca asked as she and Gray walked back to the campsite where the boys were sitting.

"She left to travel with Hugh for a bit. But she said she was doing really well when I called her a few days ago. Her Pokemon are a lot stronger - apparently."

Bianca laughed at the comment from the older trainer before looking around at the three male trainers, only having previously met Noah. Looking over to N and Alain, the blonde's eyes turned to hearts and she nearly fainted, leaving the two confused. Suddenly, Bianca regained her composure and skipped over to Alain, pointing at him right after she stopped.

"Who's _this_!?" she Unovan shouted while turning to Gray, who watched her friend uncomfortably back away from Bianca.

"That's Alain, and next to him is N. They're traveling with Noah and me."

While the trainers continued speaking, a large serpent slithered off into the woods in search of something. Within a mere total of thirty seconds, it found what it had been searching for.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Bianca asked herself while looking around wildly.

"Where'd who go?" Noah questioned.

Before Gray's rival could answer, Unicus and the others sprinted out of the woods along with an unfamiliar creature and stopped just a few feet away from their trainer. Everyone stared at the Pokemon that didn't belong to Gray before Bianca finally ran forwards and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're safe, Serperior. I see you found Unicus and the others pretty easily."

The enormous serpent hissed in response, refusing to use the translator around its neck.

"So Servine evolved? That's great, Bianca!" Noah said in support of the rookie, who bowed appreciatively alongside her starter. "Wow, that's really impressive. How are the rest of your Pokemon doing?"

The Unovan flashed two thumbs up and gave a cheeky grin, causing Noah and the others to laugh in response before Serperior slithered off and over to Unicus' side. The grass type and shrew locked eyes and refused to look away, causing N to chuckle.

Both Gray and Bianca looked at the eldest of the group intently before he pointed at their starters, causing them to turn and giggle when they saw each of the Pokemon staring through one another.

"Looks like they really want to battle," Alain opined, drawing a nod from Charizard. Just as the teen finished speaking, Fortis appeared on the horizon and landed next to Gray. Bianca nearly fainted when she looked at the dragon and flying type.

"Oh, I totally forgot," Gray began, face-palming. "Bianca, this is Fortis, one of the Pokemon I caught when I traveled across Kanto. Fortis, this is Bianca, one of my rivals."

The two exchanged greetings before the two girls shifted their attention back to Unicus and Serperior.

"So are you up for a battle, Gray? My Pokemon and I have been training really hard just in case we got to battle you again."

Serperior hissed in support of his trainer's announcement but continued staring at Unicus.

"That sounds good to me. What do you guys think? Are you up for a battle?" Gray asked, looking at her five Pokemon.

"Yeah!"

 **000**

"This will be a three versus three battle between Bianca and Gray, where neither trainer may substitute her Pokemon! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Now, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Krookodile, go!" Bianca shouted, hurling a Poke Ball as hard as she could.

Leaping out of the spherical device was a large, red crocodile with black stripes on its back. The fearsome, fully-evolved Pokemon let out a powerful roar after looking at each of his potential foes and then nodded at Bianca and Serperior.

Meanwhile, Gray paid no attention to Bianca or her Pokemon, instead looking at the five members of her team intently.

"Alright, Potens, you're definitely sitting this battle out," she began, causing the Noivern to pout while the others continued to wait quietly. "Now who wants to go first? Anyone?"

While Unicus, Virtus, and Celsus volunteered, Dicax shook his head and immediately walked forwards, stealing the others' spot. When he did, his three teammates turned with their jaws on the ground while Gray laughed and gave an impressed nod, putting a smile on Dicax's face.

"Dicax, I guess I choose you!"

The Mawile grunted in response and proceeded to nod at Krookodile out of respect, prompting the ground and dark type to do the same.

"Do you know what Bianca's team looks like, Noah?" Zoroark asked while looking the eighteen year old in the eyes. Shrugging like an idiot in response, Noah scratched his chin shortly afterwards and spoke.

"I may not know anything about her team, but I do remember Gray saying that, back when we were in Nimbasa City, the last time she had battled Bianca was on Route 2. So I'd assume that was when she first got here, and when Bianca first started traveling."

Alain raised an eyebrow at the statement and shifted his attention to both girls.

"That's crazy. They're rivals, yet in the span of... let's use a weird unit of measurement and say eighty chapters, they'll have only battled twice? Come on."

Everyone nodded in agreement and stared through a laptop screen for a moment, but eventually paid attention to the battle and stopped breaking the fourth wall.

Clearing his throat, N looked at both sides and raised his arms.

"This battle will be between Krookodile and Dicax! Because Bianca issued the challenge, Gray will have the first move! Begin!"

"Dicax, use Fairy Wind!" the experienced trainer commanded.

Obeying, Dicax swung the massive pair of jaws on his head, creating a powerful gust of pink wind that quickly closed in on Krookodile. However, Bianca was more than quick enough to counter, and Krookodile acted just as fast as his rookie trainer.

"Hide underground by using Dig!" the blonde shouted.

Krookodile hurriedly burrowed underground and evaded the powerful winds Dicax had created, frustrating the intelligent Pokemon, whose teammates continued cheering loudly. Due to their combined volume, Dicax was unable to hear his opponent resurface five feet behind him. Before the Mawile knew what was happening, he had been punched in the back of the head and thrown against the ground.

"Hang strong, buddy! Grab ahold of Krookodile's arm with Vice Grip!"

Regaining his focus in an instant, Dicax used the large pair of jaws stemming fro his cranium to chomp down on his target, who let out a shriek of pain. Shaking violently in an attempt to get away, Krookodile was infuriated when his attempts were rendered futile, putting a smug grin on Dicax's face shortly thereafter.

"Break free with Dragon Claw, Krookodile!"

In the blink of an eye, the fully-evolved Pokemon reared his right arm back and slashed Dicax jaws as hard as he could, causing them to snap open almost immediately. Once they did, Potens, who had flown over to the side of the road and stood next to Fortis, turned to her teacher.

"How'd that work on Dicax when he's a fairy type?" she asked.

"It's not that Krookodile hit Dicax himself, he hit that weird jaw thing on his head. That doesn't have any type, it's a part of his body that isn't directly attached, therefore it can be hit by any move."

Back by Gray, her other spectating Pokemon looked on with puzzled expressions, but didn't voice their confusion due to none of them wanting to disturb Gray or Dicax.

"Keep it going, and use Flash Cannon to respond!"

Dicax hopped off the ground and nodded before throwing his head forwards. Unleashing a massive blast of silver energy from his mouth, the steel type grinned just when he thought the powerful attack was about to hit Krookodile. Much to his dismay, it never did.

"Jump and use Earthquake!" Bianca barked, cupping her hands around her mouth for extra volume.

The crocodile obeyed and leaped over the wicked steel type attack, leaving both Gray and Dicax speechless. Landing a few feet forwards, Krookodile slammed both hands against the ground, causing it to shake violently before a column of rocks shot out and struck Dicax in the chin, lifting him into the air.

"Recover, Dicax! Then use Flash Cannon!"

"Don't hold anything back, Krookodile! Use Stone Edge!"

Before Dicax could even open his eyes, Krookodile threw both of his arms forwards and pelted the fairy type with sharp stones. The result of the attack was Dicax receiving dozens of lacerations, and when he landed his eyes were shut tight.

"Dicax is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" N shouted immediately after seeing the condition his friend's Pokemon was in.

Sighing, Gray allowed a slight smile to creep across her face. Spraying her Pokemon with a Full Restore, she then helped the Mawile to his feet.

"Great battling, Dicax. If I had a better strategy, I know you would've won," Gray stated, making her Pokemon smile but shake his head.

"No, I need to train more and get stronger, that's all. But thanks for trying to cheer me up!" he exclaimed, bowing before walking over to Celsus, Virtus, and Unicus. "Make sure you send her out. She's the perfect counter to Bianca's approach," Dicax informed Gray while pointing at one of his teammates, drawing a nod from the brunette.

"I have to say, Bianca, you sure have become a lot more powerful since that first battle a couple months back," the brunette commended. "But I won't hold anything back from here on out!"

Bianca grinned anxiously along with Serperior, and the two waited for Gray to reveal her second combatant.

"Virtus, I choose you!"

Upon hearing her name, the purple mustelid jumped forward and landed by Gray's side with an excited smile. Just as she was about to walk forwards, Virtus was stopped by her trainer, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I know this is our first legit battle together, so it may be a little tough to get in synch at first. But don't worry, because you're going to be amazing!"

"Thanks, Gray!"

With that, Virtus squared off with her opponent, only for him to retreat to Bianca's side after being told to do so. The blonde then enlarged a Poke Ball in her left hand and chucked it.

"Durant, go!"

Materializing from the light was a large ant made of steel, with a pair of intimidating, steel snappers. Despite her foe's appearance, Virtus remained calm and took a fighting pose.

"This should be good. We've never seen Virtus in a real battle yet," Unicus whispered to Celsus and Dicax, both of whom nodded in silence.

"This battle will be between Durant and Virtus! Begin!"

"Iron Defense, Durant!" Bianca instructed.

Obeying, the bug and steel type's armor began to shine intensely before a ring of green light spun around his body for a few moments. Then, it disappeared into thin air, though Durant's defenses spiked drastically.

"That's not going to slow us down! Virtus, use Force Palm!" Gray roared, punching her right fist forwards as she did so.

Virtus matched her trainer's emotions and bolted across the dirt road, shocking Bianca, Krookodile, Serperior, and Durant, as well as the spectators. Then, slamming her right paw against the steel type's head, she unleashed all of the energy in her palm, resulting in Durant flipping through the air and crashing into his trainer. Surprisingly, Bianca and her Pokemon got back up in an instant, allowing them to retaliate.

"Use Thunder Fang on her!"

Virtus, who had turned her back to her foe, spun around and attempted to strike him down. Much to her dismay, Durant avoided her punches and chomped down on her left arm while electricity danced around his snappers. The electricity flew off Durant's body and surrounded Virtus, signifying that she had been paralyzed. Still, Gray refused to back down.

"Fight through the pain and strike with Drain Punch!"

Somehow, Virtus overcame the effects of paralysis and struck Durant in the side of the face with a glowing orange fist. Bouncing along the ground while the fighting type healed herself, Durant began to open and close his snappers furiously.

"Durant, fire away with Flash Cannon!"

"Jump out of the way!"

Reacting purely out of instinct, Virtus dove out of the way of Durant's Flash Cannon attack just in the nick of time. Gray pumped her fist victoriously, as did Unicus, but the two were floored when they saw Durant scampering towards the purple mustelid, who was laying on the ground.

"Iron Head!"

Springing forwards while enveloped in a thick coat of metallic energy, Durant slammed into Virtus and sent her tumbling along the dirt road. However, the bipedal Pokemon hopped back onto her feet, gracefully recovering, and then nodded at Gray, who seemed to know exactly what was being communicated.

"Now's our chance! Finish this with Aura Sphere!"

Forming a ball of blue energy in both hands, Virtus hurled the fighting type attack at her wounded foe, who was too tired to get out of the way. As a result, the super effective attack exploded on contact and knocked Durant out cold instantly, prompting N to raise his arms.

"Durant is unable to continue! Bianca, choose your next Pokemon!"

Bianca nodded at the announcement and zapped her Pokemon back into his capsule. She then turned to her right and nodded at Krookodile, prompting the ground and dark type to step forwards and nod at his opponent. Virtus bowed in response before taking another fighting pose.

"This battle will be between Krookodile and Virtus! Begin!"

"Virtus, take off and use Swift!" Gray commanded.

Bolting along the road, the Mienshao suddenly sprung into the air and spun. She proceeded to fire several waves of golden stars at Krookodile, and they began to spin in a circle around the dark type's body. While he looked around worriedly, the fully-evolved powerhouse heard Bianca exhale deeply, prompting him to do the same. In doing so, Krookodile calmed himself down and grinned, sending chills down Gray's spine.

"That's fine by us! Krookodile, slash through the stars with Dragon Claw and then use Aerial Ace!"

With each claw extending and glowing cobalt, Krookodile began to swing his arms wildly, slicing through the Swift attack as if it were nothing more than butter. As soon as the stars exploded, the bipedal Pokemon bounded through the smoke and took off like a rocket, reaching his target in a matter of nanoseconds. Much to Bianca's dismay, Gray was able to issue a counterattack fast enough, allowing her Pokemon to evade the super effective attack.

"Detect!" she cried.

Virtus' eyes suddenly flashed blue, and she expertly got out of the way of Krookodile's Aerial Ace attack by placing a hand on his head and using him as a springboard. Surprisingly, Bianca analyzed the situation and gave her Pokemon yet another command, one that Gray had no answer for.

"Land as fast as you can and use Earthquake repeatedly!"

Smashing both hands against the ground before Virtus could even begin descending, Krookodile snickered as columns of rocks and dirt shot out of the road and clobbered his target, hurling her towards the outer-layer of the atmosphere. As she fell back towards Earth, Virtus suddenly regained control of her body and managed to spin out of the way of another devastating blow, pumping up Gray and her teammates.

"All right! Keep moving, and use Aura Sphere, Virtus!"

Nodding in response, Virtus jumped around like a kangaroo, all the while performing several Aura Sphere attacks. Each one landed and exploded. Krookodile landed about a foot away from Gray, yet he rose to his feet and roared powerfully, impressing everyone in attendance.

"Two can play at that game, Gray! Stone Edge!"

Scowling at his opponent, the red crocodile threw his arms forwards and sent dozens of sharp stones Virtus' way.

"Stand your ground!" Gray shrieked, prompting the fighting type to remain stationary and take the powerful attack head-on. Showing no signs of fatigue, Virtus took off towards Krookodile while Gray beamed. "Great job! Now charge and strike with Drain Punch!"

"Intercept it with Foul Play!"

The combatants obeyed and their attacks collided, causing sparks of energy to fly in every direction. A wave of force suddenly threw both Pokemon back to their respective trainers, but they refused to give in. Standing back on their feet, the two locked eyes while their trainers did the same, and both girls called out attacks at the same time.

"Put everything you have into this attack, Virtus! Use Force Palm!"

"Krookodile, we're not backing down from anyone! Use Dragon Claw!"

Once again, Virtus and Krookodile ran towards one another while performing their attacks. For the second time in just as many tries, the attacks collided, but an explosion ensued. The smoke soon dissipated, revealing Virtus and Krookodile, who were unconscious.

"Both sides are unable to continue! Choose your final Pokemon!"

"You were nothing short of incredible, Virtus," Gray commended, restoring the aforementioned Pokemon's health with the help of a Full Restore. "Now make sure you rest up and watch us win."

Virtus nodded at her trainer's instructions and was met with a hero's welcome from her teammates, including Potens, who had flown back over.

"That was awesome!" Dicax exclaimed.

"Yeah, amazing job, Virtus!" Celsus commended.

"Hell of an effort out there," Potens added with a smile.

While the support continued to pour in, Unicus looked at Gray and nodded at her before rolling forwards. After uncurling herself, the Sandslash motioned for Serperior to join the battle, which he did with glee. As the two continued staring at one another, Alain, Noah, Charizard, and Arcanine began to speak.

"I'm surprised Bianca's kept things this close," Arcanine began, drawing a nod from Alain.

"Really. Just from her personality, I thought she was going to be incapable, but I was wrong," the nineteen year old Kalosian stated.

Charizard and Noah, however, disagreed.

"Nah, usually people like that are really good at battling, at least in my experience," Noah announced. "People that are kind of like airheads have some kind of affinity for this thing, but I just don't get it."

"Very true. But it's never about the trainer's personality, it's about how well they get along with their Pokemon, and how much respect is in each relationship."

Zoroark and Fortis nodded in agreement after overhearing Charizard speak, but they opted to remain silent, instead deciding to examine the final Pokemon on each side.

"These two seem really amped up for this. I wonder why," the dark type said, turning to Fortis, who shrugged in response. Unicus and Serperior, overhearing the statement, turned and looked at Zoroark, who sweat-dropped.

They then sighed and locked eyes once again before hearing N clear his throat. After that, he raised both arms and grinned.

"Unicus, let's win this!" Gray yelled, eliciting an equally loud response from her starter.

"Serperior, we've been waiting for our chance to even the score. We can't let it pass us by!" Bianca hollered, only for her first Pokemon to nod silently.

"This battle will be between Serperior and Unicus! Begin!"

"Let's start by using Swift!" the elder trainer commanded.

Unicus eagerly obeyed and slashed at the air wildly, sending dozens upon dozens of golden stars towards Serperior. The copious amount of five-starred figures began spinning around Serperior's body and closed in, though neither the serpent nor his trainer appeared to be fazed.

"Slash through all of them with Leaf Blade!" Bianca ordered.

Serperior grinned and whipped his tail as it was glowing light green. Slicing each of the stars in half, the snake continued grinning even as he was surrounded in smoke that prevented him from seeing.

"Now use Crush Claw!"

Serperior's eyes went wide as he watched Unicus shoot out of the smoke, but he somehow managed to slither out of the way. The smoke dissipated and revealed the position of both Pokemon, with Unicus' claw stuck in the ground while Serperior was curled around his foe's arm.

"What!? How the hell did he dodge that!?" Zoroark questioned intensely, only for everyone to shrug in response.

Bianca smirked at the question but refused to answer it, instead throwing her right hand forwards.

"Now use Aqua Tail!"

Before she could even blink, Gray watched as Serperior slammed his tail, which was glowing blue and surrounded by water, against the chest of the Sandslash before him, throwing her back to Gray's half of the battlefield. However, she hopped back up without hesitation.

"Keep going, Unicus! Use Dig and resurface with Gyro Ball!"

Doing just as her trainer instructed, Unicus burrowed her way underground. Serperior narrowed his eyes as soon as she disappeared but found his efforts ineffective, as Unicus resurfaced right underneath him. Spinning as she struck the grass type, Unicus cheered and then landed with a confident expression on her face.

"Use Giga Drain to regain your energy, Serperior!"

Recovering in an instant, Serperior whipped his tail in Unicus' direction, creating a tornado of green light. Speeding along the battlefield, the super effective attack encapsulated its ground type target, who let out a shrill scream while being lifted. Large orbs of green light broke off from the tornado and popped on contact with Serperior, whose few bruises vanished.

"Unicus, please hang in there a little longer!" Gray begged as the ground type continued screaming in pain. "Slice through the energy with Crush Claw and then use Gyro Ball again!"

The Sandslash's eyes opened slowly and she attempted to will herself through the powers of the attack. A few moments later, she cut the tornado into pieces, shocking both Bianca and Serperior, though they quickly regained their composure, even as Unicus spun like a drill and sped towards them.

"Intercept it with Outrage!" Bianca shrieked.

Bursting forwards while enveloped in orange energy, Serperior let out a powerful roar. He and Unicus collided and, much to Gray's dismay, the ground type was overpowered in an instant. The ground caved in instantly, leaving Gray's jaw agape, as well as those of her Pokemon and friends.

Once the brunette took another glance at Unicus, she was floored upon seeing her starter's eyes were closed.

"Unicus is unable to continue! That means Bianca, Krookodile, Durant, and Serperior are the winners!"

Gray continued to stare at the downed Pokemon along with her other team members, each of whom were baffled by the result of the battle. Meanwhile, Bianca and Serperior began to celebrate their victory while N, Alain, and Noah shook their heads in disbelief before walking to Gray's side.

"I can't believe that just happened," Virtus muttered while turning to Potens.

The Noivern nodded in agreement as she kept staring at the blonde and serpent that had bested her trainer. Slowly, a confident grin stretched across her face, drawing Virtus' attention.

"What's up?" she inquired.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," she replied, still smiling.

Meanwhile, Bianca and Gray walked towards one another and shook hands, both smiling.

"Great battle, Bianca. Really, you and Serperior have grown by leaps and bounds since first starting. Make sure you train just as hard, because I'm going to win the next time we battle!" Gray proclaimed.

Potens and Virtus cheered in support of the eighteen year old's proclamation while Serperior narrowed his eyes and analyzed the powerful duo.

"I'm not so sure about that, but we'll be looking forward to it!" the rookie trainer retorted playfully. After a few moments passed, the blonde looked around and then clapped. "Well, I guess we're going to head out for Humilau City! See ya, everybody!"

The group waved and watched Bianca bolt down the road and enter Tubeline Bridge with Serperior in tow. Once the two were gone, Gray put her hands on her hips and sighed

* * *

 **Well I'll be. Bianca's a whole lot stronger than... chapter 2, as expected, and Gray will have a very tough time with her if they battle again. Anyhow, next chapter will focus on the group arriving in Opelucid, and some stuff that's going on there. Till then, peace out.**

 **ALSO, make sure to check out Scantium's story, _"Legacy"_ as well as davidtheman23's (co-written) story (with TheGreat0ne), _"A Quest to Find Ourselves"_**

 **1\. Thoughts on the battle? Any critiques?  
2\. Out of Cheren, Bianca, and Hugh, which one should Gray battle prior to the league (Full battle, most likely)?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "**_ _ **Fool's Gold**_ ** _"_** _ **  
**_

 ** _Rumors swirl around Opelucid City about a monstrous Pokemon causing mayhem for trainers near the northern exit. Needing one final Pokemon to fill out her team, Gray decides to search for and capture the alleged beast with the help of Virtus. However, the two soon learn the culprit isn't actually as dangerous as people say, and that he is, in fact, being framed! Will Gray, Virtus, and this wild Pokemon be able to work together and defeat the mastermind behind this all?_**

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 84: Mega Battle 7: Virtus vs Greninja!  
** **Chapter 85: Type Beasts' Beginnings** **  
Chapter 86: Mega Battle 8: Charizard vs Greninja!  
Chapter 87: Gray and White  
** **Chapter 88: Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!  
** **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!**


	83. Fool's Gold

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and another Pokemon appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray cries as she pictures Advena's death)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (While Virtus battles Hugh's Greninja the left side of her face appears next to the right side of Gray's)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Potens and Sylveon look at one another with Zennyo and Eden standing behind them, respectively)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (Noah and White, and Gray's rivals battle the Flare admins while Alain and Gray battle Dominic)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (The screen splits into four rectangles with Alain on the far left, N to the far right, and Gray and Noah to the left and right middle spots, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey, folks! I know this was originally planned to be "Stalking Prey" but it was wayyyyy too short to be a standalone. Because of that, it'll act as a prelude to "Fool's Gold" and some more important events later on. With that being said, the preview for this chapter can be found at the end of the previous. For those of you like me that are too lazy to go back, it's going to be about Gray's final Pokemon. Yeah, I know it's incredibly soon and I wish I could've spaced things out more effectively, but this is the best I can do with the way the outline is. Now let's get going!**

 **TheGreat0ne:** _They were a bit shorter than usual, but that's because there's a full battle coming up pretty soon (whether it's this arc or the next) and I just didn't have the mental ability to make both really long. Assuming there is enough time to fit in one more rival battle before the league, I think Hugh would make for the best battle, so he definitely has that going for him, and the streak has begun (again!)_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Bianca went awol for a while, to say the least. Serperior should've been the favorite without a doubt, in my opinion, and that's just based on it being Serperior. Then taking in the types, it's easy to see why he did. Mustelid is used pretty often, mainly because I don't know what to call her other than Virtus, or "the fighting type" but I'll make an effort to change that. Thanks!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Virtus was a beast. I know I just copied exactly what you put down, but I think that speaks volumes to how much of a beast she really was. Cheren most likely will get two battles in, just because he hasn't gotten anywhere near as much attention as Hugh, and I'd say Bianca's had far more development. And that's good to hear! That's the only thing that will prohibit me from responding, just for future complications that I know are inevitable :/_

 **MCMXCV:** _First, let me say welcome back! It's great to hear from you again, man! With that out of the way... thanks for the compliment! Gray will miss Furcifer, and I think there should be a few more instances of her being mentioned/alluded to for a few chapters (hopefully). Dicax is probably the weakest of the bunch, but he'll pick up the slack after this arc, and Virtus never plays games in battle XD Fun fact, those two are slated to have a full battle very soon! Huzzah! No worries about not reviewing; the real world takes precedence over this site no matter what. Good luck catching up! XD_

 **davidtheman23:** _Hey, I'm a people-pleaser, what can I say? XD Not sure what you mean by 'what type?' but it was based on the title and how you came up with Flasma. If Gray was smart, she absolutely would've used Potens, but I'm trying to refrain from putting her in battles so I can keep her level under control. Cheren will battle Gray again (as will Hugh), and I'm starting to think he'll end up getting the very last Pre-League battle with Gray :D_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Ironically, I watched Deadpool earlier today XD WoH is Big Brother confirmed! Unicus and Dicax will be getting more spotlight (as will Celsus) since they're nearly ten levels behind Potens. Virtus' spot in the limelight will fade as we transition to the next arc, but I don't want to just cut it off immediately, so it might be dragged out a bit :/ Rival battles are almost always fun (best during the league)_

 **Defender31415:** _Bianca's much stronger than before, and Alain's breaking of the fourth wall was a one-hit K.O!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Haha, thanks! I was hoping Bianca would make a pretty big splash, considering she hasn't battled Gray in eighty chapters XD School's been a pain (taking L's left and right), but it's almost over!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Potens, (f), level 48, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 40, Confusion, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 42, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 44, Detect, Bounce, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

A pair of watchful eyes tracked every movement without trouble. The sun, despite continued to beat down at near-fatal levels, didn't faze the owner of said eyes, who scurried through the woods with their head to the ground. Refusing to be caught spying, they would stop every few seconds, knowing that the group being targeted would eventually turn around and detect them.

 _"This is a pain in the ass,"_ the stalker thought to themselves before jumping out of a bush and into the trees above. _"If I could just walk up to them and say hello, that'd keep this whole process from getting as ridiculous as it already is."_

Sighing audibly, the pursuer immediately placed their hands over their mouth and refrained from breathing until confirming the group was gone. Sighing once again, much softer than the previous time, they sat down at the top of a tree and looked out from the leaves. Peering at the road ahead, the quiet figure stroked its chin and then ran a hand through its hair.

Tubeline Bridge was a mere hundred feet away, and dozens of trainers were filing in, allowing the group that had been watched so closely to escape their stalker's sight.

 _"Shit!"_ they cursed mentally upon noticing the trainers were no longer present. Swinging their arms in a fit of anger, the stalker nearly fell out of the tree. Just before they could fall, they swung their momentum in the opposite direction, preventing a potential free fall.

However, as soon as the stalker recovered, they jumped off the branch and began running down the dirt path that led to the famous bridge, as well as Opelucid City, with only one thought running through his mind.

 _"I will catch you."_

 **000**

Gray continued eating her breakfast while Noah yawned groggily and rubbed his eyes. Even thought it was noon, the eighteen year old muttered in agitation, not wanting to be up until the sun was setting.

"Do you have an idea of when you're challenging the Gym Leader?" N quizzed as he cracked his back. "He's a dragon type specialist, so Dicax would be your best pick in terms of typing."

The brunette shrugged in response while reaching for her belt, feeling each of the capsules attached. Again, the emptiness of the sixth rattled her, and Gray looked down for a moment.

"Ya know, if Furcifer was still around, this would've been a lot easier," the Kantonian said with a pained smile.

"That may suck," Fortis began, grabbing his trainer's attention, "but it's only going to make you and the others stronger."

Gray smiled once again and nodded at the Flygon, who merely folded his arms in response. Once the trio of trainers stopped talking they were greeted by the sound of Alain and Charizard walking into the dining hall, drawing impressed gasps and stares from the hundreds of younger trainers.

The two acted as if they were unaware of the attention they were receiving and stood by the table, prompting the others to look at them.

"Nice to know you two are awake," Zoroark teased, only for Alain to scowl. "Well someone clearly doesn't have a sense of humor."

The nineteen year old ignored the comment and turned his attention to Gray, who began to sip on her first ever cup of coffee. Just as her companion began to speak, she recoiled at the potent kick and scalding-hot liquid that touched her lips. Sweat-dropping at the attention she received, the brunette shifted her focus back to Alain and motioned for him to resume, which he did.

"It's been a while since Charizard and I have had a battle, so we wanted to know if you and Fortis would be willing to go a couple rounds."

Noah, Arcanine, N, and Zoroark shifted in their seats dramatically at the idea of a battle between the two powerhouses while Gray and her strongest Pokemon looked at one another. Having a conversation through facial expressions alone, they broke their gaze and nodded in unison.

With that, the trainers and their longest-tenured Pokemon strolled to the battlefield out back of the Pokemon Center. Stopping to watch Gray's Pokemon play for a brief couple of minutes, Alain finally motioned for the Kantonian when his patience waned.

"Everyone, can you come here for a second?" Gray requested, prompting each of the five creatures to obey and hurry over to her.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Unicus questioned rapidly, looking back and forth to see if her friend was in danger.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

The Sandslash eased up and nodded, sitting down at the same time as her four teammates, who eyed Gray intently.

"Please don't tell me we're going to have a surprise training session," Dicax whispered as he began to look up at the sky and pray silently, eliciting laughter from his teammates as well as Gray.

"Of course not. You all know the rules I have about training-"

"We never train the first day we arrive in a city, or the following day if we arrive at a later time," the group announced monotonously, making the third-year trainer smile and place both hands on her hips.

Noah and Arcanine slowly crept away from the Pokemon Center's walls and glanced at Gray and her Pokemon, noticing the same smile plastered on each of their faces. Seeing that, chills ran down the duo's spines and they shivered.

"The more I think about it, Noah," Arcanine began, drawing the attention of the exhausted young man. "The more I believe you should bring back the Kalos team. Or, at least the original quartet - myself included, of course."

Rubbing his eyes once again as he leaned against the Pokemon Center's wall, Noah nodded and waved Arcanine off. The fire type rolled his eyes and immediately chomped down on Noah's hand, causing him to shriek at the top of his lungs and shoot off the ground.

Flailing his in pain, the eighteen year old glared daggers at his first Pokemon.

"What the hell was that for!?" he interrogated, only to be dragged inside by Arcanine.

Gray, Alain, and Noah chuckled at the scene before shifting their focus back to their original plan.

"Anyways... I need you all to get off the battlefield," Gray told her Pokemon as she looked back at them with a bright smile.

Each of the five creatures tilted their heads in confusion until Fortis, who had finished his stretching routine, landed inside the white lines. Turning to face the group he had been tasked with teaching, the Hoenn Pokemon flicked his wrist as if he were trying to tell them to go away, which they did in a heartbeat.

"Wow, Fortis sure knows how to communicate effectively," Zoroark muttered to N, who barely managed to contain his laughter even as Gray's Unova team formed a line next to him and his Poke-friend. "You guys still don't know what's going on, do you?" the dark type quizzed.

Celsus and Virtus shook their heads while Unicus, Potens, and Dicax appeared to know the answer, grabbing the attention of their teammates, as well as Zoroark.

"It's pretty obvious, actually," Dicax began. "Gray and Fortis are going to battle Alain and Charizard."

Virtus and Celsus stared in shock before turning to Unicus, who cleared her throat at an obnoxious volume.

"You can tell just by the look in Fortis' eyes. See? He seems pretty anxious to me," the ground type concluded, nodding along with her final word. "I mean, I've also known the guy for a little while and got to see him battle at the Silver Conference, but like Dicax said, it's pretty obvious."

The Unova and Johto Pokemon glanced at one another and shrugged like morons, though they shifted their gaze to Potens, who hadn't spoken. Just as they opened their mouths to speak, they were cut off by a sudden body of purple aura shooting out of the Noivern's body. The coat of light emitting otherworldly power let the Pokemon know who they were talking to in an instant - as did the shape of the aura, which had turned into a Chinese dragon.

"Ah, so I finally get to see whether all the fuss over Fortis is warranted. I can't get over how good a time it was for me to wake up. I mean, aside from saving you, Potens."

Snorting like a pig at the response, Potens shook her head at Zennyo's statement.

Back on the battlefield, Charizard stepped out of Alain's trainer box and into the battling lines. Both he and Fortis squared themselves up with each other and then bowed respectfully, increasing everyone's heart rates.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Fortis and Charizard! Alain, because you issued the challenge, Gray has the first move!" N proclaimed, which was met with a nod from both trainers. "Begin!"

"Fortis, use Dragon Pulse!" Gray commanded.

"Flamethrower! Let's go!" Alain countered.

Rearing their heads back in unison, Charizard and Fortis performed their attacks without hesitation, the former unleashing a wave of fire while Fortis sent a blast of draconic energy through the air. The Dragon Pulse attack suddenly turned into the shape of a dragon, and it snapped its jaws on Charizard's Flamethrower attack, causing an explosion that knocked everyone onto their backsides. Smoke covered the area, both blinding and choking everyone at the same time.

Luckily, the combatants flapped their wings frenetically, blowing the hazardous body of air away from the battlefield and towards the atmosphere. Despite being ready to continue their bout, Fortis and Charizard turned and noticed that not only their trainers, but N, Zoroark, and Gray's Pokemon had been pushed against the walls of the battlefield.

"Are you all okay?" Charizard asked as he glanced at each individual, waiting for a nod before looking at the next. Fortis mimicked his friend and rival before finally helping Gray to her feet. The girl rubbed her aching head with a pain-filled look on her face, worrying Fortis until Gray suddenly snapped out of it.

"That was some explosion!" she exclaimed, causing the dragon and ground type to sweat drop. "Way bigger than that one at the Indigo League between you and Garchomp, that's for sure!"

Fortis frowned at the mentioning of the battle and turned away. However, he glanced back at Gray when he felt her hand fall on his shoulder, and the dragonfly cracked a smile when he saw his trainer beaming.

"I don't think we can continue the battle, Gray," Alain opined as he and Charizard walked across the battlefield, making the girl gasp. "It's not that we don't want to, it's just that Charizard and Fortis are too..." he paused and stroked his chin for a moment. Once the Kalosian's face lit up, he patted his starter on the head. "They're too strong. Another explosion like that would end in a serious injury."

Sighing, Gray nodded while Fortis hung his head in disappointment. As the two did so, all of the Unova members began to converse, though Zennyo, who was seeing through his aura, didn't participate. Instead, he looked up over the wall Gray had been standing in front of, looking at the buildings of Opelucid City as if he were trying to recall something. Upon further examination, he exhaled deeply and nodded.

"I believe I know of an area that will suffice. However, it's on the other end of the city and could take upwards of three hours to reach, even if you two fly," the body of aura stated while pointing at Charizard and Fortis.

Glancing at their trainers and noticing the pair of negative responses, both winged Pokemon shook their heads, resulting in Zennyo's aura shrugging.

"Well, that's all I've got. Call if you need anything," he stated before disappearing back inside Potens' body, which all of her teammates watched with intrigue.

"No matter how many times I say it, I'll never get over it," Celsus began, "but it's so fricking cool how you have a god in you!"

Potens shrugged in response, not wanting to make a scene out of being able to call on Zennyo for reserve power. Remaining silent, the dragon type successfully killed Celsus' excitement and prevented anyone else's from emerging.

Just as the group was about to head back inside Noah and Arcanine waltzed out, an enormous crowd forming behind them. The two didn't turned back and instead hurried to their friends, who gave inquisitive looks. Both trainer and Pokemon played off the attention rather poorly, resulting in the quadruped cracking.

"I'm going to tell them," he told Noah, who shrugged in response, no longer feeling awkward about the stares headed his way. "So while we were inside talking to his mom, Noah and I overheard a group of people talking about some terrifying Pokemon near the northern route outside of Opelucid."

Gray's ears perked up at the last bit of Arcanine's summary, but she allowed him to continue speaking.

"So we asked them about it and whatnot, and that's when this doofus over here," he said, spitting each word as he pointed at Noah, "promised that we'd take care of it!"

Sweat-dropping timidly, Noah began to tremble at the intense glares from Zoroark, Alain, and even Fortis and Charizard. The four slowly took a step forward, prompting their target to take one back. One step forward. One step back. The game continued until, finally, the eighteen year old bumped his back against the wall behind one of the trainer boxes.

"Why did you say that!?" Alain screamed in frustration, tossing his arms up. "It hasn't even been a full day, and you've already gotten the entire populous of Pokemon Center's attention!"

Having had enough, Alain turned his back to the younger trainer and stomped his way into the Pokemon Center, pushing through the wave of trainers that had been watching.

N and Zoroark shook their heads at the ridiculous antics of their companion and followed Alain and Charizard into the red-roofed building, leaving Gray, her Pokemon, Noah, and Arcanine.

Replaying the elder trainers' reactions in his head, Noah cursed inaudibly and hung his head, causing Gray to look on in concern. The brunette continued to eye the young man she had known since childhood as a smile crept across her face. Even as all of her Pokemon began to walk inside, Gray refused to frown.

"Noah, I'll go!" she exclaimed, everyone that was still outside to gasp in shock while Noah recoiled at the exclamation. "If someone makes a promise, then they need to keep that for life! You keep those guys distracted while I'm gone, okay? I promise to stop that Pokemon, Noah!" she vowed, flashing a thumbs up while beaming.

A wave of warmth rushed over the Kantonian's body upon hearing Gray's words, and he turned his back to her while closing his eyes.

 _"Thank you, Gray."_

"Come on, everyone! Let's go!"

 **000**

Gray turned in a complete circle, taking in her surroundings while making note of where each Pokemon was checking. Potens had the air, Virtus the trees, Unicus was digging underground, and Celsus and Dicax looked around the ground.

"Have any of you seen anything yet?" Virtus inquired from the top of a tree, which she stood on nonchalantly. "Because there's nothing in these, and I'd assume it wouldn't be underground if it's as scary as everyone's saying."

Unicus resurfaced right after Virtus finished speaking and glared daggers at the fighting type.

"Hey, I like digging, and who declared you the leader? Last time I checked, it was Gray, and Fortis was second in-line! Since he's not here and I've been on the team the longest, that makes me second!"

Gray sweat dropped at her starter's attitude while Virtus shook her head, refusing to engage in an argument with the dimwitted shrew. Eventually, she jumped from the tree and walked over to Gray along with Unicus, Celsus, and Dicax while Potens continued looking from the sky.

"This is weird. If those people said a Pokemon attacked trainers, and that it was scary, wouldn't we have already found it? I mean, I'm a trainer and I have all of my Pokemon out," Gray thought aloud, rubbing her chin while deep in thought.

"Maybe that's the issue," Dicax interjected, immediately becoming the center of attention. "Withdraw all of us except for one, and then whoever's still out can hide and jump into action when that Pokemon appears."

Blinking slowly as she tried to think of how Dicax came up with the plan, Gray suddenly shook her head and smiled at the genius.

"Great idea, buddy. I'm going to call you three back into your Poke Balls, and Virtus, I'll have you wait in the trees, okay?"

Each of the four nodded, and before they were withdrawn, Gray called for Potens. Once she explained the idea, the brunette withdrew all of her Pokemon except for her Mienshao, who scampered up a tree and perched herself on a branch. Keeping a close eye out for the Kantonian's wellbeing, Virtus refused to let anything distract her.

About an hour or so sluggishly rolled along, but the girl and her Pokemon stuck to their plan.

The stillness of the area didn't sit well with Gray, who was no longer able to remember which tree Virtus was in. Even the slightest sound or movement would make her spin around and stared into the wilderness with an ever-growing sense of paranoia manifesting in the back of her mind.

 _"Maybe all of those people were just blowing things out of proportion. There's nothing scary around here,"_ Gray thought to herself, shaking her head.

"Virtus, let's pack up and-"

Gray was interrupted by the sound of a booming roar, which echoed through the woods and rang in her ears. Suddenly, a large, round Pokemon stumbled out of the shadows and appeared in the opening. It stared directly at Gray and the two remained still for what felt like an eternity. Then, the Pokemon made a move, falling towards the brunette.

"Now!" Gray screamed.

Shooting out of the trees with reckless abandon, Virtus hurled an Aura Sphere attack. The speed of the fighting type move was far too great for the wild Pokemon to react, and, as a result, it was thrown into the base of a large tree. While the feral creature attempted to stand up and overcome the pain it was feeling, Virtus ran over to Gray and checked on her briefly.

"Did you get hurt?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, thanks. There's no need to worry about me," the trainer said softly. "Now let's see what kind of Pokemon that is," she muttered, scanning the injured creature with her Pokedex.

"Bibarel, the Beaver Pokemon, and the evolved form of Bidoof. While its movements out of water are sluggish, it can swim as fast as any Feebas."

Deadpanning at the far-from-astounding Pokedex entry, Gray shook her head and regained focus when the foe Bibarel used his weight to throw himself up the tree and stand upright. Eyeing the Pokemon closely, Gray noticed several several cuts that appeared to be infected, prompting her to rush forwards while Virtus had no time to react.

"Gray! No!" the fighting type shouted as she futilely reached out for her trainer, only to miss by ten feet.

Taking off after the fair-skinned girl, Virtus launched herself into the air and prepared to attack. She soon stopped upon seeing a lack of malice from Bibarel. Still, Virtus crouched on a tree branch directly above the normal and water type, who skittishly looked around, trembling violently as Gray approached. Recognizing the wild Pokemon's fear, Gray put both of her hands up, showing that she was completely unarmed, though the wild beaver continued to try and back away.

"Hey, there's no need to be scared, buddy," the girl whispered soothingly, softening Bibarel's shaking. "Yeah, there ya go," she whispered once again, not wanting to disturb the badly wounded creature. "Bibarel, listen to me for just a second, please? My friend Virtus and I are going to help carry you back to Opelucid City and get those cuts cleaned, because they're really infected. Are you okay with that?" Gray questioned as she squatted, putting herself at eye-level.

 _"Is she really willing to help this damn thing?"_ Virtus thought to herself as she looked on from afar.

Despite jittering like an addict in withdrawal, Bibarel managed to nod, prompting Gray to motion for Virtus. After the Mienshao jumped from her perch, she and her trainer walked towards the water type. Then, with each taking one arm and throwing it over their shoulders, the two began their trek back to Opelucid City, with the alleged havoc-creator in shambles.

 **000**

Gray continued looking through the window and at Bibarel, who had been sleeping for several hours. Even though she had been in the building for quite some time, Gray's companions were unaware of her presence, solely because all three of Noah, Alain, and N were in their rooms.

"I wonder what Pokemon did that to Bibarel," Unicus muttered, shaking her head at the unsightly lacerations. "Whoever it was, I'll make sure to give 'em a taste of their own medicine," she vowed while snapping both sets of her claws.

Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Virtus nodded in agreement with the Sandslash's words. The quintet of Pokemon then turned away from Bibarel and eyed Gray intently. The brunette raised an eyebrow and waited for one of her friends to speak, though no one did. Slowly, Dicax pointed at the hallway behind the Kantonian, prompting her to turn.

Having spotted her in an instant, Noah and Arcanine arrived at Gray's side shortly thereafter with worried expressions plastered on their faces.

"Is everyone okay? That Pokemon didn't hurt you guys, did it?" Noah interrogated as he bent down and inched closer to Unicus, who sweat-dropped nervously while Gray giggled.

"We're fine, Noah," she replied, shaking her head as she did so. The six foot tall trainer let out a sigh of relief as he placed his right hand over his chest, but Arcanine still seemed to be on edge. "Virtus and I looked for it, but we had to stop when an injured Pokemon came to us."

"Which," Celsus began, drawing everyone's attention, "Virtus allegedly assaulted."

The purple Pokemon's neck snapped towards the Girafarig and she stared daggers at him. The psychic type didn't back down, however, resulting in Virtus sighing and hanging her head.

"Hindsight's twenty/twenty, Celsus. I'm sure you would've done the same thing, or any of the others, for that matter," Gray retorted, defending the Martial Arts Pokemon.

The psychic and normal type nodded, conceding defeat, and then bowed to his teammate apologetically. Virtus waved off the action, drawing a smile from the quadruped standing next to her.

"I hate to sound rude, but can I check on that Pokemon?" Arcanine inquired, intriguing Gray. "I... I want to help you get back at whatever it was that hurt 'em."

As Gray smiled at the guilt-ridden starter in an attempt to make him feel better, she turned and waved for Arcanine to follow, which he and his trainer did. When the Kantonians and their Pokemon reached the window, both Noah and Arcanine's jaws hit the ground. Both appeared to stare through the beaver whose eyes were cracked, but turned when an unfamiliar sound reached their ears.

Nurse Joy appeared in the human's peripheral so he turned to greet her by bowing.

"Sorry for intruding, Miss Plain, but your Bibarel should be waking up any moment. If you'd like, you're all more than welcome to go in and see him."

Dicax attempted to correct the nurse, but refrained from doing so when he saw Gray didn't care about the incorrect information.

The pair of eighteen year olds entered the room, Gray striding confidently while Noah narrowed his eyes and examined the water and normal type, who was covered in bandaids.

"Hey, buddy! How are you feeling?" Gray asked as she took a seat at the end of Bibarel's bed, generating a thankful smile from the stocky Pokemon. Noticing the absence of a translator after focusing on the wild creature, Gray grabbed her drawstring bag and opened it. Without an ounce of trouble, she found the hi-tech device and attempted to clip it around Bibarel's neck.

"Bi!" the Sinnoh Pokemon snapped defensively, causing Gray to retract her hand. "Bar-bi," Bibarel muttered after hanging his head gloomily.

Unable to understand a word that had been said, both Noah and his crush turned to their Pokemon. Potens responded in an instant, making her way to the front of the group.

"Bibarel apologized for trying to bite you," she stated, which made the aforementioned creature nod with a goofy smile. Gray giggled at the actions of the wild water type before leaning in slowly, not wanting to startle him. In a matter of seconds, the powerful trainer successfully clipped the translator on.

Bibarel ran his stubby fingers along the sleek metallic necklace but jumped in shock when he saw it emit a few flashes of light. Tapping the device timidly, the beaver eventually looked up at Gray when he felt he was no longer in danger. Then, he opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Thanks a ton fer helpin' me here," the fully evolved Pokemon said with a robotic-sounding southern drawl. "Mah name's Bibarel, but y'all knew that, right?"

Gray and her team members nodded in response while Noah and Arcanine kept their mouths closed. Bibarel noticed their odd actions and turned his attention to them almost immediately.

"Howdy!" he greeted.

Neither member of the duo responded, making Bibarel chuckle heartily while Gray deadpanned. Leaning towards Noah, she then whispered,

"What the hell are you doing? Just be friendly."

Noah turned and locked eyes with the girl that was about six inches shorter before responding.

" _That's_ the Pokemon all the trainers were talking about," he shot back aggressively, making Gray tense up. "What do we do?"

Unicus stepped forward after hearing what the humans had whispered to one another and locked eyes with the happy-go-lucky Pokemon covered in bandages, grabbing the attention of her teammates and Arcanine.

"Cut the crap, Bibarel!" she shrieked, startling the eighteen year olds. Bibarel, on the other hand, tilted his head in confusion and waited for Unicus to elaborate. "We know you're the Pokemon terrorizing trainers by the northern entrance to Opelucid City! Stop with the act!"

Thousands of pounds of tension flooded into the room, suffocating the inhabitants. Unicus and Bibarel refused to look away from one another despite being aware of the fact that everyone else glanced back and forth at them, waiting for either side to make a move.

"I guess yer a straight shooter," the beaver said aloud as he swung his legs like a pendulum, allowing him to hop off the bed. "That's somethin' I like in people."

The ground type didn't know how to react to Bibarel's words, prompting him to continue.

"And that's somethin' I'll mirror. I'm not yer man, oh no siree, Bob!" the heavy, bipedal Pokemon proclaimed as he eyed each of his visitors intently.

"If that's the case, then why did all of the trainers staying in the Pokemon Center tell me you attacked them?" Noah asked rhetorically.

Bibarel scowled and spat on the ground, grossing-out the group.

"Look, ya don't got to believe me if ya don't want to," the slow-speaking beaver began, "but I swear on my grave that it wasn't by choice. I ain't into fightin' with all them dadgum humans, not one bit."

Gray rand a hand through her hair, overwhelmed by the wild Pokemon's odd way of speaking.

 _"Hopefully one of Unicus or the others can understand what he's saying,"_ the brunette thought to herself, only to deadpan when she saw that each of her Pokemon were just as lost, if not more so.

"Welp, I'd best be on my way. Thank ya again for helping me, ladies," Bibarel said to Gray and Virtus before bowing appreciatively. No longer having anything to say, the furry animal made his way through the crowd and towards the doors of the treatment room.

Watching him walk away, Gray bit her lower lip and replayed the beaver's statement.

"Wait!" she shouted, stopping the Sinnoh Pokemon dead in his tracks. Slightly turning his shoulders, Bibarel waited to hear what was on the trainer's mind. When Gray didn't speak after a little over ten seconds, the chunky creature planned on resuming his departure until he caught a glimpse of the brunette's clenched fists. Seeing her arms trembling due to how tightly she was closing her hands, Bibarel narrowed his eyes.

 _"She better say what I think she will,"_ Virtus thought to herself as she silently watched the scene unfold.

"I believe you're telling the truth, and I want to help bring down whoever it is that's behind this whole thing. Are you guys willing to lend a hand?" she quizzed while turning to the quintet of Pokemon by her sides.

Without hesitation, Virtus jumped forwards and nodded with a smile. Potens followed her friend's actions and nodded at Bibarel, who returned the gesture. Celsus strolled over to Gray, Virtus, and Potens with a confident demeanor, prompting Dicax and Unicus to do the same.

"That settles that," Gray muttered with a smile. "Noah and Arcanine, I want you two to make sure none of the trainers that got attacked try something funny. Can you do that?"

Noah saluted while Arcanine nodded reluctantly, allowing Gray to turn her attention back to the six Pokemon that were set to accompany her.

"Bibarel, lead the way!"

 **000**

Upon returning to the area where they had met, Gray and Bibarel turned and smiled at one another. Dicax, Celsus, Potens, and Unicus searched high and low for the apparent puppeteer who had been orchestrating the attacks on innocent trainers while Virtus hid in the trees, keeping one eye locked on her trainer and the other on Bibarel.

"If we keep ourselves goin' through these here woods we should reach a cave built into the side of a mountain," the beaver informed Gray, who nodded and whistled for the attention of her Pokemon. The quintet watched as their trainer waved her arm as if she were trying to tell them to go on ahead, which they did, except for Virtus. Opting to remain as close to the brunette as she could, the mustelid didn't make a sound as she stealthily hopped from one tree branch to another.

Unaware of the Mienshao's presence Gray awkwardly cleared her throat, causing the goofy, bipedal Sinnoh Pokemon to look at her with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Uh, is this your first time working with a trainer?" the young woman asked, subconsciously leaning forward in intrigue.

The water type shook his head in response as he laughed heartily, patting his stomach whenever he inhaled deeply.

"No, ma'am, I haven't," he answered politely. "Trainers ain't a group o' people I've liked to interact with in the past. That ain't to say every one of y'all is bad, clearly," the brown-haired Pokemon added, emphasizing his last word while pointing at Gray.

Chuckling in response, the young woman was shocked to find that she and the Pokemon had arrived at the cave Bibarel talked about in the Pokemon Center. Each of Celsus, Potens, Dicax, Virtus, and Unicus confidently waited in front of the entrance and, upon Gray's request, formed a circle with her and Bibarel.

"Do we have any idea of what we're doing, or are we just going in guns blazing?" Potens asked as an eager smirk crept across her face, silently hoping Gray was going to choose the latter.

The Kantonian shook her head at the question, resulting in Potens muttering under her breath. Those standing next to the big-eared bat - Virtus and Dicax - refrained from exploding with laughter over her comments while Gray paid no attention, instead opting to focus on the plan.

"Bibarel, since you seem to know your way around these parts, what do you suggest we do?" the human asked, leading to the others staring directly at the bipedal beaver.

The Sinnoh Pokemon sweat-dropped in angst, feeling all twelve eyes burning holes through his body. Miraculously, he managed to maintain some sense of composure and cleared his throat in order to prepare to speak.

"O-okay, folks," the normal type stammered. Inhaling deeply to calm himself, Bibarel opened his eyes and forced a smile. "This fella ain't someone to mess with: they'll cut ya as soon as an opportunity arises."

The five other Pokemon shifted uneasily at the information, but the wild creature paid them no attention.

"Now there shouldn't be too many enemies to go through, but be on your guard at all times. Y'all understand?"

Everyone nodded, though Celsus' eyes opened wide.

"Wait, how strong are these guards?" he asked, only to be ignored by Bibarel.

The water and normal type led the charge into the cave without hesitation while Gray was surrounded by her five Pokemon, each of whom looked around anxiously. The further the group progressed, the darker the cave became, causing Bibarel to stop and motion for his new friends to follow suit.

"Ma'am, would ya mind helpin' me up front?" the friendly beaver inquired, pointing at Potens.

The big-eared dragon type shook her head in response. She then made her way past Bibarel and closed her eyes while emitting ultrasonic waves of sound from both ears. A moment or so later, Potens opened her eyes, nodded at the wild Pokemon by her side, and began walking with him.

Gray smiled as she kept a close eye on each of her Pokemon and how they treated their tagalong partner, who awkwardly waddled for a while until finally dropping to all fours, where he looked to be far more comfortable.

"So, Bibarel, how the heck did you meet this taskmaster?" Virtus asked suspiciously as she remained close to Gray.

The hairy creature remained silent and continued trucking along until he and Potens reached a fork in the cave, prompting him to turn around and lock eyes with the Mienshao.

"They gave me some food one time, so I thought we were friends," he stated while sweat-dropping.

Gray and her team deadpanned at the ridiculous answer, but Potens soon used her ears for a second time. She immediately pointed to the right and walked down the tunnel.

"This cave has such a complex system of routes," the Noivern announced as she looked around at the others. "There have to be hundreds, if not thousands."

Each of her teammates scowled at the information and began to complain. Gray rolled her eyes along with Potens, but the annoyed comments ceased when, all of a sudden, Bibarel's tail shot straight up and he stopped dead in his tracks. The six pairs of eyes behind Bibarel anxiously darted from left to right, but nothing appeared. Furthermore, there wasn't a single sound made.

"Well that ain't good."

Gray worriedly raised an eyebrow as she watched Bibarel resume walking.

"What is it?" Potens questioned, prompting the Sinnoh Pokemon to turn around.

"He knows we're here. It's best if y'all just head on back." The tone behind Bibarel's voice - one of the utmost seriousness - made Dicax frown and fold his arms over his chest.

"That's not going to happen. We've already come this far; we promised we'd help you; there's a much higher chance of beating this freak if we stick around. Think about it logically," he snapped.

Bibarel gave a goofy smile in response and, along with his allies, headed towards their target.

 **000**

Gray and the six Pokemon slowly made their way into an odd chamber filled with light, and they curiously looked around. Upon further investigation, the eighteen year old saw there was a fairly large hole in the ceiling that allowed the sun's rays to filter in.

"Looks like we hit a dead end," Unicus muttered, drawing nods from the group. With that, they began to retrace their steps, though an explosion near the entrance prevented anyone from leaving.

Everyone turned in unison and watched as an ape-like creature hopped down the hole in the ceiling and crashed into the ground. It slowly looked up, glaring daggers at the group as a whole before locking onto Bibarel, causing a smirk to spread across its face. Gray hurriedly took out her Pokedex and turned the translator app on, allowing her to understand what the foreign Pokemon - a Darmanitan - was saying.

"Ay, what're you doing here with a trainer?" the long-armed Pokemon questioned while slowly creeping forwards, its knuckles touching the ground as if they were acting as feet. "Bringing the enemy right to our base? Man, you really are an idiot."

Each of Gray's five Pokemon turned to Bibarel and watched as the jolly expression on his face vanished, only to be replaced by one of hurt.

"So why'd you bring 'em here, dumbass?"

Bibarel flinched at the harsh moniker and hung his head slightly, eliciting laughter from the wild Darmanitan.

"Oh well, at least you brought a trainer to me. I don't have to hunt one now."

Shocked by the comment, Gray froze up while her Pokemon snarled and moved even closer to her than before. Once again, the wild fire type cackled and wiped a tear from his eyes.

"And they're even willing to protect her? That's sweet. I'm going to have fun tearing them apart."

"No way," Virtus retorted, drawing the attention of her teammates, Darmanitan, Bibarel, and Gray. "The only thing you're going to do is lose!"

Darmanitan narrowed his eyes as Virtus stepped in front of the Pokemon around her, taking a battling stance shortly thereafter. Upon doing so, she motioned for Gray and waited as the brunette weaved her way through the group. Standing behind the Mienshao, Gray smiled and cracked her knuckles.

"Virtus, use Force Palm!" she shouted out of the blue, eliciting a grunt from the aforementioned Pokemon.

Taking off at full speed, Virtus roared and loaded her right arm back once she reached Darmanitan. Then, throwing it forwards, a grin spread across the purple mustelid's face, but it vanished just as quickly when her target jumped out of the way.

With both arms glowing dark red, Darmanitan roared as he descended and slammed both of his fists over Virtus' head, smashing her into the ground with unmatched force. The spectators winced at the power of the attack, but Gray remained confident. Much to everyone's surprise, Virtus hopped back to Gray's without a scratch on her body.

"Nice work," Gray complimented, drawing a smile and nod from her Pokemon while the others remained baffled.

"How? How did she dodge that?" Unicus shouted while looking at each of her friends.

Dicax simply pointed at the purple Pokemon's eyes - which had turned gold - that showed she had used Detect. Bibarel silently watched on with intrigue, taking in Gray and Virtus' battling prowess.

"Attack from a distance by using Swift!"

Darmanitan's eyes went wide as nearly a hundred gold stars circled around him and began to close in rapidly. Before the fire type knew it he was pelted at a furious rate, though Virtus' attack didn't seem to do much damage. Once the assault ceased Darmanitan propelled himself with the use of his gigantic arms, catching his target and Gray off guard. His fists were then coated in flames and struck Virtus, who was hurled past Gray and into the wall behind her.

"Virtus!" the trainer shouted worriedly, rushing to her Pokemon's side. "Are you okay?" she asked while trying to help the fighting type off the ground.

"Gray! Look out!" Potens shouted as she attempted to intercept Darmanitan, who had launched himself at Gray.

When the Kantonian's neck whipped around, she put herself in front of Virtus.

As soon as Virtus saw wheat her trainer had done, she felt an odd source of energy sweep over her. Everything began to move in slow-motion while she continued moving at her usual speed. Suddenly, the fighting type's hearing cut out, and the only thing that replaced it was the methodic sound of a heartbeat.

 _Ba-dum... Ba-dum... Ba-dum..._

Just as Darmanitan was about to strike Gray the powerful Pokemon appeared right in front of her trainer and delivered a devastating punch to her opponent's face. Flying at the same speed at which Virtus traveled, Darmanitan crashed into the wall at the opposite end of the chamber, which began to shake furiously.

"Nobody's going to lay a finger on my trainer," Virtus muttered.

Darmanitan slowly rose, his body aching terribly. Once he stood upright, the primate froze and stared deep into his enemy's eyes, which had turned gray.

"It's time I put an end to this!"

"Hold your horses, ma'am," Bibarel ordered abruptly, causing the fighting type to turn and stare at him, as well as the four other Pokemon on Gray's team. "Y'all came here to help, not fight for me."

Gray smiled, knowing exactly what the friendly Pokemon was about to say.

"I'll take it from here," he announced while stepping in front of Virtus and locking eyes with his foe. "Miss Gray, would you mind working alongside me?"

Darmanitan cackled at the beaver's sudden boldness and felt at ease when the Mienshao's eyes returned to their normal color. Gray nodded and scanned the hairy Pokemon with her Pokedex in order to see the moves at his disposal. After doing so, the young woman smirked and put the hi-tech device away.

"Bibarel, start this off with Quick Attack!"

Dropping on all fours, the brown-haired Pokemon bounded across the room while a streak of white light trailed his body. Ramming into his far more muscular foe, Bibarel let out a roar of excitement. Due to his excessive celebrating, the normal type was clobbered by Darmanitan, who performed a Hammer Arm attack.

"Hang tough and retaliate with Scald!" Gray hollered, punching her fist straight forwards.

Despite bouncing along the ground, Bibarel somehow managed to shoot a steaming-hot burst of water from his mouth. Surprisingly, the super effective attack struck and knocked Darmanitan on his rear end, prompting Gray to continue the assault.

"Let's go for the finisher!" she shouted, drawing a nod from the wild Pokemon. "Use Surf, and don't hold anything back!"

Bibarel cracked his knuckles before striking the ground with both of his palms, and everyone waited in silence. A tidal wave rose from the ground in front of him and rolled its way towards the fire type, who didn't even try to evade the attack. When the enormous body of water crashed and threw the long-armed monkey against the wall, Gray and her Pokemon cheered upon seeing Darmanitan's eyes were shut.

However, Celsus stopped and looked around in confusion.

"Hey, what are we going to do with him? There's no way he'll just stop having Pokemon attack trainers."

Gray grinned at the question, prompting everyone to look at her.

 **000**

"So that's the Pokemon responsible for the attacks?" Nurse Joy asked while pointing at Darmanitan, who was stuck in a room within the Pokemon Center by his lonesome.

"That's right, and it's all thanks to Bibarel that we were able to put an end to it!" Gray exclaimed, eliciting cheers from her Pokemon while the friendly beaver bashfully rubbed the back of his head.

Letting out a sigh of relief when the applause ended, Bibarel looked around at the girl and her team that had helped him before smiling and bowing.

"So what're you going to do now, Bibarel?" Unicus asked, drawing the Sinnoh Pokemon's gaze. "Are you planning on going back to that mountain?"

The aforementioned creature shrugged like an idiot, causing Unicus to sweat-drop. Gray immediately made her way over to the beaver's side with a smile, preventing her starter from asking another question.

"I was thinking you should come along with us," the trainer stated, putting a grin on Bibarel's face while the rest of her Pokemon flinched in shock. "It's obvious you're strong, and I kind of need to add one more member to have a full team. What do you say, Bibarel?"

"I'd be honored, Miss Gray," the polite Pokemon replied immediately. "It's goin' to be a blast."

Gray nodded, grabbed a Poke Ball, and extended her hand. Bibarel stared at the capsule for a moment before leaning forwards to tap the white button. A nanosecond before he could, the normal type tripped over his own two feet and hit the ground face-first.

"Aw shucks," he muttered, drawing laughter from everyone around.

"Hey, that gives me an idea!" Gray exclaimed, pulling out her phone as she did so. After Bibarel picked himself up, Gray turned the screen towards him. "How does the nickname Citeria sound to you?"

"Call me whatever you'd like," he answered swiftly.

Tapping the white button in the middle of the Poke Ball, Citeria was sucked inside.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

* * *

 **That was an abrupt ending, but there wasn't much else I could do. Anyways, Gray caught her final Pokemon, Bibarel/Citeria, and he's going to be a pretty quirky guy. Next chapter, Hugh's going to battle Gray, and White will return with a few changes to her team! Till then, peace out.** **Oh, and I didn't forget about Noah bring back some of his Pokemon, so there's no need to worry.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Citeria? How do you think he'll fit in?  
2\. Who do you think was stalking the group?  
3\. Please make sure to check out the poll on my profile and vote!**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 7: Greninja vs Virtus!"  
**_

 _ **During breakfast, Gray runs into none other than White. Wanting to show off her revamped team to her former traveling companions, White and the others head outside where Hugh and Greninja are practicing Synchro Evolution. Eventually, he and Gray decide to have a full battle, and things go back and forth until Greninja enters! Can Gray defeat her rival and Synchro Evolution, or will she fall yet again?**_

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 85: Type Beasts' Beginnings** **  
Chapter 86: Mega Battle 8: Charizard vs Greninja!  
Chapter 87: Gray and White  
** **Chapter 88: Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!  
** **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!**


	84. Mega Battle 7: Greninja vs Virtus!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Greninja appear)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Virtus and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time** **)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **How's it going, everyone? 'Tis another update for y'all, and this one will feature a full battle between Gray and Hugh, as well as the return of White! As for last chapter, the gang arrived in Opelucid City and eventually, Gray encountered a Bibarel that allegedly attacked trainers. After helping treat his injuries, she helped Bibarel defeat the real cause of the attacks, and then he joined the team! Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _The funny thing is that I switched it at the last second. It was originally supposed to be Tangrowth, but I've always wanted Gray to get a Bibarel (that's what Comis was originally). The way he speaks is supposed to put that image in your head too XD Alain won't be getting Metang because it wouldn't receive any attention (plus it'd take away from Charizard), Noah's Pokemon will be pretty damn weird (one of them, at least), and the stalker could be Bellator_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _Oh thank god XD I was hoping it wouldn't bother people (Bibarel's speaking). Luxray would've been it, most likely, had it not been speculated. Bibarel being cool though... that's new XD_

 **davidtheman23:** _Yep. Dominic is a great guess, though you just might (or might not) be surprised if you're right_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _In all honesty, I wasn't either XD I had the introduction scene (Bibarel's, that is) set up with two other Pokemon, those being Tangrowth and Magmortar. He's certainly a character, though I know/hope that I'll get to show more of it further down the road_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lo siento, señor. I didn't think I was going to do it either, but Bibarel's relatively versatile moveset (for this story) sold me on it. The drawl's a neat little quirk that differentiates him from all of Gray's other Pokemon, and he'll add some weird things to the group. His relationship with them may be a bit volatile at points (emphasis on may), but it should be good overall. Charizard vs Fortis will either be just before the league, when Gray's training for it, or afterwards as a sort-of-send-off. Here's to hoping Hugh vs Gray #2 lives up to the hype, and thanks a ton!_

 **SirSwag333:** _It was just a notice about Rei's story being deleted. The title of the chapter (I think it was "Notice") should've been in the email_

 **MCMXCV:** _Here it is! The final match-up is going to be epic, no doubt, but I know there are going to be battles that are better than this. As for Bibarel, it was originally Tangrowth, but I switched it while writing the chapter XD Describing Citeria as a goofball is spot-on, and I'm sure you're going to love him once he gets to show his battling prowess. White's new member hype!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 40, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Potens, (f), level 48, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Cutter* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 40, Confusion, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 42, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 44, Detect, Bounce, Swift, Force Palm, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
** **Citeria, (m), level 43, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower** ***, Scald* - (Bibarel)** **  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Each of the six Pokemon looked around and eyed one another intently. The stillness of the night left each to their thoughts, all of which rang as loud as a siren. While one shifted their gaze to the other, the remaining five followed suit rather uneasily. Something was... off. Not a single one of them knew what it was, but there certainly had to be something. The anxiety brought upon Unicus by the situation began to tamper with the ground type's mind, as she started to snap her claws. Then, without another word, she lunged forwards, making the others gasp in shock. Thrusting her arm forward, the Sandslash impaled her target, and blood flew into the air while the four living spectators remained still, staring in horror.

All of a sudden, the victim of Unicus' attack disappeared in a cloud of smoke, making the shrew flinch in response before stomping like a child.

"You're not trusting your senses," Alain stated while shaking his head disapprovingly. "If you can't determined which one is your real target during something as simple as this training, you're screwed for a battle."

Gray's starter pouted and turned her head while the rest of her teammates watched on in exhaustion, none of whom were able to stand.

"I must say, that is quite the workout," Citeria announced through pants. "Gee willikers, I can't even feel my legs!" the beaver continued, his robotic drawl making the others laugh.

"Ease up, will ya?" Charizard asked his trainer rhetorically. "You did a good job, Unicus," the winged lizard commended with a smile before watching each of the clones disappear.

The aforementioned Pokemon bowed to her instructor and made her way over to the five that were on the brink of passing out. As she did so, the ground type watched as Noah patted Arcanine - who had performed the Double Team attack - on the head while walking towards Gray and N, who were discussing something.

"I'm telling you, Gray, this Gym Leader's no joke! He was actually picked to be Alder's replacement over the rest of the Elite 4!" the twenty year old exclaimed, only for the brunette sitting across from him to raise her voice even higher.

"And for the millionth time: I know!"

She brought both hands down and struck the table with thunderous force.

"I get that you're trying to help me, N, I really do, but I'm not going to make a decision on who's battling until I've thought over every option. Type advantage or not, everyone's in the mix."

N sighed in frustration at the same time as Gray, but the two refrained from arguing any longer once Noah and Alain reached the table.

"Can we please get some food now? I've been awake and training for three hours, and the sun still hasn't come up yet!" Noah pleaded as he turned to his fellow Kantonian.

Arcanine deadpanned at the pathetic act but his eyes lit up once he watched Gray nod. Without a second to waste, he, along with the girl's whole team, piled into the Pokemon Center and made a dash for the foodcourt.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen all of them so eager to eat," Zoroark commented while shaking her head, unknowingly mirroring Alain.

"You can say that again," Gray muttered with a satisfied grin. "But it's a well-earned feast for them. Hopefully they don't cause too much chaos before we get there."

Ending on that note, the four trainers, Zoroark, Arcanine, and Charizard headed inside until Gray stopped and turned around, her sights immediately locking onto Fortis. The dragonfly standing across from her was using an odd contraption designed to strengthen the muscles in his wings, and it didn't look challenging in the slightest.

"Hey, are you coming inside? We're all gonna get some breakfast."

The Flygon snapped out of his zone and immediately tossed the hunk of metal, putting a smile on his trainer's face as she walked inside with him. When the doors shut, all remained silent, though unbeknownst to the group, they had been watched very closely.

 **000**

"How come you never told us this before?"

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"Really? You were released by two trainers, and you think that it's nothing? Come on, Celsus," Dicax countered, making his friend sweat-drop. "Thinking about it though, I don't believe any of us have spoken about what we used to do prior to meeting Gray."

The Mawile's teammates nodded in response, agreeing with what he said, and just as they were all about to talk, their trainer and her friends appeared. It took about ten minutes for everyone to get settled in, but, after several near-fights, they were sitting down.

Alain, Noah, N, and Gray sat at one table, Gray's Pokemon at another, and Fortis, Zoroark, Arcanine, and Charizard had their own too.

"Say, Alain," Noah began, drawing the older trainer's gaze. "Weren't you and Charizard off on some mission to defeat every Mega Evolution? What happened to that?"

The Kalosian leaned back in his chair and sighed. After thinking over his response for about ten seconds, Alain finally sat upright and locked eyes with Noah.

"Team Flare happened. Because of that, we decided to suspend our goal for the time being and instead focus on growing stronger."

"And don't forget mastering Mega Fusion," Gray said, chiming in with a wink.

Her former enemy nodded and stared down at his Mega Bracelet, then at the armor around Charizard's neck that contained both of his Mega Stones.

"Wait," Noah said out of the blue. "I completely forgot!"

Rising from his chair, the eighteen year old grabbed three Poke Balls off his belt and whistled for Arcanine's attention, which he received in a flash. The canine's face dropped when he saw each of the capsules, though Noah didn't seem to understand why his starter reacted the way he did.

"Are those-"

"Yep," Noah interjected, cutting N off mid-sentence. "Here in these Poke Balls are three of my longest-tenured Pokemon, and my best friends, from when I competed in the Kalos League." The three other trainers continued staring at the spherical devices in Noah's hands. "Come on out, guys!"

Three separate flashes of white light escaped the Poke Balls and revealed a Pokemon each.

Standing from left to right were a Frogadier, Gourgeist, and Espurr, each of whom looked shocked to be in front of their trainer. Or maybe Espurr looked the same. It was too hard to tell, what, with her creepy eyes and all.

"Hey, I remember these guys!" Gray announced. "It's great to see you all again."

The frog and pumpkin bowed appreciatively while Espurr just stared, sending chills down Gray's spine as she slunk away in fear.

"Where are we, Noah?" Frogadier inquired as he looked around in confusion. "And who are all these people?"

"Oh, settle down now," Gourgeist said reassuringly as she floated around the Kalos starter. "They mustn't be bad if our Noah is with them. Isn't that right?"

The eighteen year old chuckled and nodded before introducing all of his friends to the trio of Pokemon he had just released.

"Well gosh, this sure is turnin' into quite the rodeo, if I do say so myself," Citeria commented while shaking his head at the increase in numbers.

"I second that," Potens told her newest friend, drawing a goofy smile. "Anyhow, I'm going to train some more. Let me know if you need anything."

"Wait for me," Virtus requested as she rose from the ground and followed her closest comrade out into the lobby. "So what kind of training are you planning on doing? Working with that... what do you call it again?"

"Zennyo, and 'it' is a he," Potens responded. "He doesn't like it when people refer to him like that." Virtus bowed apologetically, though the Noivern she was traveling with didn't seem to be offended by the referral. "But to answer your question, no. I'm just doing the workout Fortis had to do when he trained with Owen."

The Mienshao nodded, listening intently as she and Potens made their way down the hall that led to the battlefield.

"I'll admit, I don't think I'd be able to get through any of these if I didn't have Zennyo helping out and loaning me some of his energy. These are brutal."

Once the automatic doors slid open, Gray's strongest Pokemon were startled when a pair of sharp, powerful voices traveled through the air.

"Don't hold back! Use Cut!"

"We won't either! Spin and use Leaf Blade!"

Two speeding blurs slammed into one another and an explosion ensued, blinding the big-eared bat and mustelid, as well as the owners of said voices, and the blurs.

Reacting purely out of instinct, Potens flapped her wings as fast as she could and cleared the battlefield, revealing the smaller of the two - the one that had used Leaf Blade - was on its back while its foe stood without a scratch. Potens' eyes went wide in shock as she recognized the combatants and their trainers, who turned to see what had blown the smoke away.

"Potens!?" a girl, the trainer on the losing side, screamed after scooping up her Pokemon and running to the dragon type.

"White!"

As the two embraced for a few seconds, Virtus looked on awkwardly and noticed the victor - a Greninja - and its trainer were staring directly at her. When they were caught, both looked away as if they hadn't been staring, perplexing the fighting type.

"Hugh? Greninja?" Potens called, eliciting waves from the duo. "Hey! Long time no see, guys!"

"Likewise," the ninja frog replied cooly as he folded his arms over his chest. "Three months to this day, to be exact." Potens smirked while spreading her wings, almost as if she were reveling in the final moments before swooping in for a kill.

"I'm going to take Servine in for a quick rest and then I'll be right back. Sound good?" White asked the blue-haired teen, who flashed a thumbs up before resuming his training with an imaginary opponent. The brunette shook her head as she laughed and at that moment, while turning, White became aware of Virtus' presence.

Sensing the sixteen year old's fear, Potens followed her into the Pokemon Center with her friend in tow and began to speak on her behalf.

"White, this is Virtus. She joined up with us a little while after you left."

The rookie and Pokemon bowed to one another slightly but continued walking, eventually reaching the lobby of the building. Upon entering, White stepped up to Nurse Joy's desk and handed over Servine, who was covered in bruises.

"You know, if you keep coming here with injured Pokemon as frequently as you do, I may have to call in Pokemon Protection Services," the pinkette forewarned as she shook a finger at White. Then, she sighed and placed Servine's Poke Ball under an odd machine that fired a blue beam, and the ray of mysterious light swallowed the capsule whole.

"It won't happen again, ma'am. I swear."

The nurse nodded and tapped her fingers to the beat of a song while waiting for White's Pokemon to be fully healed. When it was, she handed it back over to the Unovan and smiled softly.

"Please be careful this time."

White nodded and bowed thankfully before turning on her heels to return to the outdoor battlefield. However, just as she attempted to do so, she heard a familiar clacking of boots against the floor. Spinning once again and seeing who had entered the lobby, the brunette beamed.

"White!" Unicus, Celsus, and Dicax exclaimed as they ran over to the aforementioned teen and embraced her as she laughed.

Once they broke away, the three Pokemon stood next to one another and were joined by Potens, Virtus, and Citeria. Gray then embraced her first traveling companion of the region, followed by Noah, Arcanine, Fortis, Charizard, and then Zoroark.

"Wow, things sure have changed with you guys," the rookie started as she pointed at the pair of unfamiliar members of Gray's team, who tensed up awkwardly. She then turned her attention to Noah's team and shuddered when locking eyes with Espurr. "What happened to Furcifer? Is she at Professor Juniper's lab?"

Gray frowned and hung her head while Alain and Noah motioned for White to drop the subject.

"No, I had her go with Brycen because she wanted to. But she did evolve, and I can call her back in a couple of months, so it's not like she's gone forever!"

This time, White frowned and folded her arms. Her posture changed too, and she appeared to be both disappointed and frustrated by the news.

"Let me introduce you to the newest member of the team though. Citeria, this is White. She travelled with us until we reached Mistralton City. White, this is Citeria. Virtus and I found him hurt in the woods and he helped us stop some Pokemon that assaulted trainers."

"It's an honor to meet you, Miss White," the polite Bibarel greeted, tipping an imaginary cap that made the teenage girl giggle.

"Likewise, Citeria."

Silence filled the room as everyone looked at each other, waiting for something to come of the interaction. Suddenly, White motioned for her friends and their Pokemon to follow her, and she walked out to the battlefield.

"Have you caught any other Pokemon since we last saw you, White?" N asked with intrigue.

White turned her head slightly and grinned at the inquiry, piquing everyone's interest. The Unovan didn't elaborate, however, instead basking in the fresh air and sounds of the city. Slowly, the group funneled out of the Pokemon Center and their collective attention was drawn to Hugh and Greninja, who were making the same exact movements despite not looking at one another.

"They're doing some kind of Synchro Evolution training," White stated before anyone could ask. "Guys, look who's here!"

After White cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed, Seismitoad sprung up from where he had been laying. Next to him was a creature that had a similar appearance to that of Boldore, though it looked much larger and far more intimidating. The two trudged across the perimeter of the battlefield, not wanting to get in the way of Hugh and Greninja's training, and stood on either side of their trainer, who smiled and placed a hand on her Pokemon.

"I think you all remember Seismitoad," she said, "but I know you've never seen Gigalith."

Hearing his name, Gigalith nodded and attempted to hug everyone he hadn't seen since leaving with White, but Seismitoad held him back. Seeing the confused looks on her friends' faces, White sweat-dropped along with the water type behind her.

"He'll break your bones. It's not intentional, it's a combination of his strength and weight, really."

Before White could go on explaining, Servine's Poke Ball wiggled on her belt and snapped open. The grass snake materialized from the light and squealed with joy as she embraced each of the group members, save for the ones she hadn't met.

"I can't believe we're seeing you all so soon! How's the badge hunt, Gray?"

"We have six at the moment, but we'll be challenging the Gym Leader of Opelucid City really soon," the young woman answered, eliciting cheers of support from all of her Pokemon. "By the way, Servine, Seismitoad, Gigalith," Gray began, looking at each of White's team members, "I'd like you to meet Virtus and Citeria. Guys, these are White's Pokemon."

The two sides exchanged greetings and turned back to their trainers in silence, which was broken almost immediately.

"Seismitoad?" Gigalith called, his voice rising dramatically with each passing second. "Where is she?"

The massive amphibian's face dropped in horror, and he frantically began to look around for the unnamed person. Servine face-palmed at the idiocy of both behemoths while White sprinted around the area, searching high and low.

"What's going on right now?" Arcanine asked in a hush whisper, drawing shrugs from everyone.

"Maybe they have another traveling partner," Noah theorized.

At that very instant, as White and her Pokemon regrouped with their original companions, a tiny creature shot out of nowhere and latched onto the girl's face. Due to the speed at which it was traveling, the unidentified projectile toppled White. Even with a bit of pain in her back, White stood up and yanked the white-haired creature off her face and showed it to the others.

"Meet the newest addition to the team, Larvesta!" she sang, only for the bug and fire type to writhe its way out of her grasp.

Slinking its way onto Seismitoad's head, the tiny creature hissed and spat embers at all of the unfamiliar Pokemon, resulting in laughter from those that were lucky enough to not be attacked.

"She hatched from the egg I got after the Mistralton Ball."

Larvesta hissed once again, spitting even more flames at the group, which made the targets laugh.

"That's an impressive Ember attack," Charizard said aloud as he watched Hugh and Greninja stop their training. "That's an impressive team you have, White."

The elder three Pokemon smiled, but Larvesta continued to glare.

"Gray! How's it been?" Hugh shouted with a smile, waving at his rival. "Getting ready to challenge the Opelucid Gym?"

After nodding emphatically, Gray raised her eyebrows when she watched Potens and Greninja walk up to one another and nod solemnly.

"I see you're hard at work," the Noivern said, refusing to lose the staring contest.

"That's right," Greninja answered swiftly.

Silence ensued, and the powerhouses cracked grins as they turned away from one another. Right after that, the two looked at their trainers at the exact same time and the big-eared bat spoke.

"We're going to have a battle with them," she declared, causing Gray to sweat-drop while Noah, N, Alain, and White watched with intrigue. "Our last meeting - in Driftveil City - left a sour taste in my mouth, and I'm not going to lose again!"

Unicus, Celsus, and Dicax roared in agreement as they huddled around their strongest teammate.

"That's right! We want another shot at you, Hugh!" Unicus exclaimed.

Laughing in response, the blue-haired rookie put his hands in his jacket pockets and turned to his starter. A light flashed in the dark type's eyes, though everyone was puzzled, as it looked like the two were having a mental conversation.

"You're on!" he shouted all of a sudden. "How about it, Gray? I know your team's a little different than last time, but-"

"Bring it."

Both trainers stared each other in the eyes while the others remained silent. The wind picked up and created a faint howling sound as a result of the speed at which it traveled. Nodding out of respect, Hugh and Gray slowly turned and made their ways to opposing ends of the battlefield.

Unicus and Dicax stood slightly in front, and to the left and right, of Gray, respectively. Virtus stood behind the shrew while Citeria was mirroring her. Lastly, Potens and Celsus formed a horseshoe of sorts around Gray, with the former being closer to Virtus, and the psychic type standing a few steps behind Citeria.

Gray, standing in the middle of her Pokemon, folded both arms over her chest. An immense wave of confidence radiated from the brunette, as well as the creatures, though Hugh and Greninja weren't intimidated in the slightest.

Meanwhile, off to the side of the battlefield, Servine, Seismitoad, and Gigalith's eyes were glued to the powerful sextet to their left. Frogadier and Gourgeist did the same while Espurr, still, had yet to blink, preventing anyone from judging what was in her mind.

"Guys, this is the perfect opportunity for us to take down notes. Servine, you and I are going to keep tabs on Gray and her Pokemon. Seismitoad, Gigalith, you two watch Hugh and the others, okay?"

"Not a problem, White," the water type replied with a smile.

"Roger that," the stone-monster said, echoing his friend's response.

White smiled and then turned her attention to the newest addition to her team, who was still camped out on Seismitoad's head.

"As for you, Larvesta, just watch everything and see how all of the Pokemon work with Gray and Hugh."

The bug and fire type grunted, letting White know she had heard her order. Off to the rookie's side, each of Noah, Alain, and N smiled at the scene. The eldest of the trio stopped, however, and walked into the referee box as he cleared his throat.

"This will be a full battle between Gray and Hugh where both trainers may substitute their Pokemon freely! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all six combatants on either side are unable to continue! Are you okay with these rules?"

The trainers nodded.

"Good. Now choose your first Pokemon!"

"Excadrill, time to shine!" Hugh cried as he chucked his first Poke Ball.

The capsule snapped open and a heavy mole materialized in front of Hugh. Snapping his claws made of steel, Excadrill scanned each of Gray's six Pokemon before locking his sights on Unicus. Gray turned her head slightly and noticed her starter was returning the gesture, snapping her claws anxiously.

"Unicus, I choose you!"

Without hesitation, Unicus rolled her way inside the lines of the battlefield. Once she traveled far enough, the Sandslash planted both feet and uncurled herself. Both she and Excadrill continued to glare and snap their claws at one another, even as N raised his arms.

"Hey, what's going on with those two? It looks like they want to slash each other to bits," Frogadier asked Arcanine and Charizard.

The fire types remained silent, not knowing the answer. Fortis, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes and tried thinking of an answer, but it eluded him.

"This battle will be between Excadrill and Unicus! Begin!"

"Unicus, kick things off at top speed! Use Swords Dance and Gyro Ball!"

"If that's how they want to fight, we'll do the same!" Hugh shouted. "Excadrill, Drill Run!" Hugh retorted without hesitation.

The pair of ground types obeyed their commands and took off at breakneck paces. While Unicus was surrounded in metallic energy three swords clanked against each other, causing a ring of red light to spin around the shrew's body. Excadrill, meanwhile, stuck his arms out above his head and spun horizontally, adding more power to the destructive attack. Colliding in the center of the battlefield, everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding sparks of silver light that flew into the air. Suddenly, an explosion occurred and the combatants were tossed through the air as a result.

"Hide underground with Dig and use Swords Dance one more time," Gray whispered to her starter, who somehow managed to land on her feet.

Unicus nodded and furiously stabbed at the ground, which kicked up a cloud of dust. Once the smoke and dust settled, Hugh and Excadrill were puzzled by Unicus' absence. A lightbulb went off in the Unovan's head and he snapped his fingers, grabbing his Pokemon's attention.

"Make sure Unicus isn't under the battlefield by using Earthquake!" he shouted.

"Now!" Gray screamed in a frenzy.

Just as he was about to stab the ground Excadrill was caught off guard by Unicus resurfacing from right beneath him. She proceeded to deliver a wicked uppercut to her foe's chin, knocking the mole onto his back.

"Are you okay, pal?" Hugh inquired, concerned with his Pokemon's wellbeing as the steel type pushed himself off the ground. Excadrill waved him off as if he hadn't suffered any damage, and the mole forced himself to keep a stoic expression. "Alright then, use a combination of Hone Claws and Aerial Ace!"

Excadrill immediately followed through with the attack and zipped across the battlefield as white streaks of light flew off his face. Then, his claws were surrounded by yellow energy, and he stuck both arm forwards as he prepared to strike Unicus.

"Right back atcha, Hugh!" Gray shouted as she confidently punched her fist forwards. "Unicus, use Swords Dance and Crush Claw!"

Three swords of light clanked around the Sandslash and, after disappearing, a red ring of light spun around her body. After it disappeared Unicus reared her arms back and let out a cry as she jabbed at her opponent. The four sets of claws collided and the Kanto Pokemon managed to overpower her opponent rather easily.

"Hurry and use Toxic!" Hugh shouted to the large mole as he tumbled along the ground.

"Dodge and counter with Dig!" Gray retorted instantly.

As soon as he spat a body of poison at Unicus, Excadrill was shocked to watched her disappear underground. In a matter of seconds, she resurfaced and delivered an uppercut that sent Excadrill straight into the air. Everyone watched as the steel type landed limply with his eyes closed, prompting N to raise his arms.

"Excadrill is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!" he ordered as the aforementioned trainer drew a Poke Ball.

"Great effort, pal," he commended as Excadrill was zapped into the spherical device. "It looks like we're going to have our hands full with this battle, Greninja. Gray and her Pokemon haven't been messing around."

Greninja nodded and focused on his trainer's rival, as well as the Pokemon around her.

"Liepard, it's time to shine!"

A leopard materialized in front of Hugh and hissed at Unicus as she swiped at the ground, causing the shrew to snap her claws angrily.

"This battle will be between Liepard and Unicus! Begin!"

"Surround Unicus with Double Team!" Hugh commanded while throwing his left hand forwards.

Liepard hissed once again, though this time she created nine clones. The ten quadrupeds formed a circle around their target, causing Unicus to look around frantically, unable to detect which was the real Liepard.

"No problem," Gray began, smirking as she did so. "Spin and use Swift!"

Unicus' nerves were eased in an instant and she began to rotate like a top while sending hundreds of golden stars towards her ten opponents. Despite the cunning move, Hugh effortlessly countered.

"Bat all of them right back with Iron Tail, Liepard!"

The feline and her clones nodded in response as each of their tails began to glow silver, almost as if they had turned to iron. Swinging their tails at the projectiles, the ten Liepard managed to send all of the stars back at Unicus, who skidded back towards Gray's side as a result of being pelted by her own attack. She grunted in pain repeatedly while her teammates looked on in concern. They weren't alone, as most of White and Noah's Pokemon - Espurr and Larvesta being those excluded - did the same thing.

"Hang in there and take all of them out by using Magnitude!" Gray shouted to her starter.

The Sandslash's eyes shot open and she sliced her way through all of the stars with ease. Liepard and her clones then returned to the ground, prompting Unicus to slam her claws directly into the battlefield. A wave of force rushed above the surface and clobbered each of the Liepard. While the clones disappeared, the real feline was hurled into the air like a rag-doll, putting a grin on Gray and Unicus' faces.

"Spin until you're straightened out and unleash a Dark Pulse attack!" Hugh shouted in an instant, making both the brunette and her starter flinch in shock.

Liepard did as she was told and shot a spiraling ray of black and purple energy out of her mouth. Even though the speed of the attack was incredible, Unicus managed to get out of the way, but she wasn't aware of a second beam sent her way.

"Bull through it, Unicus! Gyro Ball!"

Performing her attack in the blink of an eye, Unicus shot off the ground and, like a drill going through rocks, plowed through Dark Pulse, albeit at a drastically reduced speed. Hugh's eyes narrowed immediately upon noticing how slowly Unicus was moving due to the power of Liepard's attack, prompting him to act swiftly.

"Spin and spike her into the ground with Iron Tail!"

Liepard, who was still airborne, did just as she was told. With her tail turning silver, she spun head over heels and her tail connected with Unicus' head, sending the latter straight into the battlefield so forcefully the ground cracked.

"Unicus!" the aforementioned Pokemon's trainer shrieked as she sprinted forwards. "Unicus, are you okay?" Gray asked after reaching her starter's side and cradling her.

The ground type slowly opened her eyes and gave a weak smile, nodding as she did so. The eighteen year old let out a sigh of relief and then looked towards N, who reluctantly spoke up.

"Unicus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

Gray walked back to her trainer-box with Unicus in her arms, and once she placed the injured Pokemon on the ground, she sprayed her with a Full Restore.

"You were awesome out there, Unicus. Thank you," the brunette said kindly as she rubbed Unicus' head.

"Yeah, you did your part. We'll take the rest from here," Virtus added, drawing a nod from the longest-tenured member of the team.

"Right. Celsus, I choose you!" Gray shouted as she pointed ahead, prompting the psychic and normal type to whinny and gallop forwards.

Once Liepard and Celsus squared off, White began to rub her head in confusion, as did Noah, N, and all of their Pokemon.

"I don't get it. Liepard has a type advantage, so why would Gray send out Celsus?" Gigalith questioned, perplexed by the experienced trainer's decision. "She's gone crazy."

Fortis narrowed his eyes and examined both combatants just like he had done when Unicus and Excadrill battled. Charizard and Alain noticed the dragon type's actions before glancing at one another and exchanging inaudible words. Suddenly, N regained his composure and looked towards both sides.

"This battle will be between Liepard and Celsus! Begin!"

"Take off and use Return!" the seventeen year old barked aggressively.

"Intercept her with Zen Headbutt!" Gray shouted, wanting to match Hugh's battling style.

Both four-legged Pokemon sprinted straight ahead and let out battle cries. As golden energy surrounded Liepard's body, Celsus' head started to glow sky blue. The giraffe then thrusted his neck forwards and managed to knock his opponent onto her back, prompting Gray to issue another command.

"Follow it up with Crunch, and then throw her as far as you can!"

Celsus obeyed and bit Liepard's tail as hard as he could, making the feline shriek in pain while being swung around by her opponent. Hurling the dark type with all his might, Celsus stumbled forwards due to the momentum he created, providing Hugh with an opening.

"Use Iron Tail to answer right back, Liepard!" he ordered once his Pokemon landed.

Liepard reached Celsus in the blink of an eye, making Gray, Noah, N, and Alain gasp or flinch in shock. The purple leopard then swung her silver tail upwards, sending her Johto foe tumbling along the ground. Somehow, despite his lanky frame, the Girafarig managed to break out of his tumbling and stand upright. Gray and Hugh grinned at the giraffe's athleticism for a brief moment, but that ended abruptly when they remembered the situation they were in.

"Celsus that was great! Now use Agility so that it leads into Stomp!"

Gray watched as her Pokemon appeared in random spots on the battlefield, leaving even her in shock. Ten seconds later, Celsus popped up five feet in front of Liepard and threw his front hooves at her.

"Use Double Team to evade and form a circle around Celsus!"

Just as he prepared to land a vicious blow, Celsus recoiled violently when he watched several Liepard materialized around him in a circle. Remaining calm in the face of adversity, he simply closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, waiting for Gray to come through with an optimal counterattack.

 _"That's weird,"_ Virtus thought to herself while watching all of the Liepard hiss at her teammate. _"Does Hugh really think he can pull that on Gray twice? There's no way, unless-"_

"Don't hesitate! Fire a Dark Pulse, Liepard!" Hugh screamed, snapping Virtus out of her thoughts.

The normal and psychic type had no time to react, allowing his opponent's super effective attack to hit. The clones' did too, dealing an incredible amount of damage with their additional attacks. Even so, Celsus stood tall and refused to give in. When the injured Pokemon threw his neck up and let out a cry of determination, Hugh and Greninja looked at each other and then back at their opponent with grins.

"Jump as high as you can and use Psybeam on the ground!" Gray demanded, swinging both arms out to her sides.

The Kantonian's eyes tracked her Girafarig's ascent closely, and she grinned upon seeing his antennae were engulfed in psychic energy. Shooting the powerful attack straight downwards, Celsus was shocked when the cracked battlefield began to crumble. Small chunks of the ground were thrown in every direction, and they knocked into the feline, as well as her clones. As a result of Gray's surprisingly effective strategy, the clones disappeared leaving Liepard all by her lonesome while wincing in pain.

"Celsus, use Stomp, and don't hold anything back!" Gray roared, seizing the opportunity to strike.

"Meet him head-on with Return!" Hugh shot back hurriedly.

Springing forwards with the intent of finishing his opponent, Celsus was shocked to see Liepard leap off the ground with a coat of gold energy surrounding her entire body. The attacks exploded upon impact and a colossal body of smoke swallowed the area whole, forcing everyone to cover their eyes and mouths. While they did so, the trio of Potens, Fortis, and Charizard flapped their wings as hard as they could, blowing away the body of harmful air. Once everyone was able to see, they immediately looked at the middle of the battlefield and saw that Celsus and Liepard were unconscious.

"Both sides are unable to continue! Hugh and Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

The trainers smiled and withdrew their respective Pokemon, clipping their Poke Balls back onto their belts.

"Amazing job, Celsus. Thanks so much," the brunette whispered as she released the injured Pokemon and sprayed him with a Full Restore. "Let's keep this going, guys!"

The four remaining combatants - Potens, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria - cheered in response while Unicus and Celsus sighed disappointedly. Meanwhile, on the other end of the battlefield, Hugh grabbed another capsule and enlarged it with a confident grin.

"It's time to switch things up a bit, don't you think, Greninja?" the rookie trainer asked his strongest Pokemon, who grunted in response. "Conkeldurr, time to shine!"

Once the Poke Ball snapped open, a hulking Pokemon appeared in front of Hugh. Holding two gigantic pillars of cement with one hand each, the fighting type let out a menacing roar that seemed indicative of its strength. Gray smirked, however, and immediately motioned for one of her Pokemon without even turning.

"Dicax, I choose you!" she shouted while pointing straight ahead.

Leaping forwards, the Mawile snapped his jaws at Conkeldurr, immediately recalling their battle in Driftveil City.

Fortis' eyes opened slightly at the choice and began to chuckle rather quietly. Still, it was loud enough for Alain, Charizard, and White to hear. They then turned towards the dragon and ground type with inquisitive expressions, prompting him to speak.

"Gray's strategy is to go with the exact same match-ups as last time. Remember, Unicus battled Excadrill in Driftveil City and here. Celsus battled Liepard too, and now it's Dicax and Conkeldurr, which also happened."

Both trainers and the winged lizard flinched at the comment and, upon realization, found that Fortis was correct in his observation.

"But why? Gray lost that battle, so shouldn't she go with a different strategy?" White questioned in confusion, only for Fortis to shrug.

"To be fair, she came very close to winning," Alain retorted. "Plus, her team is so much stronger than it used to be, especially Potens, who was still just a Noibat during that battle."

White nodded, admitting defeat, before turning her attention back to the battlefield, where both Dicax and Conkeldurr were glaring at one another.

"This battle will be between Conkeldurr and Dicax! Begin!" N decreed, throwing both arms towards the ground.

"Go on the offensive and use Fairy Wind!" Gray shouted in an instant.

Dicax released a powerful gust of pink wind from his mouth, and it quickly sped towards the massive fighting type. The super effective attack landed and began to push Conkeldurr back a few inches at a time, but he eventually slammed both slabs of cement directly into the ground, which made them serve as a shield.

"Throw one of the cement blocks right at him and get amped with Bulk Up!"

Obeying in an instant, the fully evolved Pokemon grabbed the cement on his right and hurled it as hard as he could. Gray and Dicax's eyes shot wide open in fear as the object closed in rapidly. The steel type, however, allowed his instincts to take over and he jumped out of the way just in time, angering his opponent.

"Put that to the test, Dicax! Use Vice Grip on Conkeldurr's hand!"

He then sprinted towards Conkeldurr and used the massive jaws on his head to snap down on the ripped creature's hand. Letting out a pained cry, the Unova Pokemon began to shake his arm wildly in an attempt to hurl Dicax, but to no avail.

"Use Dynamic Punch to get him off!" Hugh barked.

"Get away with Feint Attack! Hurry!"

The Mawile snickered while watching Conkeldurr throw his crimson fist forwards. Vanishing in an instant, Dicax caused his opponent to punch the ground as hard as he could. A loud crack filled the air and Conkeldurr screamed at the top of his lungs while shaking his throbbing fist.

"What!?" the ailing Pokemon's trainer shouted in dismay. "Where'd he go?"

"Now, Dicax, use Fairy Wind!" Gray ordered loudly, catching Hugh off guard.

Appearing overhead, Dicax unleashed another powerful gust of pink energy, which crashed down upon the gigantic Pokemon and brought him to the ground. Eventually, the powerful move ceased and Dicax landed by Gray with a proud grin plastered on his face. Conkeldurr, meanwhile, struggled to his feet and slouched over while panting rapidly. Hugh stood behind his Pokemon in silence for a moment as a means of slowing the pace of the battle, which leaned heavily in Gray's favor, before issuing a command.

"Don't back down, buddy! Clobber 'em with the other cement block!"

In the blink of an eye, Conkeldurr hurled his second weapon at the speed of light. Due to the velocity with which it traveled, the cement block crushed Dicax and sent him into the wall behind Gray and her other Pokemon, making everyone gasp in shock.

Despite the otherworldly pain he was experiencing, the Mawile forced himself to stand and hobbled back inside the lines of the battlefield, causing his opponent to narrow his eyes angrily.

"Dicax, can you keep going?" Gray asked, which was met with an immediate nod from the intelligent Pokemon.

"Conkeldurr, now's our chance! Bury Dicax underneath Rock Slide!" Hugh shouted while Gray was still looking at her Pokemon.

Obeying, the hulking creature slammed both of his fists against the ground, causing a bevy of rocks and boulders to fall from the sky and towards Dicax, who gaped at the sight. Gray, on the other hand, was quick to counter.

"Dodge all of them and counter with Flash Cannon!" she screamed, throwing her right arm out to her side.

Somehow, Dicax managed to hop from boulder to boulder and then, after reaching the very last one, he used it as a launching pad to get closer to his target. Firing a devastating beam of metallic energy from his mouth, Dicax nearly exploded with cheers when he watched his attack strike. Due to the sheer force behind it, Conkeldurr was knocked onto his back and slid into Hugh's trainer-box with both eyes shut.

"Conkeldurr is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!" N decreed, pointing at the younger of the two trainers while Gray, Dicax, and the others celebrated the victory.

Withdrawing his fainted Pokemon with a sigh, Hugh then cracked a proud smile as he stared at the Poke Ball in his hand. Shortly thereafter, he clipped the spherical device on his belt and grabbed another just as quickly.

"Chandelure, time to shine!"

Materializing from the light was a chandelier with purple flames on the end of each of its arms and the top of its head.

"Lampent evolved?" Gray quizzed, drawing a nod from Hugh, who punched one fist into his palm.

"That's right, and she's a whole lot stronger than the last time we met. Right, Chandelure?"

The fire-type grunted in response while keeping her eyes locked on Dicax, prompting N to raise both arms before speaking.

"This battle will be between Chandelure and Dicax! Begin!"

"Fire away with Flamethrower to show them we're not messing around!" Hugh ordered with a confident expression, which Gray noticed and attempted to ignore.

"Dicax, use Fairy Wind to blow it right back!" she shouted upon seeing Chandelure shoot a body of purple flames towards her and her Pokemon.

The steel type countered quickly by releasing a gust of pink wind, but it was easily overpowered by the intense body of fire, which swallowed and scorched Dicax. Screaming in pain, the Mawile suddenly fell over with burns covering his entire body.

"Great work, Chandelure! Make sure you keep your distance and use Shadow Ball!"

Unleashing a massive sphere of black and purple energy from her mouth, the fully evolved Pokemon snickered as her attack rapidly closed in on Dicax. Despite the speed of the Shadow Ball attack, Gray was able to throw her hand forwards and issue a command.

"Roll forwards to evade it!" the eighteen year old screamed.

Dicax's eyes shot open and he did exactly as he was told, rolling head over heels. The Ghost-type attack just barely missed him, but Hugh was quick to react.

"Not on my watch! Chandelure, use Psychic to break it apart, and then crush Dicax with it!"

Much to the horror of Gray and all of her Pokemon, Chandelure's eyes flashed bright blue and the orb of dark energy was broken down into much smaller pieces. Then, in the blink of an eye, Dicax was pummeled by the bits and let out a screech before going silent, leaving his trainer and teammates on edge until N finally raised his arms.

"Dicax is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

Gray smiled after rushing over to her Pokemon's side and sprayed Dicax with a Full Restore, causing him to get up with little trouble and make his way back to the others with a frustrated look on his face.

"You were great, Dicax. Thanks so much for your effort," Gray commended, bowing as she did so. Dicax did the same as he cracked a smile, and then the fairy type found himself being complimented by all of his teammates, who appeared to be just as supportive as their trainer.

Meanwhile, off to the side of the field, White folded her arms over her chest and frowned at the solemn expression on Gray's face until she heard Seismitoad speak up.

"Who did Chandelure battle in Driftveil City? Does anyone know?" he asked with intrigue while looking at each of his previous traveling companions, only for all of them to shake their heads.

"Huh. Funny how we can't remember any of this, right?" Zoroark joked before snickering. She was the only one, however, as everyone else just stared at her in silence.

Gray cracked a smirk as she looked down at the ground, but then she punched her right fist into her left hand.

"We're not going to lose again, Hugh!" she proclaimed all of a sudden, rather ferociously. "Potens, I choose you!"

Springing forwards at the sound of her name, Gray's powerhouse slammed both feet on the ground and let out an ear-piercing roar that made everyone grunt in pain, save for Virtus and Greninja.

Hugh immediately grabbed Chandelure's Poke Ball and zapped her back in it, leaving Potens angered while Gray cracked her knuckles and grinned.

"If you're bringing out the big guns, I know just who to call on!"

White, Servine, Seismitoad, Gigalith, and Larvesta all nodded at the same time, knowing full well who their friend was about to reveal.

"Haxorus, it's time to shine!"

Exploding from the Poke Ball was a huge dragon covered in gold armor. On the sides of its mouth were two axe-blades, which were red, and it let out a roar that was just as fearsome as Potens'. The two Dragon-types then locked eyes and snarled at one another, adding an incredible amount of tension.

"They've been training for this," Servine informed Arcanine, whose ears perked up at the same time as Zoroark's, Charizard's, and Fortis'. "Haxorus might be Hugh's strongest Pokemon. He's the only one that's been able to beat Greninja in battle."

Noah and Alain shifted their focus back to the battlefield and eyed the fully evolved beast intently, sensing the power he was radiating.

 _"This,"_ Fortis thought to himself as a slight grin crept across his face, _"should be interesting. Let's see how Potens and Zennyo can do against a Dragon-type like Haxorus."_

Suddenly, N cleared his throat and pointed at both sides to grab their attention, though he failed to catch the gaze of either Pokemon.

"This battle will be between Haxorus and Potens! Begin!"

"Haxorus, let's show Gray how far you've come!" Hugh shouted, eliciting another roar from the menacing Pokemon. "Use Dragon Dance and charge at Potens!"

After stomping, the pure Dragon-type bolted across the battlefield and he was enveloped in twisting energy, which took the shape of a double-helix.

"That's not going to faze us, Hugh!" the older trainer taunted playfully while wagging her finger. "Potens, use Acrobatics!"

Shooting into the air without the slightest bit of hesitation, causing Hugh to flinch slightly. Then, as she was enveloped in sky blue aura, Potens descended at mach speed, though Hugh managed to issue a counterattack just in the nick of time.

"Counter with Dragon Claw!"

Haxorus' hands were engulfed in neon green energy, which took the shape of enormous claws, and he swung at his winged opponent. The attacks collided and a wave of force hurled both combatants in opposite directions, leaving Gray, her friends, and all of their Pokemon in shock. Hugh, Greninja, Haxorus, White, and her Pokemon all seemed to be unfazed by the result of the attacks, however.

Standing behind Potens as she quietly bit her lip to refrain from cussing, the brunette ran a hand through her hair while looking over Hugh and his mighty Pokemon. She then glanced to her right and at Dicax, cussing once again.

 _"Shit! If I had just withdrawn him, Dicax could take Haxorus out and I could be resting Potens right now! Dammit, Gray!"_ she thought to herself in frustration.

The Kantonian inhaled deeply before letting both of her hands fall to her sides. Then, in the blink of an eye, she threw her hand forwards and pointed at the Unova Pokemon across the battlefield.

"If that's not going to work, then we'll attack from afar! Use Dragon Pulse!"

Potens reared her head back and fired a blast of multicolored energy from her mouth, which quickly turned into the shape of a Chinese dragon.

"Jump out of the way and then use Shock Wave!" Hugh countered rapidly.

Haxorus was unable to evade the devastating attack, as the jaws of the dragon snapped down on his left forearm. After it exploded and sent him skidding to Hugh's side, Haxorus tucked his arms into his sides while enveloped in yellow electricity. Roaring as he unleashed several bolts of zigzagging electricity, the powerful Pokemon watched as his big-eared opponent was zapped and taken out of the air, putting a proud expression on his face.

Gray, Unicus, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria stared as they watched Potens smack the ground rather limply, causing the lone human of the group to become uneasy.

"Potens, stay strong!" the brunette demanded, drawing a pained grunt from the wyvern before she stood up and let out another roar - one of determination.

However, she slouched over immediately afterwards and panted rapidly. Just as Potens felt herself falling, she stopped when a booming voice echoed in her head.

 _"Hey, how much power do you need?"_ Zennyo inquired, drawing a snarl from his carrier, which shocked him.

 _"I don't want anything, not during this battle!"_ the Noivern snapped in response. _"The offer's appreciated, truly, but I'm going to win this on my own!"_

"That's the spirit!" Gray screamed after her Pokemon's battlecry right before Potens could do the same.

"Use Agility into Super Fang, and don't hold back!"

Potens smirked at her trainer's words before flapping her wings as hard as she could. As she took off at the speed of a jet, the big-eared bat screeched and opened her mouth, allowing her four largest teeth to grow even more as well as become incredibly sharp. Sinking the fangs of white energy into Haxorus' body, Potens let out an excited grunt, only for her foe to grab her by the throat and hold her in place.

"Retaliate with Slash, Haxorus!"

"Get away from him by using Flamethrower!" Gray barked instantly after Hugh finished speaking.

Just as Haxorus began to swing his arm towards Potens' head, the Flying-type's jaws snapped open and she delivered a ferocious blow to the armored Pokemon, sending him tumbling along the ground while the fire continued burning him. However, the intimidating Pokemon threw his arms forwards while standing, and the flames dispersed, wowing everyone except his teammate and trainer.

"Way to fight through it, Haxorus! Spin and use Razor Wind!" the blue-haired teen yelled excitedly.

"Destroy that with Air Cutter!" Gray retorted.

Before Haxorus could fire his attack, Potens zipped over to him and threw both of her wings forwards with as much force as she could muster. Sending one gigantic crescent of blue air at her opponent, Potens descended slowly after watching the attack explode on contact.

Hugh, meanwhile, gasped at the sight and looked over at N, almost as if he were hoping the older trainer wouldn't notice his Pokemon was unconscious. He did though, causing Hugh to curse under his breath.

"Haxorus is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Great work, Potens!" Gray exclaimed as she patted her strongest team member on the head, eliciting a grunt from the Dragon-type. Right after that, Potens was swarmed by her teammates, and they all cheered for her.

"Shit," Gigalith said in astonishment while turning to his teammates and trainer, who all nodded, seemingly understanding what message he was attempting to convey.

Noah and Arcanine, meanwhile, looked at the Pokemon that had accompanied them through Kalos and grinned in unison when Frogadier, Gourgeist, and Espurr turned in awe.

"That's her strongest Pokemon, isn't it? Not just on this team, but all regions. Right, Noah?" Gourgeist questioned, hoping the eighteen year old would nod. He didn't, however, and pointed at Fortis, leaving his three Pokemon flabbergasted while Arcanine chuckled.

N and Zoroark glanced at one another after watching Hugh withdraw Haxorus to his Poke Ball, all while smiling.

"Nothing but spectacular work, Haxorus. Matching Potens like you did is more than I could've asked from you or the others."

Greninja grumbled in response, taking offense to Hugh's statement, but he decided to let it slide as he turned and locked eyes with both Potens and Virtus.

"Chandelure, it's time to shine!" the Unovan exclaimed while hurling the Ghost-type's capsule.

Snapping open, the device revealed Hugh's second to last combatant, who seemed shocked to be battling after such a short break. Eyeing Potens and the bruises covering her body, Chandelure glanced back at Hugh in shock, drawing a nod from the rookie trainer.

"Potens, sit out for a little while," Gray said loud enough for everyone to hear, grabbing the group's attention. Then, glancing back and forth at her two remaining combatants, the Kantonian smiled and pointed at the one to her right. "Citeria, I choose you!" she announced, resulting in an overwhelmed response from the kind Pokemon.

"Well gosh, I sure do hope my darndest can get you a win, Miss Gray," the Bibarel said, shaking his head as he did so.

Then, awkwardly waddling forwards while on his hind legs, the Water-type plopped down on the ground and gave his opponents a goofy smile, which made them both sweat-drop along with the spectators. Even though they saw a confident shimmer in Gray's eyes, none of her friends were convinced picking Citeria was the smartest decision, but N was quick to recompose himself.

"This battle will be between Chandelure and Citeria! Begin!"

"Chandelure, Dark Pulse!"

"Heh," Gray chuckled before throwing her left hand forwards. "Spring into the air with the help of your tail and then use Scald!"

As the spiraling ray of black and purple energy closed in on him at an unprecedented pace, Citeria raised his large tail towards the sky. Slamming it against the ground as hard as he could, the Bibarel soared into the air like a rocket during takeoff, flooring all of the trainers and Pokemon except Gray. Citeria used his opponents' utter shock to his advantage by shooting a steaming-hot blast of water at Chandelure, which struck and harshly slammed the Fire-type into the ground, causing it to crack slightly.

 _"Since when could a Bibarel be that strong!?"_ Hugh screamed in his mind while bringing both hands to his head in dismay. Seeing that, Gray continued her assault with Citeria happily obliging.

"Now sweep Chandelure away with Surf!"

Hugh's jaw hit the ground - at the same time as the others' - as he watched Citeria create a tidal wave of water that looked like nothing he had ever seen before. The endless amount of water fell from the sky like millions of boulders, leaving Gray's opponents with very few options, if any. Suddenly, a light went off in her rival's head, and he snapped his fingers before speaking.

"Use Psychic to form a shield of water around yourself!"

The chandelier's eyes turned bright blue and she stopped the rainfall dead in its tracks, impressing Gray and her six Pokemon. Each of the seven pairs of eyes watched intently as an orb of water formed around Chandelure's body, making her seemingly invincible, which put a confident grin on Hugh's face.

It vanished immediately.

"Not on my watch! Citeria, use Thunderbolt!"

Hugh's eyes went wide in horror as Citeria sent a zigzagging bolt of yellow electricity right at Chandelure, who was unable to react in time. As a result, the Electric-type attack struck the water and electrocuted the floating Pokemon. Chandelure hit the ground while the water poured down on her, adding insult to injury.

The downed Pokemon's trainer stared in silence before eventually looking across the battlefield to eye his rival and her three remaining Pokemon, one of whom hadn't even battled.

"Chandelure is unable to continue! Hugh, choose your final Pokemon!" N ordered while pointing at the blue-haired rookie, who hung his head as he pulled out the Fire-type's Poke Ball.

"Come back for a long rest, pal," he muttered monotonously, then clipping the capsule back on his belt. "Well, I guess this is it. It's all down to one final Pokemon," Hugh continued, shaking his head in pity.

Greninja scanned his trainer quickly before sauntering onto the battlefield, his arms still crossed. Gray, Citeria, Potens, and Virtus watched every one of Greninja's strides until he finally stopped, and then they shifted their focus to Hugh.

"Let's go!" the Kalos Starter snapped all of a sudden, taking everyone back, especially Hugh. "Pick your head up and finish this battle like a real trainer would, Hugh! No one ever said we lost, so why have you given up!?"

The seventeen year old stared at his very first Pokemon without making a noise. Those watching grew anxious while waiting for Hugh to respond, but he didn't. Instead, the Unovan hung his head, further enraging Greninja.

"Haha," he laughed softly, confusing Gray, Alain, Noah, N, and White, as well as all of the Pokemon - Greninja examined the teen as if he had gone made. "Hahaha! Thanks, buddy! I really need a wake-up call like that."

The bipedal frog's frustration subsided as he nodded. He and his trainer then locked eyes with Gray and Citeria, respectively, sending chills down the brunette's spine.

"Greninja, it's time to shine!"

"Right," the Dark-type replied stoically as he continued leaving his arms folded in front of his chest.

Citeria narrowed his eyes while looking over his new foe, who appeared to be much stronger than Chandelure. As the beaver shifted uncomfortably, Gray could sense his confidence fading rapidly despite having never seen Greninja before. She didn't have time to think about it, however, as N began to speak.

"This battle will be between Greninja and Citeria! Begin!"

"Citeria, use Quick Attack to start!"

"Not a chance," Hugh muttered with the utmost confidence in not only himself, but his Pokemon as well. "Greninja, use Night Slash!"

While Citeria bounded across the battlefield on all fours, Greninja unfolded his arms and a blade of black energy formed in each of his hands. He and his fellow Water-type met head-on, with Citeria's head crashing into Greninja's left blade. Swinging with his right, the bipedal frog was shocked to see his opponent duck out of the way. Despite the Bibarel's agility, Greninja had no issue threw his left arm down and slashed the beaver across his chest.

The Normal-type let out a high-pitched cry as he slid along the ground on his back and Gray looked on in concern even while the Sinnoh Pokemon stood up.

"Hang in there a little longer and counter with Superpower!" the brunette ordered.

A dark shade of red aura swirled around Citeria's body and he flexed, basking in the sudden Herculean strength that had swept over him. Adjusting his gaze so that both eyes were locked on Greninja, the goofy Pokemon let his weight fall forwards so that he was back to being quadrupedal. Just as quickly as he had began the attack, Citeria appeared in front of Greninja and stood up, hurling his fist forwards.

"Evade by using Double Team and then retaliate with Water Shuriken!" Hugh barked as he stepped forward, showing more of a sense of urgency than his composed Pokemon.

Greninja did just as he was told and created several clones just before Citeria landed the absurdly powerful punch. As soon as his fist blew through the clone that had taken Greninja's place, the Bibarel's eyes shot wide open when all of ninja frog's sprung into the air and generated enormous shurikens of spinning water. Upon seeing what her opponent was doing, Gray smirked while rubbing her index finger under her nose, shouting shortly thereafter.

"Perfect! Zap 'em with Thunderbolt!"

"Don't back down, Greninja! Take their challenge and overcome it!" Hugh screamed while looking up at his Starter.

Greninja boomed in response, mimicking Hugh's movements. Their eyes then had the same light flash in them, though only White, her team, and Virtus noticed.

Citeria let out a loud grunt as his body was covered in bright yellow electricity. Throwing both hands forwards, the Water-type shot an enormous zigzagging bolt at the dozen air-borne Greninja. The Kalos starter and his clones hurriedly chucked their attacks at the same time, causing them to converge and transform into one shuriken which almost seemed to be the size of the sun overhead. Slicing through the super effective attack, the ultra-powered Water Shuriken exploded on contact with Citeria and catapulted him across the area.

Crashing into the wall behind his trainer and teammates, Citeria slunk to the ground and hit it face-first with his eyes shut.

Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Virtus stared at the battered Pokemon before the purple duo turned and stared at Greninja, who went back to having his arms folded over his chest. The odd light in his eyes had yet to fade, and both Virtus and Potens saw the same thing in Hugh's, perplexing them.

While the friends looked at one another, hoping to get an answer, Gray rushed over to Citeria's side with a Full Restore in-hand, all ready aware of the fact that her Bibarel was to be deemed incapable of battling.

"Citeria is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" N ordered after watching his companion reach the aforementioned creature's side.

"That was such a great job. You were fearless out there," the Kantonian commended after spraying Citeria with the medicine, which allowed him to get up without trouble and smile reluctantly. "Thanks for your effort. I promise it won't be for nothing."

"That's very much appreciated, Miss Gray," the Bibarel replied genuinely, making his way over to Potens and Virtus as he did so. "Ladies, I must warn you both that Greninja is one helluva battler. Please be careful and don't go on attackin' before ya think of how to approach 'em."

The Noivern and Mienshao standing before him sweat-dropped in unison for different reasons - Virtus because she had just witnessed what had happened, and Potens because of the fact that she battled Greninja and learned of his strength through firsthand experience.

"Thanks, Citeria," both Pokemon said, faking the authentic tones behind their responses.

Nodding his head, the Bibarel waddled over to Unicus, Celsus, and Dicax while Gray looked between her two remaining combatants.

"Potens, I choose you!" the young woman exclaimed, throwing her hand straight ahead as her powerhouse began to walk forwards. Virtus hid her disappointment behind an emotionless demeanor that everyone had grown accustomed to, allowing the Fighting-type to walk away and cuss mentally.

Once she found her distance from Gray's trainer-box suitable, the Noivern widened her stance and stared Greninja down in silence. All the trainers and Pokemon off to the side kept their mouths closed and didn't dare make a sound, further enhancing the already epic amount of anxiety.

Breaking from her stillness, Unicus jumped in excitement at the looming battle. Each of the four teammates by her looked directly at Unicus and waited for her to stop.

After she did, Celsus quizzed, "What's gotten you so excited?"

"Yeah, Unicus," Dicax began, grinning, "it's not like you to get _this_ intense about a battle you're not even in."

Unicus shot a horrifying glare at the Fairy-type that made him back away timidly. She slowly calmed down after taking several deep breaths and then pointed out to the battlefield.

"Come on! It's always awesome to watch Potens battle, and the same can be said for Greninja. Put those two together, and you get the greatest battle you'll see!"

"That's quite the proclamation, if you ask me," Virtus interjected with a smirk. "I'm sure this will be great, but I know we'll all see, and be a part of, better battles. I'll bet my life on it."

The Ground-type shook her head in response but kept her mouth closed due to hearing Hugh speak.

"Heh, this sure does take me back, even if it was just a few months ago," the teenager began, reminiscing. "You and Potens may have become a lot stronger since then, Gray, but we haven't been sitting around idly. Isn't that right, Greninja?"

Upon hearing his name, the Kalos Starter nodded emphatically, answering Hugh's question. Then, much to the shock of everyone, Greninja gestured to Hugh, prompting the spiky-haired Unovan to roll up the sleeves of his vest while a solemn expression swept over his face.

Surprisingly, Greninja's facial expression was exactly like that of his trainer's, causing Noah to raise an eyebrow. Arcanine, Frogadier, and Gourgeist did the same while Espurr, whose eyelids were nonexistent, began to shiver.

"Espurr?" the cat's trainer called worriedly. In doing so, Noah caused everyone by him to stare at the trembling Psychic-type. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" he questioned in rapid-fire succession while dropping to his knees.

Slowly, the freaky feline lifted her stubby arms and, after placing one on Noah's shoulder, she pointed at Hugh and Greninja. White flinched at the nonverbal response and retreated to her thoughts, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

 _"Is he seriously going to try that? Hugh's never used Synchro Evolution in a real battle!"_ she screamed mentally, making slight yet sharp movements, which worried the four Pokemon to her left.

As if on cue, White's crush cracked his knuckles while grinning in excitement.

"Let's go, Greninja! Time to show 'em just how strong we are!" Hugh screamed.

Without even turning around to look at Hugh, Greninja performed the exact same motions as his trainer. First, the Dark-type and his trainer began to bend their knees. Then, after they stuck both of their arms out to their sides as far as physically possible, Greninja and Hugh lifted their heads and stared at Potens and Gray, respectively.

The Kantonian's body froze at the powerful look from her rival. Even though she attempted to move her head to the right and left, Gray was unable to do so and worriedly bit her tongue.

"Aagghh!" her rival and his Pokemon screamed in unison as a geyser of water encapsulated the latter, taking everyone back.

Three dark-blue spikes grew out of Greninja's head, while two white fins appeared from the sides of his neck, which resembled the collar of Hugh's vest. Its eyes also began to glow red, taking the color of Hugh's, and the water, though quite opaque, still allowed everyone to see Greninja's body.

Potens, meanwhile, began to shake in anticipation. Noah, Arcanine, Alain, Charizard, N, Zoroark, White, and Servine couldn't help but smile and shake their heads at the wyvern's lack of fear, something that they all admired in her. Digging deep into her subconscious, Potens inhaled greatly and closed both of her eyes.

"Gray," she called without moving. "I don't plan on holding anything back. Should I show them the trick up our sleeve?"

"Trick?" White and Hugh asked simultaneously, only for no one to respond.

The brunette ran a hand through her hair as she thought over her Pokemon's inquiry. Letting gravity run its course, Gray nodded once her arm fell to her side, though Potens didn't see it due to her back being to the third-year trainer.

"Whatever you decide to do, Potens, I'll support it fully."

Not wanting to waste another second with useless speaking, the winged creature tuned out everything and everyone around her, channeling all of her focus into her mind.

 _"Zennyo!"_ she called.

A stifled grumble was the initial response, but the Dragon-Type-Beast eventually cleared his throat and articulated a response.

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"I'm gonna need some power for this. I know I said I didn't want it, but this is an exception,"_ Potens responded anxiously through thought. _"Let's just say Greninja decided to leave everything out on battlefield, and I want to do the same."_

After his carrier's mentioning of the ninja frog's name, Zennyo cracked a grin.

 _"Ah, so that's the force I'm sensing,"_ he grumbled while stroking his chin. The Chinese dragon then cracked his knuckles with an eager smirk, instilling an overwhelming amount of confidence in his partner. _"I'm in no mood to lose to Synchro Evolution, so you better fight your ass off."_

Potens' eyes suddenly shot open and her neck snapped up towards the clear blue sky overhead. Her jaws unhinged like a snake's and she let out a deafening screech that nearly shattered the sound barrier.

All of Gray's male companions stared at Potens and grinned once a small ring of purple aura began to spin around her and on the ground. As it sped up, the aura crept up her body and eventually coated the big-eared bat.

Hugh, Greninja, White, Servine, Seismitoad, Gigalith, and Larvesta gaped, watching the odd aura around Potens' face turn into that of a Chinese dragon. Her pupils suddenly returned, as did the whites of her eyes, though the color remained dark purple.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" Potens bellowed as loud as she possibly could. Upon lifting her head to the sun, Potens' sent Zennyo's aura straight into the air. The purple energy ascended at a speed no one thought to be possible and transformed into the shape of the Dragon-Type-Beast before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Nothing moved. Not the wind; not the wild Pokemon living miles away from Opelucid City; not the spectators. Nothing... except Hugh's lips.

"Holy shit."

 **000**

An imposingly tall man walked the streets of Opelucid City and scratched his white beard, which covered the entire lower-half of his face. His attire was odd, to say the least, as he wore gloves that nearly reached his elbows, overalls, and a dress-shirt.

"Excuse me, Mister," a child called while running towards the muscular man, who turned immediately and smiled underneath his beard. "Your Pokemon are so cool! My big brother was watching you battle on TV yesterday, and I got to see Garchomp! He was so... cool!"

Chuckling as he squatted, the bearded man placed his right hand on the boy's head and beamed.

"Why thank you, buddy," he replied, subtly tapping a Poke Ball on his belt. The device snapped open and, materializing in a bright beam of white light was the Pokemon the five year old had spoken about. "Garchomp, I'd like to introduce you to a big fan. What's your name, little guy?"

"Ben!" the child exclaimed as he ran over to Garchomp and hugged the Dragon-type's leg. "Hi, Garchomp!" Ben screamed with a smile that went from one ear to the other.

The land shark chuckled at Ben's excitement before sending a cheery look towards his trainer, who placed both of his hands on his hips.

"Hey, Ben, if you don't mind me asking," Garchomp began as he tapped the five year old's shoulder, prompting him to release his grip, "do you know what you want to be when you grow up?"

The young boy tilted his head in confusion, eliciting a hearty laugh from Garchomp's trainer.

"Don't worry, he asks everyone that question," the muscular man informed, drawing a nod. "It's obvious you love Pokemon, so I'll guess that you want to be a great trainer. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir, Mister Drayden!"

Drayden and Garchomp smiled at the genuine response, watching closely as Ben suddenly pointed at the former of the two.

"I want to be a stronger trainer than you, Mister Drayden, and my Pokemon are gonna be stronger than you, Garchomp! I promise!"

Both trainer and Pokemon smiled for a second time, but the happy expressions faded when Drayden coughed. After doing so, the white-haired man placed a hand on the random child's shoulder and stared him right in the eyes.

"That's a fine goal, Ben. A mighty fine goal indeed," the Dragon-type specialist declared kindly, resulting in the little boy beaming. "However, you're going to have to work _very_ hard to accomplish that, or any dream for that matter. I can tell you're capable of doing it though, Ben, so I'll tell you what." The oddly-dressed trainer inhaled for a moment in order to add emphasis to what he was about to say. "When you do become a trainer, I want you to come to the Gym and challenge Garchomp and me. Sound good?"

Drayden hid a smile after Ben's jaw hit the ground.

"Yeah! Thanks a bunch, Mister Drayden! I'm gonna go home and train right now! Bye!"

Opelucid City's Gym Leader waved in response alongside his ace partner, who helped him stand upright with little effort. He sighed, however, and tucked both hands into his pant pockets. Garchomp gave his longtime friend and trainer a puzzled expression, and Drayden took the cue.

"Other than that kid with the spiky hair and his Greninja, we haven't had any _real_ challenges. These classes of trainers just keep getting weaker."

"Or maybe we're just getting that much stronger," Garchomp teased at the same time as he poked Drayden's arm. "After all, ever since Daniel stopped by last year and helped us with Mega Evolution, you've used it really frequently, so trainers don't exactly _get_ a chance to give us a challenge."

The thirty year old conceded defeat through nodding and walked in silence with the bipedal land shark on his right.

"It just makes me wonder," he began, all of a sudden, "if we're ever going to be tested again."

Garchomp's head bobbled back and forth, his necklace - holding Garchompite - flopping around just as wildly. That's when they saw it: an alien blast of purple aura that pierced the clouds in the sky overhead. It didn't even take a fraction of a second for Garchomp and Drayden to look at one another, nod, and dart towards the source of the absurd power. Even as they sprinted, the human and pseudo-legendary shared the same thought while masking their excitement.

 _"This is the challenge we've been waiting for."_

 **000**

White and her four team members examined Potens closely, as did Greninja.

"Wh-what is that?" Servine whispered in horror, raising a finger that she pointed at Gray's powerhouse. "Did Potens always have that kind of power?"

"I... I don't know," her Rock-type teammate muttered in sheer awe.

"It's unlike anything I've ever sensed before. This energy's on a level of its own; Synchro Evolution got put to shame," Seismitoad opined, prompting a pair of nods from Gigalith and Servine.

Having overheard the questions and scared responses from the trio of young Pokemon, Fortis remained poised and joined them and White. Once he reached the group, he placed a hand on Servine's shoulder, as well as Seismitoad's.

"It's a bit of her reserve power," he stated. "She never ceases to amaze us, that's for sure." A proud smile formed from Fortis' lips as he looked back at his pupil.

While Fortis reminisced about Potens' growth from the time he met her, White simply marveled at the insane amount of energy swirling around the body of her friend's Pokemon. She eventually turned and focused her attention on Hugh and Greninja, whose incredible transformation paled in comparison to that of their opponent.

Unlike everyone around the battlefield, Gray turned away from Potens to look back at her five other Pokemon. Her eyes locked onto Virtus in an instant, as she stuck out like a sore thumb due to her being the only one of the bunch not jumping and screaming like a lunatic. Virtus' face was devoid of emotion, yet, after turning to her trainer and staring at the brunette, a light flashed in her eyes.

Gray felt everything around her freeze, and time itself seemed to crumble before her very eyes. The leaves and branches of trees that had been dancing as a product of the wind created by Zennyo's aura remained as still as a photograph. Freaking her out even further was the sight of Unicus being stuck at the apex of her jump.

"What the hell's going on?" the Kantonian asked aloud, floored by the sudden lack of gravity, as well as physics. "Is this a dream?" she queried, only to face-palm at the idea.

Looking away from Unicus and at everyone else individually, Gray let out a startled scream when she felt someone, or rather something, grab a hold of her shoulders. While the young woman's momentum pulled her towards the ground, she closed her eyes, bracing for impact. Just as abruptly as she was yanked, Gray's fall stopped midway and her eyes opened as a result.

The first thing she was greeted to was a pair of gray, colorless eyeballs that seemed to peer through her soul. Once she was helped up by the thing that had caught her, Gray nearly passed out from shock. Ultimately, she didn't, but the experienced trainer remained speechless and kept staring at Virtus.

"I want to fight Greninja. I know I can win," the mustelid proclaimed monotonously. "But I need your help," she concluded, extending her right fist.

Gray blinked several times and remained still. Virtus kept her hand in the same spot and showed no signs of going back on her gesture. The Fighting-type's intensity snapped Gray out of her paralyzed state, giving the Kantonian full control over her body. With her movement no longer restricted, Gray bumped her fist against Virtus' and she waited for something to happen.

A burst of Virtus' energy coursed through Gray's veins taking her back. Virtus, meanwhile, flashed an excited grin when she sensed her trainer's power, prompting the eighteen year old to do the same.

"We're going to win together, Gray."

Unable to contain her glee, the aforementioned trainer beamed.

"That's right! I won't let you down, Virtus!"

The stillness of everything around Gray vanished so quickly it took her a few seconds to realize what had happened. She then gazed at the spectators until feeling her Mienshao's knuckles press against her own, causing Gray to sweat-drop in embarrassment.

"Gray? Are you okay?" Potens queried in concern and through Zennyo's coat of aura. "What's up?"

"Potens," Virtus began, drawing the wyvern's stare. "Let me battle Greninja." The pair of purple Pokemon engaged in a stare down because of Virtus' words, causing their teammates to glance from one to the other. To her surprise, the Mienshao watched Potens' nod while her Type-Beast's aura weakened exponentially.

"You've got it, but I'm stepping in if things start going south, got it?"

The mustelid smiled and bowed to her friend appreciatively before watching Potens walk off the battlefield.

"What just happened?" Noah whispered to N and Alain. The elder trainers were just as baffled and shrugged in unison along with their Pokemon.

"Sorry for the wait, Hugh," Gray said to her rival, who was still appalled by Potens' transformation. "Virtus, I choose you!"

The Unova Pokemon front-flipped her way onto the battlefield and squared off with Greninja, who went back to folding his arms over his chest, exuding unmatched confidence in both himself and his trainer. His impatience, as well as that from the spectators was noticed by Gray and her Pokemon, resulting in them sweat-dropping. They recomposed in a flash, however, and the brunette nodded at her green-haired traveling companion.

"This battle will be between Greninja and Virtus!" N announced, pointing to the Synchro Evolved Pokemon and then his friend's Mienshao. "Begin!" he bellowed.

"We need to be extra careful, Virtus," Gray informed her Pokemon, whose gray eyes glowed once the brunette spoke.

"Got it," she answered, eliciting a nod from Gray.

"Okay then, don't let Greninja get close! Use Swift and have the stars spin around him!"

Virtus followed the orders to a T, resulting in hundreds of gold stars zipping through the air and, eventually forming a ring around Greninja. The flurry of sharp objects closed in rapidly, but Hugh kept his cool and replied with an optimal counterattack.

"We won't be beaten by that! Greninja, slice through them all with Night Slash and then use Acrobatics!" the rookie barked.

His powerhouse remained silent and reached for a pair of nonexistent blades on his hips. Then, unsheathing the imaginary weapons, Greninja noticed a skeptical look in his foe's eyes. Said look left Virtus as soon as she watched a pair of black blades form in the Water-type's hands. He effortlessly chopped every star into glittering dust and then pumped his legs as quickly as he could, making Virtus freeze.

"Detect!" Gray barked, unaware of her Pokemon's sudden paralysis.

Virtus' legs refused to move, resulting in her being pummeled by Greninja, whose limbs were glowing light blue. Gray winced as her rival's final Pokemon performed dozens of flips during his assault, keeping the assaulted Mienshao from determining where the next attack would come from. The barrage concluded with Greninja mashing his heel over Virtus' head, bringing her to the ground face-first.

"Don't relent! We're gonna break 'em with excessive pressure!" Hugh shouted to his final Pokemon, who grunted in response. "Shadow Sneak!"

The long-tongued amphibian performed a series of hand-signs before being dragged underground by his shadow. Virtus backpedaled timidly while scanning the area, her neck snapping every which way as her ever-growing anxiety reared its ugly head.

Her trainer was the complete opposite, however, and she pointed downwards with a smirk to boot.

"You can't hide from us! Virtus, use Force Palm on the ground!"

Upon hearing Gray call her name, the Fighting-type snapped out of her crippling timid state and dropped to one knee before preparing to strike the ground. Virtus' palm shot towards its target while she channeled incredible amounts of energy into the center of her hand, but the clever move wasn't executed fast enough. A webbed hand rocketed out from the ground and connected with the mustelid's chin, leaving Gray at a loss for words as she watched the force of Greninja's punch lift her Pokemon off the surface.

"Yes!" Hugh exclaimed after clapping his hands together once. "Now grab Virtus by the tail and throw her as hard as you can!"

Emerging from the depths of the Earth, Greninja used his coat of water as a springboard, granting him the ability to carry out Hugh's tall order. Clamping both hands around his purple opponent's tail, Greninja somersaulted as soon as he reached his apex. Larvesta marveled at how Hugh's powerhouse managed to time his final revolution with such accuracy that Virtus was the one to collide with the battlefield while he landed softly on his webbed feet.

"Big mistake," Gray commented with a sneer, resulting in a puzzled look from Hugh. "Now's our chance! Use Drain Punch at full-power!"

Virtus suddenly turned into a cloud of thick white smoke, causing Hugh and Greninja to look around wildly along with everyone else, save for Gray. The brunette grinned and glanced to her right, unintentionally alerting Hugh of her Pokemon's whereabouts.

"Turn to the right and close this out with Water Shuriken!" the spiky-haired teen demanded.

Greninja obeyed without hesitation. Turning to his right - or Hugh's left - while swinging his left arm like a club, Greninja formed a gigantic shuriken that was revolving at an unprecedented frequency. Though he only saw Virtus out of the corner of his eye, the ninja sniped his target and turned away right after his attack landed. The mustelid was catapulted across the length of the battlefield and began to plummet limply.

"Virtus!" Gray screamed at the top of her lungs as soon as the Fighting-type crashed into the ground. A large body of dust hid the battered Pokemon from eyesight, preventing her concerned trainer from seeing the result of impact.

All of Virtus' teammates were unable to look in her general direction due to the violent impact. Unable to get the sound of her friend's body colliding with the ground out of her ears, Potens bit her lower lip and brought both hands up to her huge ears. Celsus, Dicax, Citeria, and Unicus' faces appeared to be just as distressed as the bat's, which worried Noah and Arcanine.

The young man and his very first Pokemon kept quiet and watched the dust settle, which revealed Virtus.

Two slaps rang in all the attendees' ears and they gasped when Virtus, despite her limbs shaking violently, forced herself back onto both feet. Gray was nearly brought to tears after examining the purple Pokemon, who was hunched over as if her spine was crooked, and blood covered most of her fur.

"Amazing," Alain iterated out loud, drawing a pair of nods from Charizard and Zoroark. "Something tells me things are about to get interesting."

Charizard scoffed at his trainer's remark without thinking and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck when he saw Alain glaring at him. Zoroark, on the other hand, didn't care about the Kalosian's anger, as she was too wrapped up in the battle.

"Come on, Virtus! Keep fighting!" Unicus shrieked, cupping her hands around her mouth to add volume.

"Greninja is quite the adversary, but don't let 'em walk all over you!" Citeria added.

"Yeah! Give it everything you've got!" Dicax and Celsus roared in unison.

"We know you can beat him, Virtus!" Potens screeched like a banshee.

Virtus mustered up every last bit of her strength to turn halfway to the right so she could see her friends - their cheering didn't seem like it was going to end - as well as Greninja. She then forced a smile and extended her left arm towards the Water-type on the other end of the battlefield.

"That's the spirit!" Gray exclaimed, punching her fist into the air. "Fire an Aura Sphere attack!"

The Fighting-type's arm shook with a frequency equivalent to that of a fissure, drawing both concerned and watchful eyes. Even though she was barely conscious, the bipedal mustelid performed her attack. Gray's heart dropped when she saw the orb of blue energy float through the air. Her concern was amplified when she saw Virtus.

She looked like a standing carcass.

"Dodge it and use Acrobatics one more time!" Hugh countered, keeping Gray from getting too wrapped up in her Pokemon's appearance.

Greninja, still encased in a geyser of water, hopped over the opposing Pokemon's Aura Sphere attack before his arms surged with light blue energy. Gray watched Hugh's Starter close in on Virtus at a breakneck pace and she began shouting to the wounded creature, who remained as still as a statue.

"Virtus, please move! Just get out of the way!"

The pleas fell on deaf ears, but Gray refused to give up. Instead, she changed her approach without even thinking.

"Remember when you told me we'd win together? I do, and I know we can do it! So please, Virtus, if you can, dodge!"

Virtus still didn't move a muscle - it looked like she wasn't even breathing - yet Gray, much to everyone's shock, didn't give in. Even as Greninja bent his knees and lunged like a predator would to catch its prey, the Kantonian didn't withdraw her Pokemon. What unsettled the entire group was a smirk appearing on Gray's face, diverting attention from Virtus.

"I won't let you down, Gray!" Virtus snapped. The Mienshao's fur began to turn from purple to gray at an alarming rate, almost as if she were aging a dozen years with each passing second. Once there wasn't a speck of purple left on her body, a tornado of yellow aura spun around Virtus.

Eliciting a series of gasps from the spectators after each of them recoiled, N whipped his neck to the right to look at Noah and Alain, drawing their gaze.

"Look! Isn't that just like what Greninja did before?" he questioned, resulting in both trainers' eyes shooting wide open.

"Oh my god," they whispered in unison, as did Arcanine and Charizard.

Greninja hurled his fist forward, ignoring the extreme reactions from those on the sidelines.

 _"Sorry, but it's over,"_ Greninja thought to himself as his fist inched closer and closer to his opponent's face.

That thought was erased in the blink of an eye.

Virtus disappeared just as fast as Greninja's confidence. The Water-type flinched in shock as he continued flying forwards, unaware of his foe's location. Unlike Greninja, Gray was elated by the lightning-quick movement of her Pokemon, but her ear-to-ear smile disappeared when her perspective changed. Instead of having Greninja facing her, the brunette was looking at him from a bird's-eye view. Despite the scene lasting only a second, Gray, back to seeing through her own eyes, knew exactly what to do as she threw her hand forward.

"Drain Punch!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, the painful sound echoing in the ears of all the spectators.

A body of yellow light formed about a foot above Greninja and, materializing from it was Virtus. The Unova Pokemon smirked as she hurled her left fist downwards and clocked the Kalos Starter in the back. The unparalleled force with which Greninja hit the ground caused the entire battlefield to shatter so quickly the human eye wasn't able to track it. The six trainers and all their Pokemon had no idea how to react to the god-like strength displayed before them, so no noise was made.

Virtus hopped back to Gray's half of the unleveled battlefield while keeping her eyes glued to Greninja, whose shield of water was unable to withstand the brute force behind her fist. Still, the ninja frog refused to give in and rose to his feet through sheer determination. An intense fire burned in the bellies of Virtus and Greninja after they locked eyes and looked each other over intently, causing the coats of aura and water to grow.

 _"This is incredible,"_ Zennyo stated, his voice booming in Potens' head. _"Who would've imagined Virtus being this strong?"_

 _"..."_ Potens remained silent as she kept both eyes fixated on her friend, a scowl of jealousy and frustration making its presence known.

"I may not know what the hell just happened, but I've never been so excited to battle before!" Hugh announced, unable to prevent himself from yelling, which drew laughter from the audience.

"That makes two of us," Gray rebutted. "Now bring it!"

The Unovan's beaming ceased and he narrowed his eyes in an instant.

"Be careful what you wish for!" he forewarned. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Hugh shouted, hoping to maintain his aggressive style of battling.

"You can match that, right, Virtus?" the older trainer asked rhetorically, though that didn't stop the aforementioned Pokemon from grunting in response. "Use Aura Sphere!"

Both combatants formed their respective attacks: a huge shuriken spinning in-between Greninja's hands and an equally imposing ball of aura forming in Virtus' left. After the powerful moves were hurled at one another, they collided. Sparks of aura flew into the air in all directions while drops of water splattered across the area. Just as it looked like the shuriken and sphere were about to knock each other in opposite directions, a ring of force pushed Greninja and Virtus back to their trainers, though that didn't slow either side.

"Hurry and use Acrobatics!"

Greninja eagerly bolted towards the purple Fighting-type standing a few feet in front of Gray, and the dark-blue spikes on his head began to glow, as did his red eyes.

In response, Virtus stuck her arms out to her sides like a wall. Gray watched in confusion along with her five other Pokemon until they all witnessed Virtus' hands surge with cobalt light.

"What's happening to her?" Servine questioned loudly, spinning in a circle in hopes of finding someone that knew the answer.

"That looks like Dual Chop, which is a Dragon-type move," Zoroark explained, going into great detail while those around her tried to block out the noise and focus on the battle instead.

Gray, having overheard the powerful Pokemon's response, smiled to herself and took a step forward.

"Meet him head-on with Dual Chop, and match the pace!"

Virtus took off at the same speed as Greninja and the super-powered duo clashed, though only for a few seconds. Greninja delivered a swift kick to Virtus' ribs, causing the latter to stumble to her side. However, she retaliated with an equally effective knee to the chest, which knocked the wind out of her foe for a brief moment. That was all Virtus needed, as she smothered Greninja everywhere he moved to - or where he was sent.

"Wow!" White screeched after Virtus dipped passed one of Greninja's punches and retaliated with a kick to the face. Each of the teen's Pokemon covered their ears in pain. "Virtus is so much stronger than before! She's even keeping up with Greninja!"

Charizard turned to Alain - and vice versa - after they heard White's comment. Sharing the same flabbergasted expression, both on their faces and in their eyes, both trainer and Pokemon began to whisper.

"Doesn't this remind you of the time we battled Gray and Bellator?" Charizard asked, covering his face so that no one could read his lips.

Alain nodded and said, "I was just about to ask the same thing." He then ran a hand through his hair before shifting his gaze to the Mega Bracelet wrapped around his wrist.

 _"Now that I think about it, Charizard and I need to get back to finding Mega Trainers. Gray's pursuing her goal of becoming a Champion, so why shouldn't I work towards my goals?"_

The thought brought a soft smile to Alain's face, and he eventually nodded at his thought created in part by the lax attitude of being a spectator.

Conversely, the atmosphere inside the lines of the battlefield and trainer-boxes was significantly more intense, as evidenced by not only the demeanors of Gray and Hugh, but the fact that both trainers were perspiring.

"Urgh..." Hugh growled. Then, grinding his teeth, the seventeen year old wiped the sweat from his brow in disgust before finally shifting his focus back to the battle. "He can't keep trading blows with Virtus, so we'll have to switch things up," he continued. "Greninja, surround Virtus with Double Team and use Shadow Sneak!"

Though Hugh's command was issued while the Water-type was stepping forward and throwing a punch, Greninja somehow managed to follow through. The amphibian turned his foot to a forty-five degree angle once he planted it, disappearing into the ground while creating a dozen clones that attacked Virtus.

"You're not getting away from me!" the aforementioned Pokemon roared as one of Greninja's copies grabbed her from behind and attempted to restrict her movement. All the others then charged and lunged to attack, but Virtus managed to break free of the clone's grasp and switched places with it. Using it as a shield, Virtus opened her eyes as wide as possible to analyze the situation. Upon doing so, everything began to move at a fraction of the speed, though to the others time continued at its normal pace.

Once Virtus had developed a strategy to refrain from taking any damage, she relaxed her eyes and executed the initial step.

The clone in her grasp continued to buck like its life depended on it, so she threw it at the three charging head-on. Four clouds of smoke replaced the artificial Greninja as soon as they collided, and Virtus dove right into the body of thick air. Six of the remaining eight frog's pursued blindly and attacked with reckless abandon, unaware of the fact that their target had crawled out the way she entered.

Each blow landed increased the cloud's size, which made Virtus shake her head and chuckle. Then, without Gray's instruction, she formed an Aura Sphere attack in each hand. Subtly examining the entire battlefield, Virtus spotted the pair of clones that hand't chased her into the smoke. She hurled both of the spheres at them, catching the duo by surprise. Due to that, they were destroyed, leaving the Mienshao all by her lonesome as her real opponent continued to lurk underground.

"Di-did that just actually happen!?" Celsus shouted while Virtus and Gray exchanged nods.

"That's right!"

The Girafarig and his friends sweat-dropped at their unfazed trainer, who grew more and more excited by the battle.

"If he's not coming out by choice, we'll just have to force him to fight! Jump as high as you can and use Bounce!" Gray roared, prompting Virtus to spring into the air with the assistance of the yellow aura surrounding her.

"Now's our chance, Greninja! Start with Double Team and pursue Virtus while using Night Slash repeatedly!"

Even though the attack was complex, Greninja memorized it in a flash while shooting out of the ground. Two clones were on either side of the Water-type and mirrored his exact movements. Each created two blades of black energy - one for each hand - and reached their opponent at a startling speed.

Gray wasn't rattled by the situation Virtus was in and responded with the best possible move she could.

"Dodge everything with Detect!"

The four ascending Pokemon that were defying gravity locked eyes after Gray finished speaking, and a confident smirk appeared on Virtus' face. Greninja and his pair of clones formed a triangle around her and closed in at light speed. It wasn't enough, however, since the Mienshao obeyed her trainer's command, as evidenced by her pupils flashing gold.

Virtus contorted her body like rubber in order to evade all six blades and continued to do so even after reaching her apex. Thee trio of frogs pursued aggressively, and the clone to Virtus' right idiotically charged ahead. Before it could so much as make an attempt to slash her, the fake was disposed off when its target used the whips of hair above her hands to strike. Immediately smacking the other with her left, Virtus let her guard down a bit and slowed her speed in order to keep her bones from breaking on impact. Greninja did the same and stood on the opposite end of the battlefield with both hands by his sides.

He and Virtus continued staring at one another for what felt like an eternity before they grunted at the same time. From there, the Kalos Starter created a fearsome body of the sharpest water while his adversary generated as much aura as physically possible, which rested just an inch above her left hand. Hugh and Gray stared in silence while their Pokemon continued charging the attacks with the help of the added powers from their transformations.

Much to everyone's surprise, the shuriken Greninja had created turned from blue to black, while Virtus' ball of aura became yellow. The sound the moves were producing changed as well, making for an epic conclusion. Both Pokemon took off as their eagerness to finish things off proved too great, although their trainers adapted seamlessly.

Once the two combatants were mere inches away from one another, they thrusted their arms forward.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"Virtus, Aura Sphere!"

The pair of commands echoed through the air at the exact same moment while Greninja and Virtus let out battlecries. The shuriken and sphere collided, creating a twister of black and yellow energy that pierced the morning sky and blinded all those watching. It spun faster and faster until it eventually lost control and combusted, sending the pair of Pokemon into orbit while their trainers and the spectators were thrown backwards.

For whatever reason, no smoke had been produced from the explosion, but there were large streaks of energy crash-landing and blowing up into glittering light.

Gray slowly opened her eyes, rubbing her back in pain as she was greeted to the site of what was left of the battlefield. In its place was a crater, maybe ten feet deep, and in that were Virtus and Greninja. Upon further investigation, Gray, as well as her friends and the Pokemon making up their teams, found themselves to be in utter disbelief.

Blood from both Pokemon was splattered along the crater's walls, and the creatures were covered in lacerations. The most shocking detail of all? Well, it was Greninja: he was still standing, although the Water-type's Synchro Evolution was no longer active.

"Virtus!" Gray called in a panicked frenzy, hopping into the pit her Pokemon created along with Hugh's. "Please, please tell me you're okay," she begged, cradling the Mienshao in one arm while spraying her with a Full Restore.

The mustelid responded with a grunt that only Potens was able to detect, which spoke volumes to how taxing her bout with Greninja was.

"Come on, Gray," Hugh began, snapping the brunette out of her thoughts. "We need to get everyone healed up, especially these two."

The young woman briefly watched her zap his Starter into a Poke Ball and claw his way out of the pit before she did smiled at Virtus and withdrew her. Then, after receiving aide from her friends, Gray crawled out of and away from the enormous crater.

As soon as the Kantonian stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes, she headed towards the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center, which was where her Unova team had been waiting.

"You there!" an imposing voice rang once Gray reached her team, leading to her turning around. "Just what the hell happened here?" the owner of the terrifying voice - a white-haired man with a beard covering his mouth - interrogated. The Garchomp by the bearded-male's side snapped its jaws in an attempt to rattle Gray's nerves, as well as her team's. It worked exceptionally well, though there was one Pokemon who refused to back down, and that was Potens.

She fully extended both of her wings and took a protective stance by putting herself in front of the others and Gray, engineering an intense stare-down with the stranger's Garchomp until Potens closed her eyes in hopes of communicating with the Type-Beast inside her.

 _"Zennyo, we've got a bit of a situation!"_ she shouted mentally.

 _"I'm on it."_

All eyes fell on Potens, and she grinned once a small ring of purple aura began to spin around her on the ground. As it sped up, the aura crept up her body and eventually coated the big-eared bat.

Gray watched the stranger and his Garchomp gape at the odd aura around Potens which, unlike when she was preparing to battle Greninja, had started to take its own shape. A Chinese dragon developed from the purple energy and it stood behind Potens like an angel.

"That can't be!" Garchomp shouted in disbelief, pointing at Zennyo's aura-puppet while turning to Drayden, who simply folded his arms over his chest and laughed heartily.

"Ah, but it is!" he replied. "Zennyo Ryou!"

* * *

 **Holy shit. Three damn days of non-stop work and it's finally over. Jesus. This took way too long, so I'm not saying anything in this A/N. Till next time, peace out.**

 **1\. Should Virtus be Greninja's rival instead of Potens? If so, should Potens have one too?  
2\. How do Drayden and Garchomp know about Zennyo!?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Type Beasts' Beginnings**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Gray and Drayden come face to face right after the former's battle with Hugh, and things take an odd turn when Drayden reveals his knowledge of Type-Beasts, though mainly Zennyo. He then offers to take Gray, Potens, and Fortis to an unknown location in order to teach them about everything having to do with Type-Beasts, which they accept. What will come of this lesson?_**

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 86: Mega Battle 8: Charizard vs Greninja!  
Chapter 87: Gray and White  
** **Chapter 88: Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!  
** **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!** **  
**


	85. Type-Beasts' Beginnings

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Greninja appear)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Virtus and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time** **)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes, while the right one is her coated in yellow aura)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hallo, people. Time for another update, and one that's focused on Drayden's debut (kind of)! Last chapter, Gray and the gang crossed paths with White and Hugh, which turned into a full battle between Gray and Hugh. Ultimately, no winner was decided due to the results of Virtus' and Greninja's duel, which ended in the latter's favor. As for this chapter, Drayden will provide a bit of background info in regards to Zennyo, Type-Beasts, and Potens. Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Great! I was on my last legs (mentally) once the battle was over and I'm disappointed with how things ended, but I digress. There will be a rough patch between Virtus and Potens, which will only be amplified by what's set to go down. White and Hugh, as well as Cheren and Bianca, will be appearing more often these upcoming arcs, where you'll get to see how much stronger White's become_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Wow, no puns means no fun. Just kidding XD That song actually does fit really well, haha. Thanks for the compliments, too. It's great to know that you took the time to read all of it and enjoyed the battle :) Synchro for the win, no doubt. Potens and Zennyo needed to take a backseat for a battle, given they'll be instrumental in the fight against Flasma, but I will try to turn the spotlight on everyone. Double rivalry vs Greninja? How 'bout yes! (Or maybe)_

 **SirSwag333:** _Thanks a lot! Virtus will get to shine in battles against Gray's rivals, and Citeria will also flex his might in some upcoming battles. Gray's Gym Battle with Drayden will be the best of the region for many reasons, so embrace the hype!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _o.O_ _I actually thought I forgot to answer your review XD Anyhow... thanks! Virtus and Greninja will be having a rematch in the near future (I think) where they'll... well, I'll stop there XD I'm glad you mentioned Alain too, because he's going to have a LOT of Mega Battles. Potens and Virtus will hit a rough patch that might get bad, but they'll get over it. Potens will get a rival very, very soon, so get ready for that. Marcus could make a return, now that you mention it, and the prediction about Drayden being a sage of sorts isn't far off XD_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _She did beat Haxorus... although it wasn't much of an ass-kicking. Bellator being Potens' rival makes a lot of sense (and Greninja being Virtus'). Also, I like the idea of Drayden owning a Pokemon that used to be Zennyo's carrier. It's something I thought about doing too_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _That makes sense. Potens is on a completely different level with Zennyo in her back pocket, so Virtus would make for a better rival. I don't know what the Village of Dragons is, so it won't factor into this, but 90 will most certainly be very exciting_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Virtus, (f), level 44, Double Team, Bounce, Swift, Dual Chop, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
** **Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower** ***, Scald* - (Bibarel)** **  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Gray and her Pokemon flinched at Drayden's exclamation, the words striking them with the force of a sledgehammer. The muscular man's arms remained crossed over his chest while his Garchomp kept its eyes locked on Potens and Zennyo's aura. No one dared to move a muscle. Even when the doors to the Pokemon Center slid open and Fortis walked outside, neither his trainer or her team turned to him.

"What's going on here?" he asked protectively, looking over the unfamiliar human and creature before him. "Are these guys causing any problems?"

There was no response for a while until Potens realized her teammates weren't going to speak, prompting her to do so.

"Not yet," the wyvern began, her eyes still glued to Garchomp. "But they know about Zennyo."

Fortis narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Drayden and his strongest Pokemon. Upon extending his wings, Garchomp lunged forwards and prepared to strike Fortis. Acting just as quickly, the Flygon roared and swung his right hand forwards as three claws of neon green energy appeared.

Garchomp performed the same attack and the moves collided, causing sparks of green light to fly into the air. After an intense back and forth battle, a wave of force sent both Dragon-type Pokemon back to their trainers, leaving Drayden wide-eyed while Gray looked ready to fight.

"Guys, you go inside and make sure Virtus gets healed," the eighteen year old ordered as she handed Virtus' Poke Ball to Unicus. "Fortis and I can handle this."

"We'll help too," Potens added, pointing to herself and the faux-Zennyo.

"Now now, that won't be necessary," Drayden informed the girl, who, along with Fortis and Potens, calmed down. "I'm sorry for Garchomp attacking. He can be a bit hasty when he's around new people, especially those he deems powerful."

The Sinnoh Pokemon nodded with a sheepish grin and bowed apologetically.

"That's not surprising, considering one of the strongest Type-Beasts is allied with you."

Fortis continued to keep an eye on the powerful Ground-type, as did Potens, but they kept their ears open and listened to the conversation between their trainer and the man.

"My name is Drayden, and I'm the Gym Leader here in Opelucid City. Nice to meet you," the experienced trainer greeted, extending a hand.

"I'm Gray Plain, and these are my friends, Unicus, Celsus, Dicax, Citeria, Potens, and Fortis," Gray replied, pointing to each of the aforementioned Pokemon once saying their names. "So how do you know about Zennyo?"

Drayden laughed heartily at Gray's question but stopped abruptly and returned to giving an intimidating stare. Potens and her Type-Beast glanced at one another before looking back at Drayden, who began walking towards the Noivern. Everyone watched uncomfortably as the Gym Leader nodded and whispered to himself until he finally headed back to Garchomp's side.

Then, speaking to his Pokemon in a hush whisper, Drayden paid no attention to the continued stares from Gray or her team of seven. Once there was nothing else to say, both trainer and Pokemon turned to face the group.

"This isn't the place to speak about such information. If you'd wish to know, bring Noivern and come with Garchomp and me."

Drayden didn't wait for a response and left the property.

Gray turned and looked around at the confused creatures.

"You and Potens should go," Dicax stated, eliciting cheers of support from Celsus, Citeria, and Unicus. "We can heal ourselves and get Virtus some attention, so don't worry about us."

The Mawile didn't say another word and he, along with his three teammates, entered the red-roofed building while talking about their battle with Hugh.

"I guess that settles it," Potens muttered. "Come on."

Gray nodded and motioned for Fortis to follow, which he did. The trio had no trouble catching up to Drayden and his Garchomp, who were casually walking through the streets of Opelucid City. Despite reaching the elder duo, Gray, Potens, and Fortis remained silent. Each kept their heads down and their mouths shut before eventually arriving at an imposing building which had a pair of colossal dragon statues on either side of the main entrance.

"This is the place?" Fortis questioned, only to be shot down by Drayden and Garchomp. "Then where is it?" he queried.

The Flygon took in the urban setting and shook his head in disbelief, not knowing where he, Potens, and Gray were being led. Suddenly, the Opelucid Gym Leader walked towards the side of the building with Garchomp and they glanced around quickly before turning the corner and disappearing.

 _"I don't like this,"_ the Hoenn Pokemon thought to himself, sighing in agitation. _"Those guys are hiding something, that's for sure. No one's said anything about Type-Beasts except Drayden..."_

"Fortis?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, the aforementioned Pokemon locked his sights onto Potens and watched as she motioned for him to follow, which he did without hesitation. Upon turning around the corner, both Dragon-type Pokemon were shocked to see a much smaller building made of cobblestone. It appeared to be more like a shrine than anything, but neither Pokemon nor their trainer dared say a word about it, instead opting to enter quietly after watching Garchomp and Drayden do the same.

Once she stepped inside the shrine, Gray's eyes adjusted to the darkness and she was startled when Drayden flipped the light switch. Illuminating the room that had been drowned in shadows, Drayden extended his arms and pointed at the various portraits and other objects nailed to the walls, which caused the visitors to look at each of them.

Dozens of portraits were hung and each of them showed a different Dragon-type standing along with a coat of purple aura in the shape of Zennyo behind them. Potens' eyes widened upon seeing the photos before she focused on one intently. Then, walking towards it and bringing a hand up to the frame, she let out an audible sigh.

"What's wrong?" her trainer asked in concern, rushing over to the winged creature's side. "Should we leave?"

Potens shook her head intently, brushing Gray off while she walked over to Drayden and locked eyes with him, unaware of the smile hidden behind his thick beard. After ten seconds, she shifted her stare to Garchomp and watched as the land-shark beamed, perplexing Gray while Fortis folded his arms and attempted to crack the case. Suddenly, Potens embraced Drayden's Pokemon, catching her trainer and mentor by surprise.

"Ah, so you remember us now," the Dragon-type master said, followed by a booming laugh. "We figured you would. It's wonderful to see you again, Potens."

"Wait, what?"

The large man, wyvern, and land-shark turned at the same time and stared at Fortis, who shook his head in disbelief hefore finally speaking.

"So... Potens is from here?" he queried, which drew three nods in unison.

"How the hell did she get all the way to Nacrene City? There's no way she flew all the way there as a little Noibat!" Gray shouted, her blood boiling for reasons no one understood, herself included.

Drayden scratched his head sheepishly at the same time as Garchomp, though Potens was quick to answer for them.

"It happened about a year ago," she began, shaking her head at her own actions. "Drayden had brought me to Nacrene City to visit the museum because, apparently, there was a secret exhibit with artifacts regarding Type-Beasts. Let's just make a long story short and say I wasn't exactly interested in sticking around, so I kind of..." The big-eared bat paused as she sweat-dropped. Ultimately, she sighed and spoke once again. "I flew off on my own."

Gray's face dropped at the retelling of the story while Fortis simply kept a straight face, the latter of which was all Drayden needed to see before interjecting.

"The reason you were able to catch Potens was, because, well..."

Garchomp hung his head in response while Drayden laughed in embarrassment.

"Let me give some background information first, so that you can understand. Is that okay with you two?" he asked, receiving two emphatic nods in an instant. "Well, as you can see, these are all photographs of Zennyo's previous carriers, dating back several centuries."

The white-haired man pointed at all of the aforementioned objects, prompting everyone else to glance at them until Fortis noticed his pupil fixate on one in particular.

"So was Zennyo some sort of protector of Opelucid City?" Gray asked with intrigue.

Her attention shifted immediately to Garchomp when, out of the corner of her eye, Gray saw him hold up a finger as if he were saying to wait a moment.

"Opelucid City is one of the two oldest cities in all of Unova, and the reason for it being renowned for having such a powerful connection to Dragon-type Pokemon is because this is the area in which Zennyo used to live," Drayden explained. He then walked over to a different area of the shrine and opened a door, prompting everyone to follow him. Once arriving in the other room, the group looked around.

Shelves filled with books were littered across the area. Yet, despite being messy, it appeared to be rather organized.

"Back in that age, Type-Beasts lived in the wild just like any other Pokemon, and they maintained harmony with their unmatched power."

Drayden opened and handed a red book over to Gray, who scanned the pair of pictures on both pages. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped.

"All types today have a Type-Beast. According to legend, there were even more Type-Beasts, though it's not known what happened to them."

Gray's ears perked up at the tidbit of information and stared holes through the pictures in the book before flipping to another page, which showed two more Type-Beasts.

"Hey, Drayden, what's up with this page?"

The man looked down and saw Gray's finger resting on an image that appeared to be covered in a wall of black ink, prohibiting anyone from seeing the supposed Type-Beast that was the god of an unknown type.

The look on Drayden's face alone sent chills down Gray's spine and she watched as the man motioned for Garchomp, who shuddered at the image. Fortis narrowed his eyes in an instant and inspected the expressions on Drayden's and Garchomp's faces.

"That's not something I know about. For as long as I can remember, that image has been covered by ink," the Gym Leader fibbed, drawing suspicious glances from Potens and Fortis. "I do believe that was one of the beasts of the supposed extinct types, though."

Potens whispered something to her mentor so lowly that only he could hear it, and then they followed Gray as she was escorted out of the room by Drayden and Garchomp.

"So, going back to the carriers of Zennyo, the very first one to grace Opelucid City was my great-grandfather's Hydreigon. All of the elders used to talk about how it was the closest to mastering Zennyo's powers out of all carriers at that time. From what I remember, he always used to say that the chain was almost broken, which would've granted Hydreigon unlimited strength."

Gray's eyes widened and she watched as the Opelucid City Gym Leader moved two photographs down and stopped. The Kantonian marveled at the picture, as did Potens, who suddenly felt Zennyo awaken.

 _"What are we doing here?"_ he interrogated, causing his carrier to recoil. _"Drayden and Garchomp, eh? I haven't seen them in quite some time."_

 _"Yeah, it's been almost a year, right?"_

 _"Way longer than that,"_ the Chinese dragon retorted, catching Potens by surprise. _"It must be at least five, if not more. Anyhow, what are they talking about?"_

 _"It has something to do with all of the carriers before me."_

Zennyo nodded in approval, stroking his beard of aura while doing so. Then, keeping silent, he listened in on the conversation once Drayden began to speak.

"My father's Haxorus also served as Zennyo's carrier, and she also took on a new role, serving as the city's hero, for lack of a better word."

Gray raised an eyebrow, making the Gym Leader explain further.

"There was a time, about three decades or so ago, when the Unova region was divided into northern and southern halves. Opelucid City was the capital of the northern side, and when the southern army attacked, there was only one Pokemon standing between them and victory."

Gray, Fortis, and Potens, all of whom had sat down earlier, leaned forward anxiously.

Meanwhile, deep within the Noivern's subconscious, Zennyo rested in his chamber and scowled harshly. Pulling against the chain on his right arm, which was still as tight as ever unlike the left, he spat.

"Please," he said aloud, knowing no one would hear him. "If you say it was that thug of a Pokemon, I'm going to roll over and die right here."

Zennyo waited patiently, and then the answer came.

"It was my father's Haxorus."

The Dragon-Type-Beast clenched his fists so tight his arms shook with such ferocity it rivaled the force of a tremor. The only thing keeping him from ringing the Gym Leader's neck was the blasted chains on his wrists, as well as the fact that he was sealed inside Potens, but that was beside the point.

While Zennyo continued steaming, Drayden turned and smiled at the portrait his back was facing.

"Having gained control over Zennyo, she was able to fend of the entire army. They surrendered shortly thereafter."

Gray, Fortis, and Potens gaped at the story, though the last of the three's regular expression returned when she could sense the anger from the god within her brewing. The Noivern then looked up and set her eyes on Drayden and Garchomp, only for the anger to grow exponentially.

"Garchomp was supposed to be the next in line, but then things took a dramatic turn when she came along."

Potens tensed up awkwardly when she felt everyone stare at her. She could even feel Zennyo's eyes, which was bone-chilling, to say the least.

"How did Potens throw things out of whack? She was just a normal old Noibat, right? There wasn't anything special about her," Fortis said, drawing an enraged glare from his pupil. "You're not untalented, but back then you wouldn't have been able to show anything like you can now."

Potens nodded in agreement, as did Gray, but the Gym Leader and his ace Pokemon differed.

"Not true," the Dragon and Ground-type countered. "Even though Potens was just your run-of-the-mill Pokemon, she is a child of one of the elder's Pokemon. That allowed her to be exposed to Zennyo, and he picked her as a result."

Potens recoiled at the statement and placed a hand on her stomach while looking down, almost as if she were trying to stare at the beast inside her. Zennyo kept an indifferent expression on his face, however, and refused to admit such a thing even though he knew it was true.

"Wait, so did he pick all of his carriers?"

Drayden shook his head in a flash, piquing the interest of both Fortis and Gray.

"No, he was sealed within the strongest Pokemon in the city. His refusal to follow the procedure wasn't something I liked," the Dragon-type master began.

Zennyo, hearing the comment, snapped and began to yank at the chains clamped around his wrists, roaring like a lunatic as he thrashed about.

"The duty of Type-Beasts is to maintain balance in the world," Potens hissed, halting Zennyo's rampage while grabbing the attention of everyone in the shrine. "It's not someone else's right to decide what they do and don't want."

Rising to her feet, Potens glared daggers at Drayden. Garchomp hopped in front of his trainer and snapped his jaws intimidatingly, prompting Fortis to leap forwards and extend his wings, readying for a fight. He turned, however, when Potens placed a hand on his shoulder and gently moved him to the side.

Spinning around her feet was a ring of intense purple aura, and she began to lower her head. Drayden and his Pokemon watched as a gigantic wave of energy materialized from thin air and turned into the shape of the divine Chinese dragon Opelucid City had grown to know and love.

"I won't let you talk about Zennyo like he's a possession!" Potens declared as gale force winds whipped in the building, nearly knocking Gray onto her back and throwing Garchomp, Drayden, and Fortis against the walls. After taking everyone by surprise, she walked over to the Gym Leader and his strongest Pokemon at a sluggish pace, striking the fear of God into them both.

Gray, meanwhile, attempted to speak, but was stopped by Fortis, who put a hand out in front of her and shook his head. Once Potens reached the powerful duo, she stopped and stared at them while the energy spiraling around her began to turn a much darker shade of purple.

"I'll make you see the fault in your beliefs when Zennyo and I defeat you to help Gray get her seventh badge."

Turning her back to Drayden and Garchomp, Potens walked out of the shrine in disgust, cutting her transformation short. Her trainer and mentor stared in utter shock, not knowing what had just unfolded. Without another word, they got up, bowed to the Gym Leader and his Pokemon, and ran after Potens.

While the wyvern continued storming on ahead, the Type-Beast inside her stared wide-eyed as he thought over what his carrier had done.

 _"This girl..."_ he began, losing his words in an instant. _"She's not like all the others. I feel,"_ Zennyo thought to himself, taking a deep breath, _"I feel like we're almost... connected."_

Though unaware of Zennyo's feelings, and she had no way of knowing, Potens was about to unlock a power no other Dragon-type had against an opponent like no other.

* * *

 **Damn, Drayden may not have had a bevy of information (that he was willing to divulge), he did spill quite a bit. What with knowing Potens, his family's lineage that involved Zennyo, and that small bit of history about Unova. All of that led up to an enraged Potens (as a result of some choice words) vowing to defeat Drayden and Garchomp in a Gym Battle, though she won't get that shot for a while, and you'll find out why soon.** **Next chapter, Alain and Charizard will go back to Mega Battles when they take on Hugh and Greninja! Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Drayden's family history involving Zennyo?  
2\. Who would you like Gray to use against Drayden? (3v3)  
3\. Who do you think is going to win? Alain, or Hugh?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 8: Charizard vs Greninja!**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Having regained their desire to defeat every Mega Evolution thanks to Gray,_** ** _Alain and Charizard challenge Hugh and Greninja to a battle! Will the reinvigorated duo be able to overcome their toughest foes yet?_**

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 87: Gray and White  
** **Chapter 88: Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!  
** **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!**


	86. Mega Battle 8: Charizard vs Greninja!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
** **The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Synchro-Greninja appear)  
** **Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
** **Because suddenly there is hooope (Virtus and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Three shadows stand behind Virtus, and the one on the left is revealed to be her with gray eyes, while the right one is her coated in yellow aura)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait, guys. I got sidetracked by a Senior Project, Sword Art Online, and studying for finals, but now that I have enough time to finish this, I will! Last chapter, Drayden gave a few pieces of info about Zennyo's past, and Potens ended up getting pissed off about it. That led to her vowing she'd win the eventual battle against Drayden, and Zennyo was moved by the reaction. This chapter will focus on a battle between Hugh and Alain, which is pretty lopsided (both ways), so let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Screw sleep! Amiright? (No. No I'm not) They're kind of mean, in a sense, but it's more of them being stuck in their ways than anything, I feel. Then again, I have to reread the chapter to get a better feel. Zennyo's background (eventually) making him relatable makes sense, and I like both the team and pick!_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _I didn't watch Black and White since it was trash, relative to the rest of the series, in my opinion XD And, out of sheer bias alone, I don't like the sound of it just because Iris is from there (over exaggerating, of course). Celsus is in a really weird spot when it comes to battles, because he hasn't been starring at all, but he's been in a few even though they're forgettable, so he probably will get in XD And Alain totally sux. Sooper dooper sux, haha_

 **davidtheman23:** _No reply because it wasn't dropped as a review. I don't count PM's as reviews, even if they are in place of the latter_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Mega Battle Hype... yis. And thanks! After looking over TheGreat0ne's review, I agree with him that all of the info was just thrown at you guys, but I'm glad you liked it, and I'll work on improving that aspect of the story in the future_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _I would make a dragon pun, but it's inappropriate XD Hype building huzzah! Gray vs Drayden will be awesome, that's for sure! :D_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _Totally agree with you about it being thrown at y'all, and I'll definitely work on changing that approach in the future. Virtus, Citeria, and Potens would be a great team to battle Drayden with, and you're right that it'll be a good (or close, in my words) match between Hugh and Alain. Let's just say shit's about to get real, with both sides going their absolute hardest_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
** **Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Virtus, (f), level 44, Double Team, Bounce, Swift, Dual Chop, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere* - (Mienshao)  
** **Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Hugh, you need to slow down!" White barked as the aforementioned trainer hurried out of the Pokemon Center with all of his Pokemon in tow. Despite their grueling battle with Gray and her team, Hugh nor his Pokemon were willing to sit around and heal, instead desiring to train.

The injuries of his team ranged anywhere from something as simple as a bruise to the more severe side of things with cracked bones. Greninja was the only one to suffer anything serious, and that was a product of having to combat Virtus and Synchro Evolution. Even so, the blue frog didn't show any signs of slowing down and looked to be as healthy as ever, though that clearly wasn't the case, and even he knew it.

"Relax. We're just going to do some walkthroughs and then we'll come back inside. Sound good?" he replied with a cheeky grin, knowing full well White wouldn't say no. She sighed and conceded defeat, motioning for him to scurry off, which he did without wasting another moment. Following him outside were Greninja, Haxorus, Liepard, Chandelure, Excadrill, and Conkeldurr, each of whom were covered in bandages.

Upon exiting the facility, Hugh stretched his arms over his head and inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air of Opelucid City. As soon as he stepped foot outside, the spiky-haired teen was greeted to a wave of fire flying by his face. In a flash, he was hiding under a table covering his head while the six injured Pokemon sighed and strolled over to their trainer with saddened expressions.

"What's got all of you guys down?"

Greninja, though hating to speak, decided to represent his teammates, who were too disappointed to so much as utter a single word. Their spiral into depression continued as the five walked away with their heads hung, leaving the longest-tenured member by his lonesome.

"They're upset about losing to Gray," he stated. "And!" Greninja snapped, keeping Hugh from speaking. "I know you're going to say that the battle wasn't technically declared over, but we all know there wasn't a chance I could've stood up to Potens. Not in the condition I was in."

With it being his turn to frown, Hugh stared at his Starter intently before another intense wave of fire zipped passed his head. Despite the fact that it hadn't been nearly as close to him as the first body of flames, Hugh turned around and stormed over towards the source of the powerful attacks. Unsurprisingly, said source was Alain's Charizard, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly while his trainer groaned.

"Would you mind trying to not cook me for lunch? I'm in no mood to deal with this right now," Hugh spat, causing the Kalosian to scowl and make his way towards Hugh.

"Uh, Alain?" N called, cupping his hands around his mouth while Zoroark rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Aren't we going to finish working on Charizard's Special Attack? That was the whole point of us training, right?"

The black-haired trainer paid no attention to his elder companion and continued glaring at Hugh until he glanced up and saw Greninja standing off to the side of the battlefield with his arms folded. Charizard had been staring at the Water and Dark-type for a good minute longer than his trainer, though the young man knew anyway.

"You know what, N?" Alain asked the green-haired man, his angered expression washing away in an instant. N shook his head at the same time as Zoroark while Noah, Arcanine, Gourgeist, Frogadier, and Espurr sat off on the side and watched with intrigue. "I appreciate you helping, but I think it's about time we put all of our training to the test. Don't you think so too, Charizard?"

The winged lizard roared in response, not wanting to use his translator, which drew a confident smirk from Alain.

"If we're going to defeat every Mega Evolution in the world, we're going to have to get back on track right away, and I think I know the perfect opponent."

"As do I," Charizard commented with a nod.

While the powerful tandem somehow had a mental conversation, Hugh began to crack his knuckles. Even with his blatant angst to battle rearing its head then more than ever, the Unovan's spirits were crushed when he heard Alain speak.

"I'll text Gray."

Hugh's jaw hit the floor while N, White, Noah, and their Pokemon did their best to refrain from laughing. Not a sound was made the entire time Alain texted Gray, but once he finished, the nineteen year old glanced up and noticed his friend's rival's demoralized expression.

Almost immediately, the elder trainer recalled Hugh's battle with Gray earlier in the day.

"Hmm. They'd make for an interesting challenge too, especially with that Synchro Evolution."

"Hey," Alain called, drawing the spiky-haired boy's gaze. "How about we battle? You and Greninja versus me and Charizard."

Though initially shocked by the sudden change in plans, Charizard punched his right fist into his left palm with an excited smile, which elevated Hugh's mood, before announcing, "It's been a while since we've had a Mega Battle. The last official one was back in Mauville when we battled Red."

Alain nodded and sighed, shocked at how nearly three months had flown by in what felt like less than two weeks. Nonetheless, he snapped out of his thoughts and waited for a response, which he received when Hugh smiled and nodded emphatically before running over to Greninja, as well as the rest of his team.

While he conversed with them, White and her four Pokemon strolled outside and over to N and Noah, who greeted them politely.

"How's everything going, White?" the elder of the two males asked with a smile as he petted Zoroark. "Is the team in tip-top shape?"

Servine, Seismitoad, and Gigalith responded emphatically while Larvesta hissed at the pale man, though that didn't deter him in his quest of kindness. Much to the Bug and Fire-type's surprise, N spoke to her in her native tongue, baffling even Noah and Arcanine, as well as White.

"Since when could you talk to Pokemon in their own language?" Arcanine queried, drawing a shrug from the mysterious man. "Whatever. Noah, you should probably be the referee for this."

"Oh yeah, good thinking, buddy," the Kantonian replied as he placed a hand on his Pokemon's head before entering the referee box. White, meanwhile, shot the canine a puzzled look, prompting him to speak. However, Espurr was the one to do so.

"They're battling," she whispered, pointing to her side without turning to the battlefield. "Charizard and Greninja are going to use Mega and Synchro Evolution, respectively."

White's head nearly exploded from anger and she was about to scold her friend for pushing his Pokemon too hard until Servine held her in place with one of her vines while shaking her head.

"It's Greninja's choice, White. You need to understand that."

The concerned girl bit her lip to keep from cussing in response, though everyone knew exactly what she was thinking. Still, Servine shrugged nonchalantly and turned to her trainer with a smug grin.

"What's the big deal anyway? It's not like you have a vested interest in this battle, right?"

Freezing up in an instant, White rubbed the back of her head and laughed loudly in an attempt to play off the words, but that only added to the awkwardness.

"We're ready, Alain!" Hugh proclaimed, snatching everyone's attention.

Cracking a smirk, the nineteen year old shot back, "Good, because we're going to pull out all the stops!"

Hearing that, the younger tandem clenched their fists at the same time.

"If that's the case, then neither will we! Let's go, Greninja!"

"Right!" the aforementioned Pokemon barked in response before he was encapsulated in a geyser of water, taking everyone back even though they had witnessed the transformation earlier.

Three dark-blue spikes grew out of Greninja's head, while two white fins appeared from the sides of his neck, which resembled the collar of Hugh's vest. Its eyes also began to glow red, taking the color of Hugh's, and the water, though quite opaque, still allowed everyone to see the ninja frog's body.

Greninja locked eyes with Charizard, making the winged lizard grin and release a cloud of ember from his nostrils. Meanwhile, Alain covered the Mega Bracelet on his left wrist with his right hand.

"Keystone, respond to my heart! Beyond Evolution... Mega Evolve!" the Kalosian roared, hoisting his arm towards the sky as if he had won a trophy.

Rays of golden light exuded from the tiny piece of metal and struck the blue stone in Charizard's neck plate, wowing Hugh while Greninja remained composed. Even though his facial expression was the complete opposite, the frog was astounded by the sheer power flowing from his opponents' bond.

The energy continued to buck in the air wildly before half of it - Charizard's, that is - began to turn blue. Both colors pushed back and forth for several seconds before a wave of blinding light flashed in everyone's eyes. Groans and cusses ensued, with Noah rubbing his eyes while N, having used the bill of his cap as protection, lifted it slightly with an eager smile.

Standing before Alain was a black Charizard with a blue stomach. Two separate streaks of fire poured out of his mouth, both of which were blue, and the winged lizard let out a booming roar. In a rush of excitement and angst, Hugh whipped out his Pokedex and scanned the Mega Evolved beast on the other half of the battlefield.

"Charizard, level 70," the automated voice stated, "Type: Fire and Dragon."

Perplexed looks appeared on the faces of Hugh, White, and all of the latter's Pokemon. Espurr, Frogadier, and Gourgeist were equally baffled, prompting an explanation from both Noah and N, who spoke at the exact same time.

"Mega Evolution has the ability to change the type of certain Pokemon, Charizard being a prime example."

"This specific evolution is unlike the Y variant, in that Charizard loses his Flying-type for Dragon-type. The Y Evolution, on the other hand, keeps his normal Fire-and-Flying-type."

Both young men looked at one another and laughed at the oddity of their synonymous answers. Their main Pokemon, Arcanine and Zoroark, smiled and nodded, reaffirming the points their trainers had made. Everything went silent from that point on for a moment, and the tension in the air began to press down on everyone, seemingly aided by it's good old friend: gravity.

"So if Charizard's typing changed like Noah and N said, then that means Water Shuriken isn't super effective!" Hugh thought, cursing shortly thereafter. "Shit! What am I going to do?"

Silence. Soon, Hugh found himself in the middle of darkness. Nothing else was in sight, save for a circle of white light beneath his feet, which he found odd, considering it should've been a shadow. Then again, the entire room was nothing but that: shadows.

 _"Hugh."_

He recoiled at his name being called.

 _"It's not about what you're going to do."_

Hugh recoiled again, though the familiarity of the soothing, yet robotic voice, made his ears perk up. At a speed just a notch above that of a Slugma, Greninja materialized in front of the blue-haired teen with his arms folded over his chest. They locked eyes for a brief moment before the Water-type spoke up, even though he didn't move his mouth.

 _"It's about what we're going to do: believe in each other."_ Greninja continued to stare at Hugh, remaining as still as a statue while doing so, which sent chills down the latter's spine.

 _"Greninja, what the hell's going on? What is this?"_

He broke his stillness with a nonchalant shrug and made his trainer laugh light-heartedly. Unintentionally tearing down his ever cool attitude, though agitating at first, sat well with Greninja as he continued to watch Hugh smile and laugh. The Unovan stopped, however, just as quickly as he started.

 _"So do you know what's going on?"_

The response came without a trace of hesitation as he said, _"No."_

Greninja's translator sent the message loud and clear, leaving Hugh confused and ticked. However, he noticed rather quickly that his arms were folded and resting on his chest just like Greninja. The sixteen year old threw his limbs to his sides and pouted upon hearing his Starter chuckling - he never chuckled.

 _"Well, whatever this is,"_ Greninja said, drawing his trainer's gaze, _"I'm sure it's something important."_

 **000**

Gray and Fortis looked on as Potens paced back and forth, unleashing a verbal assault compiled of atom bombs directed towards Drayden and Garchomp. Her teammates' eyes tracked every movement, darting left to right, and vice versa. Someone - or something - had enraged Potens, and to say doing so was a bad idea was an understatement who had no equal, no matter how hyperbolic.

"Well gosh, Miss Potens, a young lady such as yourself shouldn't be spittin' obscenities like that, nor should any gentleman. Ain't that right, Mister Fortis?" Citeria quizzed.

The aforementioned Flygon shook his head and waved his arms in order to send a message to Gray's newest addition, but Citeria simply chuckled and sat on his rear end, saying, "I 'spose you're right; everyone is entitled to their freedom of speech."

 _Brring! Brring!_

Gray's eyes opened a bit wider than usual before she recognized the obnoxious sound was created by none other than her phone. As she reached into her pocket, her team ignored Citeria's idiocy and huddled around Gray, save for Potens. She continued to pace as if she didn't know any of the others were present.

"Oh man, I bet it's Noah," Unicus predicted as she looked her trainer in the eyes and gave an all-too-knowing smirk that made the gray-eyed girl sweat-drop. "Don't you think so?" the Sandslash asked her teammates.

"Judging by her reaction and posture, I'd say the odds are four-to-eleven. Maybe even better," Dicax opined.

Blood rushed to Gray's face and she felt an intense heat sweep over her. The group of Pokemon sitting around her backpedaled away fearfully, only to stop when they heard Potens issue an equally terrifying threat.

"Whoever bumped into me's about to get their limbs ripped off. And then," she said, silencing herself as she turned to examine the petrified expressions on her friends' faces, "I'm going to club you to death with them. Who was it!?" the wyvern screamed.

A foreign sound erased the potential of a scuffle because all six members of the Unova team turned towards its source. Each pair of eyes settled on the smiling brunette, who was only paying attention to the screen at her fingertips.

"I'm going to be back in a second, okay? I just need to talk to someone."

She didn't wait for a response, bolting out of the room at the speed of light. Not one of the Pokemon knew what was going on with their trainer, and they were suddenly caught off guard when she poked her head around the wide-open door with a goofy smile.

"Meet me at the battlefield, kay?"

 **000**

N looked to both sides and received nods of approval from both Alain and Hugh, prompting him to continue.

"Okay! This will be a Mega Battle between Charizard and Greninja! Begin!"

"Dragon Claw, let's go!" Alain commanded as quickly as he could.

His trusty Starter obeyed and, after a mighty flap of his wings, zipped across the battlefield. Even with his increased speed, Charizard was unable to rattle or reach Greninja, who was more than ready to counter. Hugh shared the same sentiment and tossed his left hand forwards.

"Go right at 'em, Greninja! Strike with Night Slash!"

The Water-type grunted as he created a pair of black blades, one forming in each hand. Not even a second later, Greninja swung at his foe. Charizard reacted as quickly as possible and managed to just barely block the Dark-type attack. The collision caused the pair of moves to disappear in an instant.

"Thunder Punch!" Alain roared while delivering a right hook to the air, refusing to give Hugh even an inch to breathe.

Before the rookie or his powerhouse could tell what was going on, Charizard hurled his fist forwards. The electricity surrounding it crackled with the whipping winds before it was smashed into the veil of water protecting Greninja. Much to Hugh's dismay, the super effective attack easily penetrated his Starter's defenses and landed, dealing significant damage to Greninja.

Despite watching the aforementioned Pokemon roll all the way back to his trainer box, Hugh cleared his throat and yelled, "Get back up and use Acrobatics!"

Greninja matched the Unovan's intensity and shot off the ground while his limbs began to glow light shades of blue. A flurry of punches and kicks ensued, each striking Charizard. Grunt after grunt followed the blows, but Alain's continued state of tranquility kept the winged lizard from performing a random counterattack. The one shocking thing about the onslaught wasn't the fact that Greninja was landing precise blows, it was Alain's seemingly apathetic attitude towards his lone Pokemon being pummeled. The odd action, or rather lack thereof, was wiped clean from everyone's minds in a flash, however, when a ferocious set of words escaped Alain's mouth.

"Charizard, grab his arms and use Flamethrower!"

Just like that, the winged lizard followed his instructions and snapped his claws on Greninja's arms. The light blue energy surging around his limbs vanished in an instant, causing the Kalos Starter to widen his eyes in shock. Charizard wasted no time opening his mouth and unleashing a wicked wave of blue flames, which engulfed his opponent and exploded, catapulting Greninja, who hit the ground face-first.

A pained cry followed the impact and Hugh looked on in concern before he asked, "Greninja, are you okay?"

The aforementioned Pokemon rose to his feet and dusted himself off before giving a reassuring nod. His unwavering confidence struck a chord with Hugh, prompting the rookie trainer to punch his right fist forwards.

"Use Water Shuriken!"

"Dodge and counter with a spinning Steel Wing attack!" Alain retorted immediately.

Greninja slapped his hands against his hips almost as if he were reaching for a pair of revolvers, and then he threw them towards Charizard. Two shurikens of the sharpest water sliced through the air and closed in on Alain's Pokemon. Even though the bodies of water were traveling at unprecedented velocities, Charizard tracked them the entire way. With one mighty flap of his wings, the black and blue lizard soared into the air so fast he disappeared.

"How did he do that?" Hugh questioned aloud, narrowing his eyes as he tried to spot his opponent's Pokemon.

Appearing from thin air, Charizard let out a fearsome roar and began to spin like a drill while his wings extended and turned silver. The frequency of his rotations caused the light from his wings to transform into a single ring around his head, baffling Hugh, while Noah, N, and White remained unfazed, having already seen the impressive attack.

"Go!" the Kanto Starter's trainer boomed.

Charizard matched Alain's energy and rammed Greninja directly into the ground, shattering the entire battlefield in an instant. All present shielded their eyes from the flying debris until the sound of rocks hitting the ground ceased. When it did, Hugh stared at the battlefield and saw Greninja laying face down, his shield of water growing weaker with each passing second. The mere site of his most trusted Pokemon being beaten down as quickly as he had left a sour taste in Hugh's mouth, though he didn't dare express such an emotion. Greninja was, after all, doing his damnedest against their strongest opponent yet, so by no means was he at fault for the situation. Still, the Unovan couldn't help but try to find something to blame and found the target to be none other than himself.

 _"I need to get my act together if we're going to beat these guys!"_

Hugh clenched his hands at the thought. Both of his arms began to shake as a direct result of how much force he was placing in his hands, though he didn't ease up. Instead, he added even more pressure.

The tense energy being emitted by the rookie trainer swept over the area and strangled all present, including Gray's seven Pokemon despite them having just stepped outside. Fortis uneasily shifted his gaze from Greninja to Charizard, and then back to Greninja. Shortly thereafter, the Flygon walked as far away from Hugh and his downed Pokemon as he could, all the while waving to Gray's team.

Not needing a second invitation, all six followed the creature they admired before eventually reaching N, Noah, and White. Despite the sudden arrival of Gray's team, no one spoke: the hands of Hugh's despair had a firm grasp on their throats and were unrelenting in their mission to choke the trainers.

 _"Greninja, forgive me,"_ Hugh thought to himself, his arms still shaking with fury. _"I know I can't give you any power, but I want to."_

The blue-haired teen shut his eyes as his face scrunched up in pain and disgust. Darkness swallowed the light of day, leaving Hugh unable to see a thing except defeat and failure. No matter how hard he'd try, those two demons would find him. The solitude of his fear began to grow at an exponential rate, and soon, Hugh would be defeated, not just his vision.

 _"Hugh..."_

Particles of blue, black, red, and cream light crashed into one another, providing substance to the shadows of despair. In little time, the balls of light took shape and, much to his shock, Hugh saw Greninja standing before him. His appearance was different, however.

There was no water spinning around his body like it had been, nor were the spikes on his head glowing. True to form, Greninja crossed his arms. Hugh noticed the black canvas was beginning to brighten, hope being its substitute.

 _"Thank you..."_

Greninja looked into his friend's eyes, but the gaze wasn't returned. Hugh, unlike his Pokemon, watched in confusion as puny specks of water were dragged towards Greninja's back. Each time one collided with another, they'd transform into a larger droplet, although it didn't seem as if the bipedal frog was aware of what was happening.

 _"For giving me..."_

The frequency of the droplets merging increased drastically, and they began to take shape. With wide eyes and his jaw agape, Hugh could only watch as an enormous shuriken of crystal-blue water clamped onto Greninja's back, which appeared to give the Pokemon an incredible spike in strength.

 _"Power."_

 **000**

"Hey, Mom!" Gray exclaimed as she looked directly at the computer screen. She was the only person in the room near Nurse Joy's desk, and her mother, accompanied by Durus and Comis, smiled at the greeting.

"Gray! It's great to hear from you again!" she replied, beaming. "Billy's been keeping me updated on all of your Gym Battles, but I'm definitely going to watch the next one."

The brunette laughed at her mother's excitement and gave a thumbs up in support of the older woman's statement.

"Well, you'll only have to wait a few more days, Mom."

"So why are you calling?" Durus asked bluntly, making Gray sweat-drop while her mother laughed and patted the feline on the head. Comis shot his fellow Starter an annoyed glance and spoke, hoping to receive the attention she did.

"Do you need me to help you with a Gym Battle?" he queried, only for Gray to shake her head in an instant. "Oh," the Gliscor muttered dejectedly, hanging his head as he did so.

Gray remained silent, eyeing the entertainment room of her apartment, which was where Placidus rested. True to his tendencies, the Avalugg was out cold on the floor, eliciting a stifled giggle from his trainer. She eventually recomposed and cleared her throat, causing the stares from her mother and Kanto and Johto Starters to intensify.

"I'm thinking I want to bring back a certain someone for this battle. It's easiy going to be the toughest one yet, and he also needs to get a shot at redemption."

Her mother raised an eyebrow while the Pokemon on either side of her grinned and turned away, knowing exactly who their trainer was referring to.

"Oh, he's been training like a dog. Even though he may not have said anything, we all know how he's been itching to get called back," Comis stated.

Durus nodded emphatically, and at that moment Gray's mother figured out the identity of the Pokemon.

"Give me a second to get him, okay?"

The dauther nodded and waited patiently until her mother returned with a Poke Ball in-hand. Just as her arm extended towards the transporter, she stopped on a dime and looked at the monitor.

"Wait, how are you going to be able to carry seven-"

"Eight," Gray interjected.

"Sorry. How are you going to carry _eight_ Pokemon with you? Isn't that against League rules?"

Durus shook her head swiftly, drawing her trainer's mother's attention.

"Trainers can carry as many Pokemon as they want, but they have to declare which six will be able to battle. To do that, you have to go to the League website."

Comis nodded in support of his friend's response, prompting Gray's mother to shrug indifferently and place the unnamed Pokemon's capsule in the transporter. Then, pressing the button, she watched as it was struck by a beam. As soon as it disappeared, the red and white device materialized by Gray's hand, which drew a smile from the Kantonian.

"Thanks a bunch, Mom! Durus, Comis, I want you two to start working your butts off, because I plan on bringing you along for the Unova League, got it?"

The Persian and Gliscor nodded in unison, waving before they left the room to go train. Gray and her mother laughed at the immediate response and went silent for about three seconds before the former of the two held up the Poke Ball and flashed a toothy smile.

"I'll make sure to call you before I challenge the Gym."

Her elder nodded, waved, and ended the chat in one sweeping motion, leaving Gray by her lonesome. She leaned back in her chair and let out a cheerful sigh while staring up at the ceiling, though her attention shifted back to the spherical device resting on the desk before her.

Without so much as a sound, the brunette stood and placed the Poke Ball on her belt, eager to arrive at the battlefield.

After each step Gray took down the hallway that led to her destination, her heart started beating faster and faster. Whether it was due to anxiety, excitement, or a combination of the two, Gray didn't care. All she knew was that she was going to see how much stronger her friend had become.

Once she exited the building and stepped foot outside, the Kantonian gasped when she saw Hugh open his eyes. At the same time, Greninja got off the ground and locked eyes with Charizard, who tilted his head in response. Alain, equally as intrigued as his Pokemon, frowned when he saw a look of solace sweep over Hugh's face.

"Come on, Hugh," the Kalosian spoke, hoping to unnerve his opponent. "Is that all you've got?"

Hugh ignored the question, irking Alain. Gray, on the other hand, was intrigued and continued to look on quietly.

"Our bond knows no limits!" he proclaimed out of nowhere, throwing everyone off. "Now, Greninja, it's time to show them just how strong we are!"

Much to the surprise of the spectators, their Pokemon, Alain, and Charizard, Greninja slammed both of his hands together and let out a fierce battlecry. As soon as he did so, the water spinning around his body was transferred to his back, where it began to turn a much brighter shade of blue. The light of the water intensified to a near-blinding level, and the shape of the liquid became more defined.

Virtus found her eyes widening as soon as she recognized the shape of the water to be that of a shuriken. Appalled by what she had just witnessed, the Mienshao looked down at the ground and began to snarl.

 _"First Potens, and now Greninja!? Why is it that when I think I catch up to them, they go and do something like this!?"_

No one noticed the Fighting-type punch her fist into her open hand despite the power of the contact, further enraging her.

Meanwhile, after noticing Greninja's wounds had vanished, Alain narrowed his eyes and shot a look towards his Mega Bracelet before saying, "Come at us!"

The younger tandem didn't hesitate upon hearing the request.

"Get in close and use Acrobatics!" Hugh barked.

Greninja bent his knees and rocketed forward at an unmatched speed. Gale-force winds whipped due to the velocity at which the ninja was traveling, and they nearly knocked everyone outside onto their backs. Striking Charizard just as quickly as he had lunged, Greninja channeled all of his energy into his right fist while loading it back.

"Dragon Claw!" Alain commanded, only for his partner to be punched in the nose.

Charizard was shot straight into the wall his back had been facing, and it almost gave out due to the force of the Dark-type's attack. Though he slid his way down to the ground, Charizard got back onto his feet and smirked at Greninja eagerly, prompting Alain and Hugh to each issue an attack.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Match it with Water Shuriken, Greninja!"

While the former unleashed a wave of blue flames from his mouth, Greninja reached back for the huge weapon clamped to his back. Fortis noticed the shuriken was surprisingly heavy because of how the Kalos Starter nearly dropped it, but he made nothing of it. Once Greninja was comfortable with the weight of the water, he threw it like a discuss, increasing its rotation speed.

"Wait, Greninja can throw that?" White hollered in shock, bringing her hands to her face while her Pokemon either shrugged or nodded. "Whatever. I doubt it's strong enough to withstand Charizard's attack."

White's hunch was wrong.

Greninja's Water Shuriken attack cut through Flamethrower like it was hot butter and then exploded as soon as it struck Charizard. The Mega Evolved Pokemon was thrown to the ground and skidded on his back, halting right by Alain's side as another shuriken of the same size appeared on the Water-type's back. Despite the intense pain he felt from Greninja's attack, Charizard rose.

He and Alain then looked at one another, both knowing they needed to match Greninja's transformation. Gray used her friends' nonverbal conversation to run along the edge of the area and reach her Pokemon with a gigantic smile, drawing looks from all of them.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Celsus asked, lowering his head to make it easier for Gray to hear.

"Was it Noah?" Unicus teased, only to be smacked upside the head by Potens. "Hey, you know you were thinking it too," she snapped.

"I actually wasn't, because I'm not an idiot. Noah's been here the entire time, you fool."

Before their bickering could escalate to actual fighting, the Sandslash and Noivern watched as Gray stepped in-between them. She then unclipped a foreign Poke Ball from her belt, befuddling her team while Fortis raised an eyebrow from afar.

Even with that going on, Alain and Charizard remained focused on the battle, as did Hugh and Greninja.

"Is that all you've got, Alain?" the younger trainer said mockingly, drawing nothing more than a smirk from the Kalosian. "Hm? What's so funny?"

Hugh anxiously began to crack his fingers while Alain placed his hand over his Mega Bracelet, resulting in Hugh laughing.

"Oh come on, you can't seriously expect me to believe Charizard has another-"

"Beyond Mega Evolution!" Alain screamed, causing Hugh to deadpan. "Mega Fuse!"

Charizard roared and echoed the seemingly desperate tone of his trainer's voice, instilling that very same sense of desperation in those watching. Though Hugh and Greninja didn't show it, they were unnerved by the sudden change in Alain and Charizard.

The winged lizard then placed one hand over his necklace and closed his eyes at the same time as Alain. Everyone waited, yet nothing happened. Having had enough of the elder trainer's charade, Hugh opened his mouth to speak. At that very moment, Charizard was engulfed in a twister of red and blue fire whose heat was so intense it felt as if the sun was only a few feet away.

An epic roar filled the air and ousted the flames, allowing both the Unovan and his Starter to see the transformation Charizard had undergone. Standing in place of the Fire-type was a completely different Pokemon, one unfamiliar to Hugh and Greninja, whose jaws hit the ground. Alain noticed the duo's reactions and grinned confidently before examining Charizard's new appearance.

The top of his head, both arms, and the insides of his wings - the last of the three was the exact same shape as his X Mega Evolution - remained black while the rest of his body turned a light shade of orange, which, along with the three spikes of crimson fire being emitted from his cranium, came from his Y Mega Evolution. To top it off, red flames streamed out of the sides of his mouth.

"Is that some type of Mega Evolution Z?" Hugh interrogated, his voice cracking because he was so rattled.

"No," Alain retorted. "It's a combination of the X and Y Mega Evolutions that grants Charizard unmatched power."

Greninja scoffed at the statement. Charizard narrowed his eyes and snapped his jaws repeatedly, striking supreme fear into the frog.

"Thunder Punch, let's go!" Alain ordered.

Charizard opened his wings and sped across the battlefield at mach speed, making Greninja's earlier movements look like those of a slug. Before Hugh could even blink, Greninja smashed into the wall behind him. The rookie spun on his heels and gasped when he saw Greninja slouched down with his eyes shut. At that very moment, he reverted back to his usual appearance, signaling he was unconscious.

"Greninja is unable to continue! That means Alain and Charizard are the winners!" N declared while rushing onto the battlefield.

Gray, White, and Noah clapped along with their Pokemon while Charizard, like Greninja, returned to his normal appearance. Hugh ran over to Greninja's side in concern and eyed the Dark-type in concern, only to let out a sigh of relief when the frog's eyes opened.

"That was incredible, Greninja. When you underwent that transformation, you were unstoppable!"

The Kalos Starter wasn't nearly as enthused as his trainer, replying with, "Until Charizard used Mega Fusion." He then sighed and leaned back against the wall, thinking over his battle with Virtus, and then what had just happened against Charizard. Though he hid it well, Greninja began to fume.

 _"If I want to help Hugh win the Unova League, I have to get stronger. I barely beat Virtus, and Charizard knocked me out in one hit when he got serious. I won't let that happen again."_

Hugh left Greninja to his thoughts and turned to see Alain standing a few feet away with his hand extended. A smile rested on both his and Charizard's faces, making the defeat a little less bitter.

"Great battle, Hugh," the nineteen year old complimented. "I'm sure you would've won if we hadn't used Mega Fusion," Alain fibbed.

"Thanks, Alain. We still have a long way to go if we want to have a chance at beating you."

Charizard chuckled at the comment and watched Hugh shake his trainer's hand. Seeing that, he turned to Greninja and gave a nod of approval, eliciting a nod from the frog.

"I should get you healed up," the rookie said, grabbing his Pokemon's attention. "Return for a little bit and make sure to rest up."

The Kalos Starter grunted in response, fighting every fiber of his being that told him to punch the ground in a fit of rage. He was then zapped into his Poke Ball, and Hugh strolled into the Pokemon Center. Once he disappeared behind the automatic doors, Gray unintentionally put herself in the spotlight by tossing a Poke Ball into the air and catching it.

"Would you tell us who it is!?" Unicus screamed while stomping, which drew a frightening glare from Gray.

"Please, Gray?" Virtus requested.

The aforementioned trainer turned to her Mienshao and smiled obnoxiously to make a point to Unicus, though it fell flat on its face as the Sandslash was no longer paying attention. Her three companions were, however, and they inched closer to her to get a better look at the capsule.

"When'd you do that?" N inquired.

"Right after Alain texted me saying how he wanted to meet him."

N and Noah turned to Alain, as did the rest of Gray's Pokemon, causing him to look away, refusing to admit such a thing. Gray giggled at the reaction, but Fortis did the complete opposite.

"So you don't want to battle me?" he interrogated. "I trained under a damn _Champion_ for over a year!"

Charizard quickly came to his trainer's defense by stepping in front of Fortis and locking eyes with him. Noah and N sat back quietly while Gray readied for a scuffle to ensue.

"We haven't battled you on purpose," the Fire-type announced before an eager smirk crept across his face. "Alain and I plan on beating every Mega Evolution, and you're the one I want to fight the most."

Fortis flinched at the admission and felt Potens staring at him intently for reasons unbeknownst to all except her. The Flygon couldn't help himself and returned the smirk while extending his wings as far as he could.

A clash between them was inevitable.

"So who'd you bring back?" Arcanine and Noah asked in unison, breaking the staring contest.

Gray simply lofted the Poke Ball and it snapped open upon reaching its apex. White light flooded out and struck the ground, causing a pair of legs to materialize before everyone. That was all they saw, however, as the light became to bright, forcing the group to cover their eyes.

What was only five seconds felt like hours to Gray's team, and they were elated when they were finally able to look at the inhabitant of the foreign capsule.

The creature standing before them had its head held high and was wearing a collar that contained an odd-colored stone. Ram-like horns protruded from its head, and it was also wagging its pitchfork-shaped tail. Black and red were the most prominent colors on its body, both of which captured the Pokemon's personality: dark and fiery.

"Welcome back, Ferus!" Gray exclaimed while throwing both of her hands upwards. Before he could respond, Ferus was embraced by Gray, who nearly squeezed the life out of him.

"Gray," he whispered weakly, struggling to breathe. "Please... stop."

She broke away in an instant and sweat-dropped. Despite the fact that Gray had nearly choked him out, Ferus still smiled at the brunette and wagged his tail.

"Ferus!"

Spinning to face those that had called him, Ferus gasped when he saw Unicus, Celsus, and Potens. All three beamed like idiots and ran towards their original mentor, embracing him just as violently as Gray had, if not more so. After another cry for breath, the Houndoom was released from the trio of arms and he gasped for air. Masking his anger, Ferus exhaled deeply and looked over the familiar Pokemon for a second time.

"Oh wow, you evolved, Potens," he said calmly. "You two, on the other hand," Ferus started, shifting his gaze to Unicus and Celsus, "haven't changed at all."

Neither of the two took the playful comment well, causing Ferus to sweat-drop. Despite intense glares from the Sandslash and Girafarig, he quickly got over their awkward reactions and eyed the three other Pokemon on Gray's team. Dicax and Virtus shifted uncomfortably as they could feel the flames of Ferus' stare burning them while Citeria was the polar opposite. Unintimidated by the Johto Pokemon's fearsome demeanor, the Bibarel waltzed over to Ferus and gave a goofy smile as he extended a hand.

"Nice to meet ya, Mister Ferus. Mah name's Citeria."

Ferus refrained from rolling his eyes at the ridiculous accent, primarily because he saw Gray watching, and he took the beaver's hand.

"Likewise." Citeria bowed and walked away cheerily, easing both Virtus and Dicax's nerves. They then attempted to introduce themselves, but Ferus had different ideas. "Fortis? Hey! What are you doing here?" he asked, walking by the Mawile and Mienshao, who hung their heads dejectedly.

"Eh, I figured I'd take some time off from training and help Gray out, especially after I heard you just got up and left," the Flygon replied, tongue in cheek. Having laughed off the response and turned back around to face Alain and Charizard, Ferus' expression turned to one of stone.

Gray's other Pokemon, N, Zoroark, and Noah and his Pokemon kept from making even the slightest sound out of fear, but they were relieved after watching Ferus and Charizard exchange nods.

"I didn't think you'd actually bring him back just for a rematch, Gray," Alain told the younger trainer, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's not the only reason she brought him back, you know."

Noah, Gray, N, and Alain looked around in confusion before seeing White about five yards away. Servine, Gigalith, Seismitoad, and even Larvesta gave grunts in support of their trainer's assertion.

"What do you mean by that?" Noah queried.

White laughed awkwardly and fiddled with her ponytail, piquing the interest of her former male traveling companions. Gray, however, was aware of what White meant.

"Watching that battle got me thinking about how I want to be that strong, so I decided to text Gray too," the brunette announced with a slick grin, flashing her phone, which displayed the text she had sent. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need to do this if I want to get stronger."

The three males waited for the question to come while White deeply inhaled and exhaled several times. After the tenth set, she cleared her throat and pointed directly at Gray, causing the Kantonian to flinch despite her knowing what was coming next.

"Gray, I challenge you to a battle - your four strongest versus my four!"

* * *

 **Wait... what? Yeah, that was all over the place, and I apologize for that. I wrote about 1,000 words at a time since the last update, so there wasn't much of a flow, if at all. That will change with the next update, however, when Gray and White have a battle! That's right, dear reader, Gray's going to use Fortis, Ferus, and two others against White. Let that sink in for a bit XD Hopefully I'll have the battle done within the next day or so, but who knows with this stuff? Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Would you like to see a rematch between Hugh and Alain when Synchro's finally mastered?**  
 **2\. Thoughts on Ferus' return? (I'm hoping to have him and Fortis help the Unova team train)  
** **3\. When, if ever, should Fortis and Ferus be used in battle?**  
 **4\. Out of anyone (games, anime, etc.), who should Alain have a Mega Battle with? (Can be multiple picks)  
5\. Which two Pokemon should Gray use against White next chapter? (Other than Fortis and Ferus)**

* * *

 ** _Next Chapter: "Gray and White"_**

 ** _Continuing the trend of battles, White decides to challenge Gray to a four-versus-four match involving the latter's four strongest Pokemon! Can White show her growth and overcome Gray's fearsome quartet of powerhouses?_**

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 88: Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!  
** **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!**


	87. Gray and White

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Greninja appear)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Fortis and Ferus Mega Evolve while battling two Pokemon)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Virtus and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time** **)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus' two Synchro transformations stand on either side of a third, unidentifiable transformation)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Guten tag, readers. Another update, another battle, yadda yadda yadaa... you know the deal. This chapter will be a battle between Gray and White, with the former using Fortis, Ferus, and two others against White's team, but it won't go that far, since something big's going to intervene. What will keep them from finishing their bout? Beats me (no it doesn't), guys. Now let's get going!**

 **TheGreat0ne:** _I'd hope it'd be good, especially after last chapter's disaster :/ Fortis' return has also been... mishandled, if I'm going to be honest. The main reason was for him to battle Charizard, but that hasn't happened (it will, just bear with me, plz), though with Ferus now in the fold, it should be mutually beneficial. Especially with this idea I have :P A battle between those two would be epic, although it'd be hard since Gray's their trainer. I'll still give it a shot though. As for them being in a double battle, I can assure you it'll happen pretty damn soon (next arc). Blue's a great choice, and I like the idea behind using Unicus. Thanks for the ideas (Blue and double battle)!_

 **Delta Edge:** _Thanks_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Wait, really? :D That makes me feel better, though I know I could've made that battle so much more than it was. Just fuel to the fire, I suppose. Also, thanks! I really wanted to make Greninja's transformation the focal point (even though it screwed the battle), and it's great to know you liked it :) Fusion will be used I think 5 more times, though I'm probably wrong. Ferus-return hype!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _That just ruined my morning, sir. Oh well XD Ferus and Fortis may take part in one Gym Battle, but if they do it'd end up being a full battle, so Gray's others will get a chance to shine. However, their main purpose for sticking around will be for the upcoming Flasma battles, which I hope y'all will love. Also, I can't say this enough, but thanks for the honesty. I really needed to hear that; it put things into perspective. Plus, it helped me find out what really went wrong with the battle! Thanks for the support, and White-is-gonna-die hype! XD_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Oh, well thanks for the support :) Ferus returning was implied pretty heavily by the theme song, as well as on my profile where I actually said he was, but people don't look at either of those, so nice work! XD As for Gray's brother, I don't see a future appearance for him, but if he does, I'll see what I can do about that_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Virtus, (f), level 44, ****Double Team, Bounce, Swift, Dual Chop, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere*** **\- (Mienshao)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

 **Reserves**

 **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower** ***, Scald* - (Bibarel)** **  
**

* * *

The five trainers stood still, White with her finger pointed directly at Gray's face. Even with prior knowledge of her friend's plan to battle, Gray was shaken by White's sudden display of confidence. In all their time traveling together - they were companions for approximately six months - the younger girl hadn't acted in such a manner.

Noah, who had joined the earliest of the three males, was just as shocked as Gray. Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Arcanine shared the same reaction: their jaws dropped like anchors and struck the ground with enough force to create a fissure. The rookie- no, the young woman standing before them was nothing like who she once was. There was a sense of pride her actions exuded, and the look in her eyes verified the sincerity in her beliefs. She ached to rival her mentor's skill-level; her success; her poise.

"She wants to be like Gray even though they're one in the same," Ferus thought to himself as he stifled a smile. "Had the roles been reversed, there's not a doubt in my mind Gray would've done the same thing."

Alain ended the silence abruptly, clapping once in order to draw the group's baffled stares. He turned to look at each of the four trainers he had traveled with and then towards the Pokemon he had watched grow up before his very eyes. Much to everyone's surprise, the Kalosian gave a warm smile and placed his hands in his pockets, all the while lowering his head to look at the ground.

"Who would've thought," he started, only for a light laugh to cut him short. N raised an eyebrow skeptically, not knowing where Alain was going to go with his comment. "Who would've though," he repeated while looking up and at Gray and White, "you two would battle? I sure as hell didn't."

White pouted like a child as she watched the elder quartet share a laugh, which eased her anger dramatically. Even Servine, Seismitoad, and Gigalith found the question entertaining since none of them could say, with honesty, that they believed their trainer would challenge Gray.

"You're is making me feel really old," N admitted, adjusting his baseball cap while glancing at Zoroark.

"That's because you are," the Illusion Pokemon retorted, elbowing the green-haired man in the ribs with a teasing grin. The friends laughed together for a good five seconds before all four members of White's team stepped forward. Not one of them looked to be the slightest bit intimidated as they scanned Gray's eight, impressing Charizard and Alain, who glanced at one another and shared the same thought:

"We taught them well."

White giggled at the eagerness of her Pokemon before looking Gray dead in the eyes.

"You don't have to battle us if you're not up for it," she said, her expression remaining stoic. "Unless you're scared."

Gray's ears perked up immediately and her eyes narrowed, resulting in White sweat-dropping. The sixteen year old looked down to examine her friend's powerful team and was just as startled when she saw equally agitated responses from all of them. At the same time, White noticed the confidence her Pokemon had was no longer present.

Each of Alain, N, and Noah shook their heads at White's idiotic statement along with Charizard, Zoroark, and Arcanine, the last of whom muttered "Be careful what you wish for, White." All of the others agreed with the canine, and they remained so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"We're not afraid of anyone," Gray declared as she cracked her knuckles and neck. "If it's the strongest four you want, it's the strongest four you'll get, White."

The aforementioned trainer blinked once and watched as Gray turned and showed White her back.

"Fortis and Ferus, get ready," the Kantonian ordered swiftly, prompting her Kanto and Johto powerhouses to make their way towards one end of the battlefield. Gray then brought a hand up to her chin and contemplated her final two choices.

Each of the six Pokemon standing before her put themselves in a line and stared at their trainer. The others, meanwhile, walked away and, while White stood in the trainer box opposite Ferus and Fortis, Noah, N, and Alain stood off to the side of the battlefield.

"I'll leave this up to you guys," Gray said all of a sudden before walking away.

As soon as her back was turned to the group, she let out a sigh of relief, which made anyone who saw it laugh.

 _"Wow, I can't believe I got out of that. There's no telling what would've happened if I picked who I thought were the strongest."_

"Okay, we all know Potens is the strongest, so we just need to decide on who should be the last choice," Dicax announced, taking initiative. "If I had to vote, it'd be between Celsus and Unicus."

The aforementioned pair shifted awkwardly as they felt an intense glare sent their way courtesy of Virtus. Citeria, on the other hand, didn't fuss over the vote.

"Well, I haven't had the pleasure of bein' with y'all for too long, so I'm just gonna step away from my vote, if that's okay."

His teammates nodded and then Potens spoke while slowly making her way towards Gray.

"Guys, who cares about being viewed as the strongest, or where you stand relative to each other? At the end of the day, this is battle just like every other one we've been in. The only difference is that it doesn't count for anything."

While Dicax, Celsus, Citeria, and Unicus nodded in agreement with the wyvern's assertion, Virtus shot an angered look and said, "If it doesn't count for anything, then why are you battling?"

Potens stopped dead in her tracks and held her friend's intense stare. The inquiry was certainly valid, that was indisputable, but the fact that it came from Virtus, of all people, struck a chord with Potens.

"You know what? You're right, Virtus," the big-eared bat stated, spitting each of the words out as if they were venomous. "It's not a big deal, so I'd be more than glad to sit out."

Unable to respond quickly enough, Potens' teammates watched as she flashed a fake smile and flew over to Alain and Charizard.

"She's right. This really doesn't matter, now that I think about it," Celsus said as he started to follow Potens. "Dicax, are you coming?"

The smartest of the Pokemon nodded emphatically and crossed the battlefield alongside the Girafarig, leaving just Citeria, Unicus, and Virtus. While the last two remained silent, not wanting to give up their spots in the battle, the Bibarel simply chuckled and dropped to all fours.

"Like I said, I haven't had the privilege of bein' with ya, so I'll take this opportunity to watch ya battle some more. Do you ladies mind?"

"Not at all," both Unicus and Virtus answered, eliciting a hearty laugh from Citeria as he sauntered away, prompting the Sandslash and Mienshao to hurry over to Gray. Ferus and Fortis quickly glanced at the younger Pokemon and nodded at the same time, instilling confidence in them both.

Shortly thereafter, Noah stepped into the referee's area and looked at both trainers, though neither Gray nor White thought about breaking their staring contest, which made the eighteen year old hang his head dejectedly. He then heard stifled laughter from his Pokemon, drawing an annoyed sigh before he spoke.

"This will be a four versus four battle between White and Gray, where neither trainer may substitute their Pokemon! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all four combatants on either side are unable to continue! Are you okay with these rules?"

"Yeah!" both girls yelled, albeit unintentionally.

"Okay, then choose your first Pokemon!"

Gray and White nodded in response before turning to the Pokemon in their respective trainer boxes.

Alain, N, Zoroark, and Charizard took note of that, with the Kalosian muttering, "Look at how they're doing the exact same thing. I can't tell if White's trying to mimic Gray, or if it's just a coincidence."

N readjusted his cap and scanned the movements of both trainers while Alain waited for him to respond. When a smile appeared on the green-haired male's face, Zoroark motioned for Alain and spoke.

"It isn't either," she declared, piquing the Kalosian's interest, as well as that of Charizard's. Gray's Pokemon also leaned forward in hopes of hearing the explanation.

"That's what you're thinking, right, N?" the Dark-type queried, looking up at the pale man.

N nodded and hid his eyes with the bill of his baseball cap. He cleared his throat a moment later and proceeded to elaborate on Zoroark's correct guess.

"It's a product of White having been around Gray for as long as she was, and the desire to be like her. When she thinks of success, the first thing that comes to White's mind is Gray."

His audience stared blankly and turned away, pondering the Unovan's words. What no one realized, aside from Zoroark, was the slight smile N was showing as he thought, _"That's why I was drawn to her in Striaton City."_

Unaware of what those on the sidelines were doing, Gray had Unicus, Virtus, Ferus, and Fortis huddle around her, each putting their hands on two others' shoulders.

"Guys, even though this is a battle, I want you to take it easy on them, got it?"

Fortis and Virtus nodded understandingly despite the latter not knowing White or her Pokemon, while Ferus and Unicus groaned.

"Come on, Gray! It's my first battle back and you expect me to half-ass it? That's a sick joke," the Houndoom muttered, only to change his mind in less than a nanosecond. "I get it though. White's not experienced enough to handle us."

Having given a slick grin while delivering his final comment, Ferus drew a pair of laughs from Fortis and Unicus. Virtus, however, wasn't in any mood to fool around, as evidenced by the stone-cold expression on her face.

"Good. Now here's the order you're going in," Gray replied, destroying the lax atmosphere. "Fortis, you're first. Ferus, you'll be second. Unicus, you have a tough act to follow at third. Virtus, I want you to close this out."

None of the four had any issue with the order, and had they been asked their opinions, each of them would've proclaimed their love for it.

At the other end of the battlefield, White and her team were in agreement just like their opponents. Upon clapping in unison, the brunette and her Pokemon repositioned themselves so that they were facing Gray. The fearful demeanors that were once attempting to control White, Servine, Seismitoad, Gigalith, and Larvesta had been buried.

Gray raised an eyebrow in shock, yet at the same time she expected her friend to be nothing but confident. Unicus, who was snapping her claws, nodded at the team she had grown to view as her friends, including Larvesta despite the two having not met.

"Fortis, I choose you!" Gray shouted, prompting the Dragon-type to flap his wings towards the ground. He was propelled into the air like a rocket and landed in the ring in the middle of the battlefield, where he patiently waited for his opponent.

White grinned and placed a hand on Gigalith's head, causing the behemoth made of rock to look at her. With her eyes still fixated on Gray, White said, "Gigalith, it's your time to shine!"

"Right," he responded quietly.

Lifting his gigantic legs, which was something everyone believed to be impossible, Gigalith entered the other half of the circle and stared Fortis in the eyes. With his confidence unwavering, the Rock-type watched as Fortis extended a hand and smiled.

"Let's make it a great battle, Gigalith."

"Yeah, I'm not going to hold anything back," the aforementioned Pokemon replied. Both combatants then backpedaled, but they maintained eye-contact the entire time. Potens watched with angst as her mentor spread his wings in preparation for an intense fight.

Charizard noticed the younger Dragon-type's actions and cracked a grin before tapping Alain on the shoulder. He pointed in Potens' general direction when his trainer turned, and then he walked to her side.

"This is the first time you're getting to see him battle, right?"

Potens jumped at the sudden question and scowled while Charizard laughed at her reaction. She exhaled deeply while placing one hand over her racing heart, saying, "Holy crap. Don't sneak up on me like that again, you ass."

The older Pokemon continued to laugh, and he waited for a response once stopping.

"But yeah, it is. I mean, I've sparred with him, but he never tried. So I'd say it's the first time seeing him actually battle."

While Charizard nodded, Arcanine overheard the conversation and decided to join in.

"Well, you're in for a treat. I haven't seen him battle in-person, but I do remember Noah and I watched highlights from Gray's run at the Indigo League. He was doing some things I didn't think were possible, and that was two years ago."

While the two Fire-types continued to speak with Potens, Noah raised his arms. Gray and White continued to look at one another despite their friend's sudden movements. Neither wanted to, and they smiled in unison.

"This battle will be between Gigalith and Fortis, with White having the first move! Begin!" the Kantonian decreed, thrusting his hands towards the fluffy clouds overhead.

"Gigalith, use Iron Defense!"

The rock-titan obeyed without the slightest bit of hesitation, breathing a sigh of relief shortly after watching a coat of white light materialize around his body. A ring of green energy followed it and spun around Gigalith, alerting those battling that his defenses had increased dramatically. Even so, White's opposition felt no pressure, as evidenced by the carefree expression on Gray's face.

"Heh, that's not going to do a thing," she said under her breath, only to whisper, "but good thinking."

Her eyes remained fixated on the four-legged behemoth on the other half of the battlefield while cracking her knuckles. If White didn't want her to hold anything back, then that's exactly what she was going to do.

"Ascend and use Dragon Pulse!" she cried, eliciting a grunt from her strongest Pokemon.

Fortis flapped his wings downwards to create a launchpad of sorts. The intense winds brewed allowed the Flygon to travel thirty feet high, stopping to rear his head back and unleash a multi-colored blast of draconic energy. His attack moved just as fast as he had, and Fortis watched it strike.

The end result was an explosion that lofted Gigalith about five feet before he landed on his face and caused a mini earthquake that almost knocked the spectating trainers over, as well as their Pokemon. The only one that remained unaffected was White. Her mind had switched from creating a sense of confidence as soon as she watched Gigalith flip through the air, and the rookie stood with a blank expression. Gray was on a whole different level, that was for sure, and the strength of Fortis validated the notion. Ferus waiting in the wings further cemented the notion which left the young trainer's composure in shambles.

 _"How!?"_ White thought to herself as Gigalith somehow managed to rise from the ground with bruises and cuts painted all over. _"Aw man, I should've never challenged Gray! Stupid stupid stupid!"_

"Wh-White," Gigalith stammered, snapping his trainer right out of her thoughts. He then turned to her and nodded solemnly, leaving the brunette frozen like a statue. "I can keep going. That wasn't too bad," he fibbed.

Servine cheered like a lunatic while Seismitoad and Larvesta glanced at one another and shook their heads with smiles. White was the only one to not react in some way, as she was right back in her mind, deep in thought.

 _"What am I thinking? If Gigalith isn't scared of Fortis, how can I be scared of losing?"_ she questioned mentally while looking up at the sun directly overhead. _"That's it: no more screwing around. From here on out, we're giving them everything they can handle!"_

"Way to go, buddy!" White roared as her neck snapped down and she locked her sights on the wounded beast before her. The spike in volume caused Gray and the spectators to flinch, but White didn't care. "First, I want you to use Stealth Rock!"

The fully-evolved Pokemon obeyed right away, as he lifted his front feet for a brief moment. Slamming them against the ground while thrusting his head towards the sky, the Unova Pokemon caused several arrows of white energy to shoot out from underground and spin around Fortis. The powerful creature remained calm despite his opponent's brilliant move, prompting White to issue another command.

"Now fire away with Flash Cannon, and give it everything you've got!"

Mustering up all the energy he could, White's tank discharged an incredible blast of metallic energy fro his mouth. The strength of the attack was nothing short of impressive, especially considering how low of a level Gigalith was relative to Fortis. Still, Gray's experience trumped her challenger's strength.

"Not so fast, White!" the eighteen year old yelled, catching her friend's gaze. "Fortis, use Dragon Claw to slice through that and then wrap this up with Draco Meteor!"

Fortis let out a booming roar while his hands were enveloped in neon green energy, which took the shape of huge claws. His set of instructions were flawlessly executed, as the Flygon cut Gigalith's Flash Cannon attack in half before staring at the sky while his stomach started to glow orange.

The fully-evolved Rock-type was far too awestruck by Fortis' unmatched prowess to stop him from launching an orb of draconic energy into the air. Everyone outside marveled at the stunning attack until it reached its apex and broke apart into smaller, yet still huge, meteorites.

White was the only one of the lot to snap out of the trance, and she attempted to aide her first combatant, shouting, "Get out of the way!"

It was too late. Before the Unovan knew it, her Gigalith was obliterated by all of the draconic meteorites, which exploded on contact. Once she could see, White gasped. The godlike power behind Fortis' one attack had managed to knock her strongest defensive Pokemon unconscious.

"Gigalith is unable to continue! White, choose your next Pokemon!"

Although she heard him, White was unable to follow Noah's instructions. Instead, the sixteen year old took her eyes off the unconscious creature and stared holes through the ground.

"Oh man, White isn't looking like she can handle this," Arcanine opined as he continued to observe the aforementioned teenager. "Then again, not many people would be able to deal with Fortis."

Charizard looked Arcanine's way and nodded swiftly, as did Zoroark.

"The worst part for White is that there won't be a single Pokemon she can relax against, especially with Ferus lurking," the winged lizard added. "What do you think?" he asked Zoroark, who began speaking.

Potens, meanwhile, paid her elders no attention. She was far too preoccupied analyzing each of White's three remaining Pokemon. Servine and Larvesta were terrified, and understandably so, though that wasn't what kept Potens' gaze. No, it was Seismitoad, whose lax demeanor was an anomaly, relative to the distraught clouds that had been raining on the others.

As she narrowed her eyes, Potens felt someone staring at her. The wyvern followed her instincts and turned to the right, where she caught a glimpse of Virtus. The Fighting-type broke her intense stare in an instant, leaving her teammate befuddled. However, there was an odd feeling in her gut that didn't sit well with her, forcing the Flying-type to walk away.

"I'm going to talk to Zennyo for a bit. Let me know what happens when I'm back, okay?" she requested while passing the rest of Noah's team.

Meanwhile, Virtus went back to watching the Noivern even though she had been caught in the act.

 _"Dammit, Potens! You better be watching when I get to battle,"_ she thought while biting her lip in anger. _"I won't let you get that far ahead, and I'll surpass you."_

 **000**

 _"When I get my chance, I will kill them both. There's nothing else I'd like to do more," a Pokemon vowed. There was a group of twelve people behind two tables, and each of them smirked wickedly._

 _"It's odd hearing such a thing from a Pokemon of your ilk," one of the people, a man with bright red hair that looked like a Pyroar's mane, said. "However, your addition will prove to be the turning point in restoring the beauty to our world."_

 _The Pokemon nodded and kneeled before the tall man, who shot a look to the person on his right. It was a man, one just as terrifying as the redhead, and he leaned back in his chair while letting out a cackle._

 _"Wonderful! You will help with the attack on Opelucid City by shadowing the front line."_

 _The Pokemon nodded, its black eyes burning holes through the tile it was kneeling on. Each of the twelve people watched as it rose and drew the sword hung on its back. Bringing the weapon up to its face, the odd creature licked the blade sadistically, sending chills down all of their spines._

Two eyes opened slowly and the owner of said eyes looked out from the tree branch they had been sitting on. Opelucid City, the target, was in the distance. It looked so peaceful with the sun shining directly overhead, and the people living there were most likely going on with their normal lives. A sudden burst of pain occurred in the creature's chest, nearly causing it to fall from its perch.

Down below, there was a man in military-like clothing. He was leaning against a tree, one that was different than the creature's, and he kept his hands in his pockets. Just as it was about to call for him, the Pokemon felt a dagger of pain impale his chest.

They knew what the cause was, and the Pokemon, whose hair was as dark as the night sky, reached for one of the two swords strapped to its back.

"Twenty minutes, and you'll be dead. Both of you."

 **000**

White lifted her head and let out a sigh as she zapped Gigalith back into his Poke Ball, forcing a smile the entire time. Just as she was about to clip the device onto her belt, it snapped open and her first combatant, though struggling to remain conscious, stared deep into her eyes.

"I'm not going back in there when we're battling Gray!" he declared, stomping to emphasize his point. "Now can I please get a Full Restore? I might pass out."

Laughter from Servine and Seismitoad ensued, causing White to look at the three blankly. Despite the fact that they had no chance at winning, her Pokemon were having a great time. Even with the nonstop training they had done, and setting their sights on knocking Gray off, their upbeat attitudes hadn't waned. How? White searched for the answer, racking her brain for it, before coming to the realization that had been staring her in the face all along.

"Haha, sorry. Just make sure you take it easy, okay, Gigalith?" the rookie asked vibrantly while giving her Pokemon the medicine, resulting in a nod from Gigalith. "Good. Larvesta, how do you feel about going next?"

Across the field, the elder trainer and her power-packed lineup smiled at the result of the first battle.

"Fortis, you were great. You haven't missed a beat!" Gray praised as she embraced her original powerhouse. "You've become so much stronger than I could've ever imagined."

He beamed in response and bowed appreciatively. The Dragon-type then stretched his arms over his head and yawned. His trainer giggled at the actions before placing her hand on his shoulder, drawing Fortis' attention.

"Take a nice break, okay?" she ordered, prompting the Flygon to walk back a few feet and sit down behind the three other combatants. Gray then turned to her left and smiled at Ferus.

"Ferus, I-"

Gray wasn't able to finish what she was saying due to the speed with which the Houndoom sprung forward, causing her, and her friends on the sidelines, to laugh. Although he normally would've lashed out at the light-hearted response to his actions, Ferus decided to sigh and let it slide, muttering, "It's only my first day back, so they won't be as giddy tomorrow."

"Okay, Larvesta, you're up!"

White's newest Pokemon scampered forwards and stood a few feet in front of her trainer. While she remained confident, Ferus lowered his head and began to snarl wildly.

"Larvesta, heads up! Ferus is really fast, so make sure you stay calm and listen to me!" the rookie trainer instructed, drawing a grunt from the Bug-type while Servine continued cheering. Seismitoad also joined in on the chants, which only heightened Noah's bewilderment.

Arcanine, having noticed his trainer's change in posture, nudged Noah's hand with his nose. The young man looked down and, after he recognized Arcanine's intense stare, spoke.

"Larvesta was from the egg she won in the Mistralton Ball, right?"

"That'd be correct," Dicax answered from afar.

"So... she's using a Pokemon that hatched less than three months ago against Gray's second strongest Pokemon, which just so happens to be capable of using Mega Evolution?"

The others fell silent and Noah watched as their expressions turned from excitement to horror, all while they stared at White.

Ferus was one of those with said reaction, and he stopped snarling, instead scowling while thinking, _"Of course I'm the one that has to fight the damn newborn. Just my luck."_

Unicus and Virtus looked at one another at the same time as the Dark-type's thoughts and sighed for Larvesta's sake.

"That poor thing's going to get torn in half. She's nowhere near strong enough to take on someone like Ferus," the Sandslash commented.

Gray paid no attention to the conversation as she was preoccupied with devising a strategy.

Seconds later, Noah lifted his arms and looked both girls' ways before shouting, "This battle will be between Larvesta and Ferus, where White will have the first move! Begin!"

The Unovan quickly threw her hand forwards with an eager grin, catching Gray off-guard. Why had White stuck with her aggressive strategy when it failed terribly with Gigalith?

"Okay, Larvesta, use Ember!"

Gray watched the bullets of fire zip out of Larvesta's mouth and close in on Ferus, though she remained unfazed by the surprising speed of the attack.

"Ferus, dodge it and use Flamethrower!"

Doing just as he was told without the slightest bit of hesitation, Ferus rolled forwards and used his tail as a spring. White nearly fell on her back in shock while Larvesta's eyes opened as wide as they could. Ferus then reared his head back and sent a wave of fire towards his tiny opponent, who dove out of the way. Without a second passing, Larvesta bolted over to her trainer and trembled behind White's feet, leaving Ferus perplexed while everyone else looked on intently, no one understanding what was going on.

Due to the wave of reactions, White squatted and began whispering to her horrified Pokemon. Within a matter of mere seconds, she nodded and turned to Noah, who raised his eyebrows.

"I'm going to take Larvesta out of the battle."

Ferus' jaw hit the ground at the announcement, but the eighteen year old serving as referee nodded.

"Larvesta has been pulled from the battle! White, choose your next Pokemon!"

Gray, Fortis, Noah, and Arcanine sweat-dropped as they all watched Ferus remain as still as a statue. His first day back on the road, and his first battle, were utter failures. With that thought in mind, the Houndoom hung his head and a distraught, yet cartoonishly hyperbolic look swept over his face. Stepping as light as a feather even though the weight of the world was crashing down on him, Ferus had few choice words.

"Wow. Who knew he had such a colorful vocabulary?" Zoroark asked before snickering, only to receive a disappointed sigh from N. "I get why he's mad though. Maybe we should battle 'em later."

Somehow, Ferus managed to hear the hush whisper, and the broken light flickering in his eyes unnerved Zoroark.

"I think I've had enough disappointment for a while. Thanks though."

"He's become a lot more expressive since the last time I saw him. Was he like that before he went back to Saffron?" Fortis whispered to Gray, who shook her head. "Hm. I guess Comis might've rubbed off on him a bit, don't you think?"

The young woman giggled and nodded before noticing White was no longer in her trainer box. Instead, she was behind Gray's, where she was talking to Ferus at an inaudible level. Larvesta was by the brunette's side and had to have bowed to Ferus apologetically at least a hundred times.

"What is she doing? Did White forget we're supposed to be battling?" Unicus quizzed snobbishly. She received a swift smack on the head courtesy of Gray, much to the delight of the ever-growing crowd inside the Pokemon Center.

"Please don't be sad, Ferus. Be mad if you want to, and take it out on me for sending Larvesta in to battle you," White said to the canine, who seemed to be returning to his normal emotional state. "You see, she hasn't gotten the opportunity to be in a real battle yet, so I figured having her go up against a strong opponent like yourself, and a fellow Fire-type, would really help."

Ferus turned his neck to the right and looked at Larvesta as if he were trying to confirm the brunette's sincerity. When Larvesta did nod, Ferus gave a smile, one which was similar to that a parent would give their child.

"Oh, it's no big deal. I'm the one that should be apologizing about the fuss I made," he said reassuringly, resulting in a sigh of relief from the trainer. Larvesta, on the other hand, still looked down about the whole scene. "Keep your head up, kid. That was one hell of an Ember attack you had. Mine was never that strong!"

The larva's attitude immediately swung in the other direction, though she again bowed to Ferus a few dozen times.

"Thank you! I hope I can get super strong like you, and him," the baby Pokemon announced as she looked at Ferus and then scurried over to Fortis. "Oh, and Greninja. He's the most strongest!"

Gray and her four Pokemon laughed at Larvesta's excitement - had there been an officer of the grammar department, no one would've laughed.

"When you do get older and stronger, I want you to challenge me to a rematch. Can you do that for me?" the Houndoom questioned, showing a softer side that Gray hadn't known existed.

White's newest Pokemon literally jumped for joy in response before being whisked away by her trainer, though she did eventually confirm she'd battle Ferus in the future. No longer focused on that problem, Gray and White nodded at one another and motioned for their third Pokemon, who flinched in response.

Virtus, unlike her teammate, felt a burning sensation in her chest. Though it didn't last long, the purple Pokemon sat down, acting as if she were tired instead of being in terrible pain.

 _"What was that?"_ she questioned mentally while looking around, unaware of the cause of her pain. After seeing that no one had been acting out of the ordinary, Virtus attempted to rise. This time, a much more intense sensation fell over her and prevented the Mienshao from getting up.

Something was squeezing the life out of her, something unlike anything she had felt before. The way it had suddenly crushed her left Virtus in awe of its power, which she struggled to describe. That didn't last long, however, as the word popped into her mind upon being crushed by another burst of pain.

It was evil.

 _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

A series of explosions echoed in the distance, causing the five trainers and their Pokemon to look around in utter shock. Potens remained locked into her conversation with Zennyo, as evidenced by her eyes glowing an intense purple, and Virtus continued to be immobilized by the devilish force in her veins which only grew stronger.

"What the hell's going on?" Servine snapped.

Before anyone could answer, another explosion roared. This time, however, it wasn't in the distance. No, it was in the heart of Opelucid City, and they all watched as a cloud of smoke and consumed the city. They continued to stare in horror until hearing the doors of the Pokemon Center slide open, and Nurse Joy's head popped outside.

"Everyone, come inside now! Hurry! This is an emergency!" she belted.

The quintet of trainers did just that and disappeared inside the red-roofed building after withdrawing all of their Pokemon. Within a moment's notice, the battlefield was swallowed whole by smoke that was darker than anything anyone had ever seen.

Not a single person anywhere in the Unova region knew what was going on, what the cause of the explosion had been, or if someone was attacking. Well, that wasn't entirely true.

Lysandre and Ghetsis, both of whom were sitting quite comfortably in the former's office right in the center of Castelia City. The men looked at one another, taking their eyes off the television that had broken the news regarding Opelucid City, and raised the glasses of wine in their hands.

"To the beginning of a new world," Lysandre proposed with a satanic smirk.

"And the extinction of the threat," Ghetsis added.

They clinked their glasses and chugged the wine to the sounds of screaming and explosions. Unova was going to crumble, though its clock for survival was unknown.

* * *

 **Well, Gray and White weren't able to finish their battle, but no need to fret. They'll eventually have another, but for now the focus will turn to Flasma attacking! That's right, next chapter will focus on a few battles between the group and Flasma's forces, so get hyped! Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Gray having reserves?  
2\. What was the black-haired Pokemon that joined Flasma? Who do you think its targets are?  
3\. Why were Virtus and that random Pokemon experiencing similar pain?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!"  
**_

 _ **With Teams Flare and Plasma's attack on Opelucid City underway, the group springs into action along with Hugh and White. As the others hold off the assault, Gray finds herself in a bind when Dominic and his unbeatable Typhlosion go toe-to-toe with Mega Ferus. Just before the mercenary can deliver a fatal blow, Potens intervenes and does the unthinkable: she becomes one with Zennyo! Will Potens be able to handle this newfound power and protect Gray!?**_

* * *

 **Opelucid City Arc**

 **Chapter 89: Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!** **  
**


	88. Potens and Zennyo: The Broken Chain!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Greninja appear)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (Fortis and Ferus Mega Evolve while battling two Pokemon)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Virtus and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time** **)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus' two Synchro transformations stand on either side of a third, unidentifiable transformation)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey, people. It took a week, but it's finally here! I'd like to preface this by saying how there is a lot of scene jumping, and the multiple battles with Flasma will not occur in this chapter thanks to arc previews. They kind of screw me over whenever I decide to change some things around since the arcs themselves are, more or less, their own little stories that turn into one big one. With that being said, I have a monster of a twist coming for y'all with the one and only Unova League! For now, that's not important, so let's get going!**

 **TheGreat0ne:** _Well, that's true. Think of them as being a combo of the size of Owen's teams with everyone being present like all of Gray's. Questions two and three were regarding the same Pokemon (poorly worded on my part), and that's a really interesting theory!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Of course you haven't! XD I love Ferus, if you couldn't tell by J:ANG being all about him T-T Rei could reappear if y'all want it, I guess. Marcus will come back eventually, that much I know, so get hyped! Ferus being that nice is weird, but he had to soften up at some point, right? That Houndoom-return-theory tho :O_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _The puns... too much! Must clap like an idiot! *Applause* All weirdness aside, you're right about the battle ending oddly, the main reason being how brutal it was to write considering White had no chance. The fights in this chapter, on the other hand, are going to be much more fun for me, and you, I presume, so cheers to that!_

 **Delta Edge:** _Wooh! The Virtus vs Bellator fight is a great idea_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Eh. In my opinion it wasn't a shame, though I'm glad you liked it (maybe) XD Potens and Virtus will bury the hatchet in time, and thanks for the compliment! That guy/girl's gonna be interesting once (s)he's revealed_

 **TooLazyToLogIn (guest):** _Ayy, I'm pretty confident you've reviewed before, so welcome back... hopefully! XD The funny thing is, I wasn't able to notice any of that while I wrote it, so thanks a ton for pointing it out about making things seem more natural. Alder was most certainly ooc, but, as much as I hate this response (which I really do), he wasn't meant to be his carefree self. That being said, if I could I would absolutely change that. All in all, thanks a lot for the honesty and constructive criticism! It helps a lot and I can't wait to improve in that facet :D_

 **SweetStory (guest):** _Thanks, and no. Those ideas don't make sense for the story, nor do they have anything to do with the plot_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Virtus, (f), level 44, ****Double Team, Bounce, Swift, Dual Chop, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere*** **\- (Mienshao)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

 **Reserves**

 **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower** ***, Scald* - (Bibarel)**

* * *

The Pokemon Center shook every few seconds. Opelucid City was likely in shambles; the bombs had been going off for at least thirty minutes. No one inside the red-roofed building could do a thing to stop whatever was going on, not with the security at every exit. Officers stood by the front and back doors on the main floor, each level of the stairs, and there were also some in the cellar by the door.

Gray struggled to get a clean look at any of them, squinting as she leaned forward slightly.

"Hey, watch it!" the person next to her hissed after taking a stray elbow to the ribs. Gray bowed her head for a nanosecond before staring back at the officers.

 _"What's wrong with them? They haven't moved a muscle since the door shut."_

Alain and White sat off to the other side of the room and paid close attention to Gray's antics, the latter shaking her head while her mentor sighed and cracked a grin. His face, flushed red and drenched, turned White's way and Alain waited for the rookie to say something. The confusion from dozens of foreign voices coupled with random physical contact had sapped White of her attention span, and it did the same to Alain's frustrations. Or maybe it was another resounding explosion from above the surface.

N, who was next to Hugh, had both arms folded and his cap covered most of his face. The younger of the men twiddled his thumbs, bit his lip, and tapped his foot rapidly while ignoring the terrified conversations going on around him.

 _"Go figure the one time I don't see a battle like that, I end up missing out on those explosions. I hope everyone's okay though. Man, this isn't good. Oh no! Oh no! Did anyone die? What can I do to help? Can I help?"_

Hugh rubbed the bridge of his nose while picking up the pace of his tapping, thinking, _"I can't die here; I've come so far and made so many friends! Greninja and I are going to win the Unova League!"_

Suddenly and without warning, Hugh's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his face smacked against the ground. The chattering ceased in an instant and everyone looked at Hugh, but N remained seemingly unconscious and the officers refused to leave their post.

"Can someone help this boy? Please!?" the woman that had been sitting to Hugh's other side shrieked as she leaned over him and checked for a pulse. "Officers!"

The four men ignored the pleas.

"Please give us a cup of water! Please!"

Anyone that wasn't right next to the uniformed-men missed the glances each cop exchanged with one of the others while those that could see didn't say a word.

 _BOOM!_

There it was again. Not a single pair of eyes remained fixated on Hugh, not even those of the woman that had been screaming for help. Gray, who hadn't stopped examining the policemen, rushed towards her rival's side in a flash, prompting Alain and White to follow suit.

Gray's face remained as cold as stone and Alain's continued to burn intensely. White's eyes locked onto the pair of older trainers and darted back and forth, her heart rate reaching unprecedented levels.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, the words leaving her mouth without resistance. Even so, White noticed how it took nearly all her might to mutter them.

"It's too hot in this room," Alain opined, which drew a nod from Gray. "Is it dehydration?"

The Kalosian wasn't lucky enough to get a second nod.

"Not entirely. I'm no doctor, but it looks like it might've been anxiety-induced." Gray's face dropped at that and she shook her head the instant after.

Her sweating friends did the same unknowingly and, after sitting back and exhaling deeply, they took in their surroundings. Zombified expressions had plagued the population, no one spoke, and the silence was deafening. White covered her ears with both hands and grimaced after spotting N's body slumped against the wall before an ear-piercing scream pounded in her head at a blistering pace.

Alain and Gray glanced over to White and noticed her writhing, prompting the Kantonian to switch her focus and attend to White while the Kalosian focused on Hugh.

"Someone get me a cup of water!" the eighteen year old barked as she looked around the room.

Not a face moved, baffling her, but she remained stoic under pressure. Left without any other options, Gray hurled a Poke Ball into the air and release Citeria. He looked around for a moment and immediately felt his trainer's hands, causing the Bibarel to turn and look at Gray.

"Golly, what's gotcha' sweatin' like a bull in summer, Miss Gray?" the Pokemon asked, flashing a toothy smile.

"Can you please give White water? I think she's suffering from heatstroke!"

Citeria didn't waste a moment hesitating as he instantly shot a cool blast of water at the sixteen year old. The Bibarel performed the action seven or eight times before he watched White's eyelids sluggishly separate from one another. She shot off the ground and held her throbbing head before seeing Gray smiling.

 _BOOM!_

Gray gasped and landed on her back along with anyone else in the cellar that had been standing or sitting upright. Her eyes were suddenly ablaze and she was no longer able to open them, though the frenzied shrieks of fear prevented any of the Kantonian's friends from doing a thing to aide her - all of them, save for Noah.

Shoving his way through the strangers to make it to Gray's side, he bent down and called for Citeria, who waddled over without so much as a smile.

"Can you splash her eyes with some water?"

The beaver acted swiftly, effectively washing his trainer's eyes clean of the dirt that had entered. Gray's first seconds of vision were nothing to be fond of, however, as the policemen from the front of the room were now standing over her, Noah, and Citeria. All of the cellar's occupants stared intently, each person having stopped their actions and remaining as still as statues.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing? No Pokemon are allowed down here!" one of them screamed as he grabbed Noah by the collar and threw him towards Hugh and Alain. The trio collided and became a mess of tangled limbs, though Hugh's unconscious state allowed both other trainers to escape fairly easily.

Citeria and Gray stared at the officers, all three of whom grabbed the trainer by the collar of her shirt. As she was lifted off the ground, Gray found herself mere inches away from one of the cops.

 _"That pasty skin tone seems oddly familiar,"_ she thought to herself, only to gasp seconds later.

Her eyes locked onto the sides of the officer's face and he seemed to pick up on what Gray had just discovered. The blood-red hair, the pale skin, and his wicked smile all checked out. She was sure of it.

"Citeria, use Scald!"

The aforementioned Pokemon threw his head forwards in an instant, unleashing a blast of boiling-hot water that struck the man holding Gray in the side of the head. He smashed into the wall head-first as a result and, even with explosions echoing from above, those standing by in the cellar began to snap out of their trance.

Each pair of eyes returned to their normal complexion as opposed to that of a zombie, and they watched as Noah ran forwards and pointed at the downed man.

"Look! He's a part of Team Flare! _They're_ attacking the city!" the Kantonian roared.

Gasps ensued and the people began to shift their gazes left and right.

" _The_ Team Flare? The one that attacked Kalos a few years ago?" one young man questioned. The others began to spew out inquiries in hopes of being heard. Their curiosity became rage the longer they remained inactive, and before Gray, Noah, Alain, or White knew it, they watched as the people began to hurl threats at the imposters.

"Zoroark, now!"

Silence followed the powerful command and everyone in the Pokemon Center's cellar watched as N and Zoroark struck the Team Flare members upside the head, knocking them out cold. Hunched over with a sheepish grin, the green-haired trainer chuckled before being grabbed by the arm by Gray and whisked out of the room.

Noah and Alain followed, though they lagged behind due to them carrying White and Hugh, respectively. Citeria was the caboose of the group and kept his eyes peeled for any trailing Team Flare members, but he was lucky enough to avoid seeing so much as one.

Upon arriving in the lobby of the Pokemon Center, the group of fully-conscious trainers locked eyes and then glanced at Hugh and White. None of the four needed to say a word, as Noah and Alain pulled out a Poke Ball each while Gray grabbed two.

"Come out!" the three yelled. Four flashes of light followed and revealed Arcanine, Charizard, Fortis, and Ferus. The powerful creatures were slouched over and there were bags under their eyes, causing their trainers, as well as Zoroark and N, to sweat-drop.

"How are you guys already asleep? It's only-"

"Three o'clock," Ferus spat, glaring daggers at the eighteen year old who slowly looked away from his watch and shuffled all the way over to Gray, who he used as a shield. "I like my sleep, Noah. And when I don't get my sleep, I get mad, and I like to burn things when I'm mad."

Noah trembled behind the Houndoom's trainer, who shot her Pokemon a fearsome look that both ended his mini tirade and sparked a question from Charizard.

"Why did you wake us up, Alain?"

 _BOOM! BOOM!_

The Flying-type closed his mouth and shook his head at the near-deafening roars of bombs intended for the heart of Opelucid City. Nothing needed to be said in order for the tired quartet of Pokemon, each of whom appeared to be wide awake, to understand what their trainers needed.

As soon as he heard another bomb go off, Arcanine quipped, "So what are we going to do? Stop the bombs from hitting the ground?"

Fortis opened his wings at the question and cracked his knuckles in preparation of the event, though his hopes of doing what Arcanine had said were put to rest when N said, "Let's take it easy here, guys. This isn't a situation to be taken lightly, especially after we got to see what happened to Nimbasa City."

Gray felt chills run down her spine and through her veins, the latter of which caused her to curl her arms into her chest. In doing so, the young women ran a finger down her arms and felt shuddered once again, saying, "Stop talking about that, I'm getting goosebumps."

N nodded apologetically before turning his attention back to Arcanine, who yawned.

"Sorry about being insensitive, but what is there we can do? Stopping a bombing isn't exactly in our wheelhouse, if you ask me."

Zoroark snickered at the response, leading to her being at the center of attention with all eyes watching her every move. Rather than slink away, the Dark-type stifled laughter and forced herself to remain composed.

"Okay, so we know those guys from the cellar are a part of Team Flare, right?" she asked, drawing nods from all those around her. "If their plan is anything like Nimbasa, and it's sure as hell looking like it," the bipedal creature continued as she formed a huddle with the others before finally stating, "then they'll have the same formation with the admins."

"That's idio-" Ferus stopped himself short and stared at the ground for a moment, taking in all the information Zoroark had presented. His jaw hung agape while he looked up at her, his eyes instantly focusing on her arrogant smirk. "That's actually brilliant. But why are they attacking Opelucid City?"

Ferus' ears perked up within a nanosecond and his eyes darted to the right. Something about Gray had changed faster than his senses could notice, generating an impressed smile from the Houndoom.

Even in his silence, Ferus could tell just from the way she was standing, that Gray had caught on to him. Even so, he didn't care and kept a close eye on her while she raised her voice to garner the others' attention.

"If that's the case, then what do you suggest we do, Zoroark? I mean, it was sheer luck things turned out the way they did last time. The fact that there were... what, seven of us, and we still weren't able to stop Flare on our own? That'd be a death sentence for you, and you, and you," the third-year trainer proclaimed, pointing at each member of the group.

The frowns she received in response to her opinions didn't prevent Gray from proceeding to further voice her concerns. No, they did quite the opposite actually.

"Then we need to account for how lucky we were to have gotten the help that we did! You and N saved Cheren's life, so now there are eight of us on one side. Hugh and Greninja got back just in time to save White, and-"

"That's the first time we used Synchro Evolution," Hugh announced while rubbing his head. The spiky-haired trainer rose from his laying position in a booth and examined his surroundings closely. "So that's a second miracle."

Gray nodded at the proclamation and watched as her friends' faces and morale plunged into the dark depths of hell, never to be seen again unless personally saved by some divine being. Still, Gray felt compelled to properly end her argument and pointed towards Alain and Charizard, saying, "Then those two decided to turn on Flare and help us. That gives our side a total of nine trainers to their five, Lysandre included."

"Don't forget, you broke my ribs, you ass," Ferus cussed, glaring daggers at Charizard. The pain sensors in his body went off at the memory and how Alain's cheap attack prevented a rematch from happening.

The winged lizard and his trainer hung their heads at Ferus' words, but they didn't harp on the dark memories. Instead, an ear-to-ear grin was present on Charizard's face, causing those around to each raise an eyebrow.

"How could you have forgotten Bellator and the way he battled? He must've been at least thirty levels lower than me, but whatever it was that had been fueling him to keep fighting was too much for us to handle."

 _"He's easily the strongest Pokemon I've ever met,"_ Alain thought without changing his facial expression. _"In a battle without Type-Beasts, he'd mop the floor with Potens."_

Alain emerged from his mind to the sounds of reminiscing and laughter from the group, which included eight of Gray's Pokemon. Also, White had woken up, and that caused the Kalosian to run a hand through his hair and look at the clock above Nurse Joy's desk.

"Guys, would you shut up? There's a damn bombing going on outside, and we're chatting about our memories!?" Potens screamed, letting her presence be known to all. "I'm not going to wait around any longer and jeopardize the lives of innocent people. If you want to come with me, be my guest. If not, zip it and don't waste any more of our time."

Each of the wyvern's teammates looked at one another and then fidgeted while staring at the ground, except for Virtus. The mustelid looked just as peeved, and she took two steps forward before jabbing Potens in the chest.

"Don't go around talking to us like that. You're not the leader of this team, not by a mile."

Potens slowly blinked twice with her jaw hitting the floor at the same time. Virtus, meanwhile, spun on her heels and walked out of the Pokemon Center. Once the doors were closed and she was out of sight, the Fighting-type dropped to one knee and winced from the alien pain that had surfaced earlier in the week.

Fighting through it, Virtus bolted towards Route Ten, or she was, until she went unconscious.

 **000**

The sun was headed west and, for whatever reason, Virtus found herself out of breath. No matter how hard she tried to inhale oxygen, it felt as if the fuel to living was being siphoned right out of her lungs by some unknown force. Lacking the strength to stand, her legs gave out and she hit the ground face-first, unable to brace her fall due to the extreme fatigue. Though her state of consciousness was waning, she could hear someone's footsteps. Literally a nanosecond before she could identify who was trying to help her up, the Fighting-type blinked and found herself in a completely different environment.

Instead of being in a city, she was now in the forest. Lacking the decisiveness to run off and find out where she was, Virtus remained still, even as she heard an all too familiar voice. First, it cried out a name she didn't recognize, but the rest flew right into her ears and resonated with Virtus.

"Look out!" the owner of the feminine voice shrieked.

In an instant, Virtus was wrapped in a bearhug. The person holding her let out a grunt of pain as she and the shielded Pokemon were thrown several yards back down the asphalt road. When she opened her eyes to see if she had died, Virtus nearly passed out when her suspicions were confirmed.

She had been saved by Gray. Gray, the trainer, had protected her, the Pokemon.

"This can't be happening," Virtus whispered to herself as she brought both hands to her head. "No, no, no!" Everything around her begin to spiral out of control, glueing the mustelid right in her spot. In spite of the splitting migraines exploding in her head, Virtus stared at her injured trainer and read her lips.

Just like she had before, the brunette called Virtus by the same unfamiliar name, followed by, "did you get hurt?" she questioned as concern flashed in her eyes.

A sudden wave of rage swept over the Fighting-type's body and she growled lowly while White tended to the wound on Gray's back. Virtus turned away in an instant and stared at two women who were dressed in weird red suits. Their hair color also matched that of their goggles, with the one on the left having blue hair, and her accomplice to the right had purple hair. Even in the face of danger, Virtus refused to back down. She mustered up all the strength she could and rose.

"You'll both pay," the Mienshao proclaimed, pointing at the two women before clearing her throat in preparation of shouting. Once she was ready, the bipedal Pokemon held nothing back, screaming, "You're not getting away with this!"

A flash of white light vaporized the dark shades of green, brown, and even the black road, and, just like that, Virtus was blind. Her condition didn't last long, however, and the Fighting-type was greeted to the sight of nature at its finest.

Unlike either of the previous locations, which had restricted zones breathing down her neck, the new one allowed Virtus the opportunity to move freely. She looked around at the beautiful grass for a fraction of a second before spotting a fierce voice boomed in the distance.

"I'm not going to hold anything back, Gray. You're trying to keep Team Flare from completing its goal, and I won't let you do that! Charizard, Flamethrower again!"

Virtus' eyes shot wide open as a body of fire closed in on a group of bodies to her left. Having no time to think, the Mienshao sprung into action and extended her arms like an idiot. She bit her lower lip and prepared to scream, but the burning sensation never emerged. Upon opening her eyes, Virtus saw that she was splitting the the intense flames in half with help from a pair of blue blades. Oddly enough, it didn't look as if the weapons were about to cave in to the might of the flames. That's when she noticed it.

 _"Water? Why is there water around my arms?"_

A series of gasps from the group that had been protected made Virtus escape her thoughts and give a subtle glance backwards. She nearly screamed in shock after recognizing the human and Sandslash behind her. An Elgyem also accompanied the duo, but Virtus paid her no attention, instead thinking, _"What the hell is going on here!?"_

The pair of gray irises she had looked into were unmistakable.

 _"How'd Gray get out of that forest? Shit, how'd I get out of that forest?"_ Virtus turned her mental voice off and allowed the thought to sink in while the body of fire she had blocked was no more than ambers being dragged to the ground by gravity.

After both blades of water vanished, Virtus nonchalantly placed the handles of each back onto her thighs. She proceeded to stretch her legs and noticed how neither of the shell-shaped handles moved an inch, piquing her interest.

Virtus let out a sigh of relief as the danger she had been sensing faded. With a slight smile, Virtus attempted to turn around, only to discover her body was refusing to cooperate. A rush of intense pressure funneled into the purple Pokemon's head before she could question why her limbs, like a vending machine, were out of order. The crystal-clear image of the grass spiraled into a cyclone, and everything else was swallowed by it too, turning the canvas into a heaping pile of nothingness.

 _Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

The Fighting-type's eyes danced wildly, searching for something, anything.

 _Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum._

She needed help; something wasn't right. Her vision had yet to stabilize, and the spinning grew worse with each breath taken. Being too caught up in the terrifying experience, Virtus didn't hear anything going on around her.

 _Badum-Badum-Badum!_

A dagger sunk into the mustelid's heart and she wheezed in response, losing whatever feeling she had left in her body. Just as quickly as that happened, Virtus found herself standing upright, and her vision was back to normal. Her neck snapped in every direction and her eyes scanned every single thing that entered their domain. The intense pressure in her chest thinned and entered her veins, but the bipedal Pokemon ignored it upon seeing Alain and Charizard, who turned out to be the attackers.

The mustelid felt all of the blood in her body thicken, and she stared at her arms in horror before, suddenly, she was forced to speak.

"You don't want to do this," Virtus forewarned as she bent her knees and took a battling pose, causing Charizard to narrow his eyes uneasily.

"This is a battle you can't win. I guarantee it!" both Gray and Virtus shouted in unison as they punched their right fists straight forwards.

Just like that, Virtus was ripped out of the environment and placed in another that, like the previous three, she had no recollection of.

A monstrous wall wrapped around the perimeter of the square room, and Virtus rubbed her head as she completed a revolution. After repeating the action, Virtus' eyes were drawn to two specific parts of the box, which, ironically, were on opposite ends.

The one nearest her was white, and the other was black. Virtus' eyes darted from one side to the other as she examined both walls, which made the other two, gray barriers look disgustingly dull.

Without so much as a second thought, Virtus trekked across the concrete floor. Each step she took made the black wall grow larger and even more imposing than prior. Mindlessly continuing, towards the mysterious Virtus jumped and let out a deafening shriek when a stray attack struck the ground she would've stepped on.

Chunks of concrete zipped towards the Fighting-type and turned into shrapnel. Surprisingly, Virtus managed to evade the speeding bits that had been headed her way. The Pokemon that had fired the attack dissected each of the Mienshao's movements. Each time she pivoted, twisted her body, or twirled, the spectator narrowed their eyes.

Once the shrapnel was no longer flying, Virtus lifted her gaze. Her brow furrowed upon seeing a Pokemon of a similar build walking forwards. Its whiskers bobbed up and down with each step, and the creature, whose sky-blue fur was accentuated by the black wall acting as a canvas. It reached down for a pair of shells glued to its dark blue thighs and, once grabbing them, threw both arms as far to either side as possible.

Blades of water materialized, prompting the foreign creature to point the right one at Virtus' head. The Fighting-type froze up, perspiring intensely as she looked into the pair of black eyes. Virtus flinched when she saw a spark of light escape the void of darkness.

Her armed counterpart, meanwhile, had yet to move a muscle. Fiddling with the sword's handle in his right palm, the Pokemon slowly retracted it and his primal posture faded.

"I've been waiting to meet you, Virtus," the bipedal Pokemon stated as it put air quotes around Virtus' name.

The mere mentioning of her name made the mustelid stumble backwards and trip over her own feet. Her momentum was halted, however, as the blue Pokemon grabbed ahold of her hand, which he used to help her back up. Neither of the two said a word, instead staring deep into each other's eyes. The Mienshao suddenly snapped out of her trance and shook her head wildly, drawing a look from the creature.

"How," Virtus began, "do you know my name?" Laughter followed the question, and Virtus scowled while tapping her foot against the ground before asking, "Why don't you tell me your name?"

The blue Pokemon continued to chuckle lightly and ran a hand through his blue hair. Then, without warning, he spoke.

"My name's Bellator, and so is yours."

 **000**

The black-haired Pokemon unsheathed both katanas that had been strapped around her back and inspected the blood stains splattered all over the weapon. Then, leaning back against the tree she had been resting in, the Pokemon heard her stomach growl, as did the man in military garb standing at the base of the tree. With both of her shadow-colored eyes gazing at a ball of white fluff painted on the blue canvas overhead, she shook her head and sighed.

Nonchalantly lifting her arms, the unnamed Pokemon began twirling the two katanas, one in each hand. Without so much as tipping off her intentions, she twisted her upper body like a coil, and in one fluid motion, the mute animal hurled both swords nearly a hundred miles an hour. Streaks of light flew off the tip of each blade and a whizzing sound rand in the Pokemon's ears.

Upon hearing that sound, the nonchalant creature returned to her original position of stretching her legs out on the branch and resting her back against the trunk. She eventually regained the comfort she had so desperately been seeking, but the black-haired Pokemon didn't close her eyes. No, instead she lifted her right hand and extended three fingers before initiating a countdown.

Three.

Two.

One.

The black-haired fiend pointed towards the sky as if she were sending a signal, and the next thing she heard was a ghostly scream from deep in the woods.

 _"That's fifty in a row."_

Without another second to waste due to her stomach being empty, the bipedal creature jumped from the branch and took a diving pose.

Just as she was about to hit the ground, a much larger Pokemon arrived in the nick of time and grabbed the black-haired one with its huge talons, which wrapped around the smaller creature's body. When she looked up, she saw a Fearow flapping its wings, and it descended slowly. Once the vulture was able to, she released the lunatic and watched as the bipedal figure began to sprint towards the site of her swords.

"What the actual hell is wrong with that thing?" Fearow hissed as she awkwardly walked over to her trainer's side.

The man was leaning against a tree in his usual army garb, and the intense expression plastered on his face was all Fearow needed to see. Shifting her focus to the buff man's side and staring intently at the unbeatable creature, who unleashed a stream of flames from his neck and into the air.

"There's nothing wrong with her, Fearow. She came to us and wanted to help, that was it," the human responded about fifteen seconds after the question. "Besides, if Lysandre and Ghetsis are scared of her," he began, throwing his weight forwards so that his back was no longer resting against the tree trunk, "Then by all means, I want her on our side."

"Still don't know my name, do ya, Dominic?"

The aforementioned male recoiled, and his eyes immediately locked onto the bloodthirsty Pokemon. While Dominic refrained from gagging, Fearow threw up as soon as she saw a severed Vullaby head in the demonic Pokemon's hands. Said creature cackled at the response before turning to lock eyes with the Pokemon by Dominic's side.

"Are you gonna get sick, big guy?" she asked tauntingly while approaching Typhlosion, who was resolute despite sensing the power- no, _evil_ power radiating from his newest ally. "Don't try acting tough around me; I see right through facades."

Typhlosion didn't change his pose, but he did watch the creature before him snicker while walking away.

"I'm going into the city. I'll be back in an hour."

Each word struck Dominic's eardrums with the force of a sledgehammer, yet he scowled and rushed over to the determined Pokemon who stopped, spun, and pointed a blade of black energy all in one motion. Dominic stopped on a dime, but his anger refused to subside.

"Who do you think you are? You're not telling me what to do when Lysandre said I was running the show!"

Typhlosion and Fearow watched closely, though the former did so while dropping to all fours and snarling.

"Who am _I_!?"

The Pokemon stared right through Dominic's soul and put the blade of her sword up to his heart. Her arrogant expression transformed so quickly it was impossible to see the transition, only the result. Both of her eyes began to shake, as did her hand, which was clasping the sword's handle.

"I'm nothing more than one half of a whole; I'm the darkness to her light, the yin to her yang," she began, spitting each word more violently than the last. "Who I want to be is Umbra, and when I kill her, I will fulfill that desire."

 **000**

Ferus and Unicus sprinted back to the front of the Pokemon Center, both drenched in sweat. Neither said a word the entire trip back, and upon reaching the doors, they were met by Gray. Her eyes were puffy and red, and just by the way she sprinted over to her Pokemon, they could tell something was off.

"Please tell me you found her," the eighteen year old begged as she wildly looked back and forth between the two.

Unicus inhaled slightly and looked down at the floor. Still feeling Gray's intense stare, as well as those from Fortis and everyone else, the Sandslash was forced to lift her head. Then, forming the first word, Unicus was cut off by Ferus stepping in front of her.

"I managed to follow her all the way to Route Ten, but I couldn't keep up once she hopped into the trees."

The words collapsed on Gray and she fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands. Her six other Pokemon approached slowly and huddled around the brunette in silence.

"There's no way we can find her; she's gone," Gray whispered.

Despite the lack of volume, her words echoed in the lobby and clobbered most everyone. N and Zoroark looked at each other in disbelief while White's eyes went wide as she covered her mouth. Noah, Alain, and Hugh watched Gray sob uncontrollably before noticing the expressions of her Pokemon. None of them, not even Ferus or Fortis, could display a fake sense of confidence to cheer the others up.

"Gray," Noah called all of a sudden, rising from his chair and walking towards her right after. "Hey, don't worry about a thing, okay? I'll find Virtus." Crouching right in front of his friend, Noah watched Gray apprehensively uncover her face.

"Noah, I-"

He proceeded to place one hand on her shoulder while giving a thumbs up with the other, silencing his fellow Kantonian.

"I _will_ bring Virtus back, no matter what it takes. I promise."

Watching him flash a smile radiating with confidence, Gray wiped the tears from her eyes and rose to her feet. Then, looking up at Noah once he did the same, she smiled.

"You're not going without me, and that's final."

All of Gray's Pokemon smiled at the words, except for Potens. Off on her own, she looked out the glass windows of the Pokemon Center and kept her eyes focused on the sun.

 _"I won't let this happen again. I was too weak to stop Bellator, but things are different."_ Zennyo heard the thoughts reverberate in his chamber, and a stern look crossed his face. He kept silent, however, and closed his eyes.

"And don't forget about us, guys! There's no chance I'm going to sit back and watch from the sidelines!" Hugh roared, punching his fist towards the ceiling as he released Greninja from his Poke Ball.

Gray and Noah turned while grinning at the emphatic declaration, but their attention, as well as that of Hugh's, shifted towards Alain when he headed for the front exit with Charizard in tow.

When he turned, the nineteen year old said, "It's dangerous out there, so Charizard and I will serve as backup while we look from the sky."

Charizard added a grunt to show support, making Gray laugh as she brought both of her hands up to her eyes. Wiping away the joyful tears, she beamed and nodded at her friends.

"We'd love to join you too, Gray, but I think it might be best if Zoroark and I make sure everyone here is safe. And we may check out the city to see if anyone needs help," N announced.

"Yeah, I'm going to stick with N and be his backup," White stated. "Now get going! Virtus could be anywhere!"

Gray, Noah, Hugh, and Alain nodded in response before the lone female looked at Fortis, Dicax, and Citeria, saying, "You three stay here and lend a hand. Unicus and Celsus, return!"

The aforementioned Pokemon were zapped back into their capsules and Gray hurried out of the building with Ferus and Potens in tow. Once everyone had gathered, Gray looked around intensely and gave them goosebumps.

"Noah and Hugh, go check the city just in case Virtus is actually there. If you don't find her within thirty minutes, head over to Route Ten. Alain, you need to be their way out if there's a bomb or something else dangerous, okay?"

The three males exchanged confused glances before the eldest interjected.

"But what if she's not there? We wouldn't be helping you at all!" the Kalosian exclaimed. "We can't leave it all in your hands when we're able to divvy up the work."

Gray shook her head adamantly, making the powerful trainer close his mouth in frustration.

"If she's not there, you are helping because I wouldn't know about that otherwise. Then you could easily fly to me, and we'd look again. But before you do, make sure to check on White and N."

Alain sighed and ran a hand through his hair while Hugh and Greninja nodded at their instructions.

"Come on, guys. Gray won't give in on this, and since it's her Pokemon we're looking for, she should call the shots," the Unovan opined, drawing a pair of reluctant nods.

With that, she bolted down the street with her sights set on Route Ten. Ferus matched his trainer's speed while Potens managed to blow by them in no time. Her furious pace left both the Houndoom and Gray in the dust, though neither said a word about it.

 _"I'm going to find you, Virtus. Please, just don't get into any trouble,"_ the wyvern thought to herself, which Zennyo was once again able to hear. Just like the previous time, he remained silent and kept his eyes closed, that is until he heard Potens' footsteps enter his chamber.

"It's been a while," Zennyo greeted, tongue in cheek. After seeing the blank look on Potens' face, the Chinese dragon sweat-dropped before continuing. "So do you need anything?"

At first, all he received was a nod. Zennyo narrowed his eyes and rose from his resting position, prompting Potens to articulate the reason for her presence.

"I need some power so I can fly faster and cover more ground," she stated, only for the larger dragon to chuckle in response. Potens snarled at the reaction, silencing her friend almost immediately. "This isn't funny! Virtus is missing, and Opelucid City's getting bombed!" the big-eared bat snapped, throwing her arms around in a blind fit of rage. "You know what? Screw this, I don't need any help from you right now."

The abrupt end to the conversation took Zennyo by surprise, and he watched as his carrier disappeared in a flash. Slumping to the ground, the Type-Beast closed his eyes and began to reflect on what Potens had said.

 _"If Opelucid's in trouble, I must intervene."_

 **000**

Gray and Ferus arrived at the beginning of Route Ten, where Potens had been waiting while tapping her foot. Upon seeing her trainer and the Houndoom, Potens shot rushed forwards and placed both of her hands on Gray's shoulders.

"I looked around for about five minutes but couldn't find anything," the wyvern stated, resulting in a disheartened nod. "There's so much space to cover, I don't know how long it's going to take."

Ferus kept a close eye on Gray and watched as her head dropped while her shoulders slumped. Potens' demeanor matched that of the Kantonian, leaving Ferus to his thoughts while looking straight ahead and down the road that had thousands of trees on either side of it.

 _"If they're not going to do anything about it, then I guess I'll have to."_

As the words reverberated in his mind, Ferus galloped his way out of the city's border, turning once he knew he had the attention of the girls. Looking at both of them with a slick grin, the Fire-type said, "Come on! We don't have all day!" He proceeded to bolt down the dirt road and dipped into the forest on his right side, leaving Gray and Potens by themselves.

Both trainer and Pokemon stared at one another blankly before nodding, and they pursued Ferus. Potens used the combination of her ears and flight to navigate her way through the densely populated area while Gray was left in the dust and limited to running. There was one thing, however, that managed to travel faster than the combined speed of Potens and Gray: their concern.

Why did Virtus act so swiftly? It wasn't like her to up and leave, or so they thought.

Before either could continue dwelling on the situation, a primal snarl bounced off the trees like a pinball and smacked into their ears. Potens immediately backtracked and landed in front of Gray, spinning just as quickly as she arrived.

"Hop on!" she barked, prompting the brunette to obey.

As soon as Gray had her arms wrapped around the Dragon-type's neck, Potens took off at an unprecedented speed. Expertly avoiding every tree and branch with the help of her ears, Potens spotted a clearing upon Gray's shouting.

"Check that out! I think the roar came from there!"

The Noivern obeyed and exited the forest in no time, only to find that she and her trainer were in the belly of the beast. Upon landing, Potens and Gray looked around and examined the trees that were twenty feet high, the mini river - if one could even call it that - whose current slowly traveled back into the sea of trees, and the large pile of gray rocks from where the river originated.

"Where'd Ferus go? I thought this was the place," Gray muttered, stroking her chin while in deep thought.

Potens remained silent while the young woman continued talking to herself. Her large eyes continued to scan the foreign area for signs of either, or both of her friends.

"Potens? Hey, were you listening to anything I just said?"

The aforementioned Pokemon refused to respond to Gray's question, further angering the eighteen year old who went on to say, "I can't believe you'd do that at a time like this. It really makes me wonder if you even care about- agh!"

Grabbing a hold of Gray with her feet as she skied upwards, Potens looked back down at the ground as her eyes continued to dart in every direction.

"What the hell was that for!?"

Looking down slightly to see her trainer, whose neck was at a near-ninety degree angle, glaring demonically, Potens pointed with her right hand and waited for Gray to scan the area. When she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, the brunette started to scream, though Potens continued to keep her eyes peeled.

"Seriously, I don't know what's going on, but we need to keep looking for- holy shit! Stop!" Gray bellowed as she was yanked through the air by her Pokemon's sudden, and equally violent, movements. Just before she could start to flail, Gray saw a blast of fire shoot out from the trees and fly right towards herself and Potens.

Not needing a command from Gray, the big-eared bat effortlessly dodged the attack and continued gliding around nonchalantly as she tried to pinpoint her attacker's location.

"Hey, maybe that's Ferus! Descend, Potens!"

Gray waited for the powerhouse to obey, but she never did. Aggravated by the rebellious act, Gray scowled. She stopped, however, upon discovering the look on Potens' face.

She went silent and turned away from the Flying-type, shifting her focus towards the trees and their mysterious attacker. Chills ran down Gray's spine as she pictured Potens' face once again.

 _"That look in her eyes..."_

Gray bit her lip and began to dig the nail of her thumb into the digit of her index finger.

 _"I've- I've never seen her like that. We need to get out of here, and fast!"_

"Potens, please listen to me; we need to get out here!" Gray pleaded, her voice cracking as she did so. "Alain, Hugh, and Noah can help if-"

"Gray, shut the hell up for just one second!" Potens screamed at the top of her lungs, silencing her trainer mid-sentence. All of the wild Pokemon in the area scattered while the slight sound of the air disappeared. Just like the wind, Gray's voice vanished, though she looked up at her Noivern, tears swelling in her eyes.

Potens paid no attention to the young woman's emotions, but she could tell her words struck with brutal force.

"Sorry," the Pokemon began as Gray sniffled and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I need to focus right now, because we can't get away from-"

"ROW!"

Both Gray's and Potens' necks snapped upwards at the deafening squawk from above, but their eyes couldn't located the source. Then, just like that, Potens felt a sharp object stab her in the back. Whatever it was that had impaled her refused to relent in its assault, as it performed a nosedive with the Dragon-type and Gray being driven towards the Earth.

"Potens!" the Kantonian shrieked, her eyes widening as the site of the ground became clearer and clearer. "Use Acrobatics towards the ground!"

"What!? Are you crazy!?"

"Just trust me!"

Potens cursed wildly before ultimately conceding defeat. Suddenly, her falling speed, as well as Gray's, picked up, prompting the trainer to issue another command. "Now pull up!"

The gravel by the river was the only thing either of the two could see, forcing Potens to muster up all of her strength. Fighting gravity to the best of her abilities, the Noivern grunted as her mental clock began to ring. There wasn't enough time.

Acting solely on instinct, Potens began to perform a front-flip while Gray continued screaming for her life. Then, once her back was facing the ground, the Pokemon let go of Gray and tossed her softly onto the grass.

 _SMACK!_

The sound caused Gray to shoot onto her feet in a flash, and she gasped in horror when her eyes fell on the limp Noivern.

"POTENS!"

She sprinted towards her Pokemon but stumbled and fell face-first on the gravel. Gray continued moving by dragging herself across the ground, and once she reached Potens' side, she leaned over her.

"Don't worry, Potens; you're going to be okay," the trainer whispered as her voice began to shake. "You're too strong to get hurt by that. Yeah, you'll be fine..." Gray's vision was blurred by an abundance of tears pouring out of her eyes, and the brunette eventually leaned her head against Potens' chest.

The attacker looked on with two others and nodded, prompting them to walk out from the forest. When they did, the human pulled out a Poke Ball and withdrew whatever it was that had finished Potens. He then resumed his stroll towards Gray with another Pokemon by his side.

Due to her continued sobbing, Gray was unable to hear the sound of the gravel cracking underneath a pair of boots. Even if she had, there wasn't a chance of her turning around. The man behind her turned and motioned for his Pokemon, who nodded and inhaled quietly.

Opening its eyes, the creature reared back while generating as much fire as he possibly could. The intense flames formed into one giant ball, and it was sent right at Gray, who was still unaware. A wicked smirk appeared on the unnamed man's face, and he watched with glee as the fireball rapidly approached its target. With less than a foot between the attack and its target, neither of the spectators were able to tell that, when an explosion occurred, Gray hadn't been hit.

Smoke swallowed the river, as well as Gray and Potens while preventing the attackers from seeing a thing. Much to their surprise, a spiraling ray of black and purple energy pierced through the thick cloud of smoke and nearly struck them, though both the man and his Pokemon managed to dive out of the way just in time. Immediately, they looked at one another, flashing puzzled expressions until the smoke began to dissipate.

After it rose like a curtain, a new cast member had been introduced to the play. Standing in front of Gray and Potens was a four-legged animal whose tail resembled a pitchfork. While the Pokemon lowered itself to the ground, ready to pounce, it's fangs were on full display for the pair that had attacked its trainer.

"I didn't think we'd see that thing again. At least, not after the beatdown Primeape gave it," the menacing man spat, eliciting a feral snarl from the Pokemon. "So are you going to fight for your life, or are your weak Pokemon going to do that for you?"

Gray kept her back turned to the attacker and his Pokemon, and she looked down at Potens, who was as quiet as a mouse.

She was dead, or so Gray thought.

Tears continued rolling down the brunette's eyes and fell on the Noivern before her. It remained limp, yet something about Potens felt oddly alive. The brunette wiped her tears and stood, only for something to flash in her eyes.

Blood was splattered on the ground, and the young woman felt herself stumbling around, heart racing, sweat rolling down her face. Something was laying in the pool of red liquid, and she peered at it. The victim was a Beheeyem, and there was a hole the size of a baseball in its chest.

The scene cut out and Gray found herself staring at Potens, who was as still as before. Her blood began to boil, and she clenched her fists as tight as physically possible. A low growl escaped her throat, causing not only the attackers to flinch, but also Ferus.

All three watched Gray reach down and place a hand on Potens' forehead. She began whispering something to herself, each word being louder than the previous. That's when they heard it.

"I don't care what it takes," she started, turning slowly as her rage escalated, "I'm going to kill you." Silence ensued, and everything in the area stopped. The Pokemon that hadn't left watched the scene like they would a soap opera, though not one of them dared to so much as breathe in the brunette's presence.

Suddenly, she threw her left fist forwards and aimed it at her enemy's face.

"Dominic, you will pay for what you've done!"

Folding his arms over his chest, Dominic scoffed at the proclamation while Typhlosion lowered himself to all fours and began snarling at Ferus.

 _"Advena, Potens,"_ Gray thought to herself as she closed her eyes and inhaled. _"I swear, I will avenge you!"_

"Hey."

Ferus turned upon hearing his trainer, and he stared directly into Gray's eyes. He flinched at the bloodlust in them, although he nodded once the message was made clear. They were going to battle, and Dominic was going to suffer.

"Oh, so we're finally doing this," the mercenary taunted, cracking his knuckles as he did so. "Well, let's go then, Gray! Try and kill me!"

Gray didn't need a second invitation, as she quickly placed her hand over the Mega Bracelet on her opposite wrist. Dominic cackled at the decision, pushing Gray's anger to levels she never would've believed to be true.

"Ferus, Mega Evolve!"

Throwing his head straight up, Ferus let out a fearsome roar while the stone encased in the metal sleeve on his neck began to illuminate. The wild Pokemon looking on gasped in shock as Ferus was engulfed in a pink egg of energy. Moments later, it shattered and a rainbow-colored double helix appeared over the Fire-type's head, capping off the transformation.

Typhlosion looked over his opponent and made note of the chest-plate made of bone before motioning for Dominic to attack. As soon as he did so, the Johto Starter began to run towards Ferus.

"Strike with Brick Break now!"

The Fire-type let out a quick grunt in response while his fists began to glow white, and he lunged forwards.

"Ferus, dodge it and use Thunder Fang!" Gray retorted, throwing her arm out to her side.

Obeying without hesitation, the Mega Houndoom hopped to his right and evaded his foe's initial swing. He then turned and opened his mouth, which began to surge with electricity, and chomped down on Typhlosion's left fist. Much to Gray's horror, the larger Pokemon ignored the pain and delivered a wicked right hook that sent Ferus skidding along the gravel and into the water. Despite the power of his foe, Ferus rose and stood in the ankle-deep river while snarling, though that was stopped by Dominic ordering another attack.

"Circle him with Double Team and then use Quick Attack!"

Neither Gray nor Ferus had enough time to react, as Typhlosion and his five clones began to sprint in a circle, each with a streak of white light trailing their path. Their speed picked up exponentially, causing a ring of light to form around Ferus while the river's water splashed in his face and eyes. Lucky for him, Gray saw what was happening and acted quickly.

"Hurry and use Dark Pulse on the ground!"

Ferus reared his head back and shot a powerful blast of black and purple energy from his mouth, which he fired directly at the water. As a result, droplets flew in all directions and pelted Typhlosion and his clones, which slowed them down dramatically, with each rubbing the irritating liquid off their bodies.

"Follow that up with Flamethrower!" Gray roared, her heart nearly flying out of her throat.

Several devastating waves of blue fire smashed into the six Typhlosion, and the real one was sent skidding all the way back to Dominic. The young man smirked while turning to his ace Pokemon, drawing a nod from it before he cracked his knuckles. Ferus spat in response before resuming his staring contest with Typhlosion.

 _"I've already lost to one of you before,"_ the Houndoom thought as flashbacks of the Silver Conference popped into his head. _"So there's no way I'll let some piece of shit like you take me down again!"_

"He's definitely gotten stronger since our last battle, that much I'll admit," the mercenary announced, catching Ferus by surprise. He then received a smile from Dominic, further befuddling the Dark-type while Gray maintained her intensity. "But you're still nothing compared to us. The battle's over, so just admit defeat, and I'll make sure you die painlessly."

Before Gray could so much as move, Ferus hopped in front of her and snapped his jaws repeatedly, shouting, "You don't know what's about to hit you, tough guy! I'll snap your limbs off and stab 'em right through your precious Pokemon!"

Dominic immediately hardened his glare and looked towards the Fire-type by his side, who emitted flames from his neck. The Houndoom's intensity was drowned in the pool of flames, though Gray's wasn't in the slightest. In fact, it was fueled by it.

"Oh, looks like that struck a chord with you, didn't it?" she asked rhetorically. "If only you know my pain, you puppet."

Hunching over angrily, Dominic's glare only become more terrifying, while Typhlosion's face began to scrunch up tremendously. Unaware of the latter's reaction, Gray continued to stare at the man who had been hired to kill both her and Alain, her confidence and rage unwavering.

"Advena and Potens are dead because of you!" she bellowed while pointing directly at Dominic. After a second of thinking, she lowered her hand and voice, stating, "All because of what? Some stupid paycheck that swears your loyalty to some lunatics?"

Dominic continued to hold back his desire to scream, and so did Typhlosion. They began biting their teeth down as hard as they could while breathing rapidly, though Gray continued to speak.

"No, that can't be it. People like you... you're just as sick as them, if not more so."

Dominic's throat began to swell from the pressure of his inevitable explosion.

"You've been like this your whole life, and that's why people will celebrate when I put an end to you."

That did it. Unable to suppress his rage, Dominic exploded.

At that very moment, Typhlosion matched his trainer's emotions, shattering Gray's streak of intensity into millions of pieces while Ferus was left standing as still as a statue. Dominic and his Pokemon continued screaming, their faces turning even more vibrant shades of red than before, and then they punched their right fists at Gray, shouting, "You know nothing!"

The hairs on her neck stood up while chills ran all over her body. Ferus, on the other hand, was glued to the ground. The raw power being released from both trainer and Pokemon was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

"We will kill you!"

Just like that, Typhlosion was engulfed in a tornado of fire that not only pierced the sky, it ascended to the heavens.

Slowly but surely, the swirling fire died down and eventually wrapped itself around Typhlosion while his appearance began to change. His back turned from blue to black, and his hands also changed to match the color of Dominic's jacket. Then, his stomach turned red like the shirt his trainer wore, yet that wasn't all. The final touch to Typhlosion's transformation was a scar running along his right cheek, which became bright red.

"No... no way," Gray whispered, her jaw hitting the ground as Typhlosion dropped to all fours and let out a deafening battlecry.

"Use Brick Break!" Dominic snapped.

In the blink of an eye, Typhlosion reached Ferus and thrusted his right fist forwards. Dealing a wicked blow to the hounds snout, Typhlosion unleashed another roar that shook the ground. Gray paid it no attention, however, as she was too busy watching Ferus fly into the mound of rocks behind her. They shattered in an instant and the Johto Pokemon immediately reverted back to his original appearance, leaving its trainer in silence.

"Typhlosion, grab her by the throat!" Dominic boomed.

Gray gasped as the Johto Starter's hand wrapped around her neck and lifted her off the ground. He then slammed her against the gravel back-first, knocking the wind out of her lungs while Dominic walked over with a sadistic smile.

The wild Pokemon that had been watching earlier were long gone after witnessing Typhlosion's transformation, though there was one that decided to stick around while another, unbeknownst to anyone, meditated in a tree about forty feet away. The conscious one leaned against a tree while sitting in the top branch, her black fur allowing her to blend in with the shadows.

 _"So he's going to get the kill before I do, eh? Not on my watch, he isn't!"_

The Pokemon prepared to intervene, but stopped when she caught a glimpse of purple aura out of the corner of her eye. She turned and looked on with intrigue as the energy swallowed Potens whole.

 _"Hm? Well well well, looks like Potens isn't as weak as I thought. That makes things a lot more interesting."_

Gray, meanwhile, gasped for air like a fish out of water, eliciting laughter from her powerful enemies. They watched on in amusement, genuinely enjoying the struggle she was putting up before finally growing bored.

"Okay, kill her. And make sure she suffers."

 **000**

Potens' eyes forced themselves open and she looked around wildly while rubbing her pounding head. The lighting was dim, unlike when she was last conscious, though she paid it no attention and rose to her feet, albeit with a great deal of effort.

"I see you're finally awake."

Hearing the distinct, booming voice caused Potens to turn slowly, having grown accustomed to hearing it over the months. Resting on the ground about ten feet away was Zennyo, who lifted his head slightly and revealed a relieved smile, which made the Noivern raise an eyebrow for a nanosecond.

"What? Were you getting worried or something?" Potens questioned. Zennyo scoffed at the accusation, though he wasn't able to play it off well. Because of that, his carrier sighed and shook her head. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to go kick the crap out of whoev-"

"I'm aware," the Type-Beast interjected as he began to rise from his resting position. "They killed you, actually."

Potens scoffed at the remark and began to walk away, but Zennyo wasn't about to let that happen.

"Potens!" he called, his voice bouncing off the chamber's walls and burrowing into the aforementioned Pokemon's ears. "Where do you think you're going!?"

The wyvern instantly turned and flew all the way up to Zennyo's nose. She landed on it and stared at the Chinese dragon, who flinched at the intensity.

"I need to save Gray right now! She was completely defenseless against whoever it was that attacked us, and I'm not going to let them so much as lay a finger on her!"

The purple beast marveled at Potens, whose back was now facing him.

 _"She actually means it,"_ he thought while watching her jump and fly towards the exit. _"No, she can't. No one has ever..."_ Zennyo paused, and his mind raced back to the day before, when Potens had been given a brief history of Opelucid City.

 _"I won't let you talk about Zennyo like he's a possession!"_

Potens, the one who wielded his power, had said that. Not someone else, no. It was Potens, of all people.

"I'll make you see the fault in your beliefs when Zennyo and I defeat you to help Gray get her seventh badge."

Potens stopped dead in her tracks while the Chinese dragon let the vow sink in. Moments later, he spoke up after realizing his carrier wasn't going to turn.

"Not once did you make that about herself," he began, causing the bat's ears to perk up. "On the contrary, you were going to defeat Drayden to help Gray and show that Type-Beasts, such as myself, are more than sources of power."

Silence fell over the two once Zennyo's voice stopped echoing, leaving the Dragon-type and the Type-Beast in an awkward situation. Slowly, Potens turned and looked at the fifty foot tall creature with unmatched confidence.

"Yeah? So what?"

"Did you mean that?"

Instead of the silence he was expecting, Zennyo watched as Potens shot off the ground and ascended to be at eye-level with him.

"Of course I do! Gray's dream is to become a Champion, and to make that become reality, she has to win the Unova League!" Potens then cleared her throat and pointed at the god before her. "And you're my friend, Zennyo. There's no chance in hell I'd let some jerk talk about you like that."

The aforementioned Type-Beast blinked once, and Potens, after reaching the ground, smiled.

"Well, I'm off to go save Gray. See-"

She was stopped mid-sentence by Zennyo extending his chained arm as far as he could and making a fist, perplexing the much smaller creature.

" _We'll_ save Gray," he stated as an anxious smirk formed on his face. "Together."

Potens felt the same smirk come over her, and, after nodding emphatically, she ascended and fist-bumped Zennyo.

The two remained still for a few seconds before, Potens turned and flew back to the exit she had approached so many times before. Suddenly, her eyes widened and heart began to race too. Right then and there, the chain around Zennyo's arm snapped, and an enormous smile was displayed by the god as a result.

"Potens," he called as she remained in-place. "Thank you... for everything." The words rang in her ears, yet they never quite registered. "From here on out, we're no longer Type-Beast and carrier. We're partners!" Zennyo roared as he slammed his hands together, stirring up a burst of excitement in Potens.

"Right! Let's go, Zennyo!" she boomed, throwing both arms out to her sides while closing her eyes.

 **000**

Typhlosion, who was foaming at the mouth, while he basked in the euphoria of Gray's life being in his hands - quite literally. He tightened his grasp on her throat, causing the brunette to let out a weak, high-pitched cry that lasted about a second. Dominic laughed from afar and watched with great intrigue, ignoring all else around him.

 _"I guess this is the end,"_ Gray thought as her vision began to become blurry. _"I'm so sorry, everyone. I let you all down."_

Her eyes then started to close, but what she didn't realize was Potens being lifted upright by an immense amount of purple aura. The thick substance then made its way along the ground and eventually over to the dying trainer, as well as Typhlosion.

"Ya know what? Punch a hole through her face, buddy! Brick Break!" Dominic ordered, eliciting a grunt from Typhlosion. Firing his fist at Gray's face, the echidna sneered and enjoyed the waning moments of his opponent's life. He proceeded to close his eyes a second before making contact, though it didn't lower his accuracy.

 _CRACK!_

The sound of Typhlosion's fist hitting its mark echoed throughout the forest, and it resulted in a wicked smirk from the Johto Starter. Opening his eyes to see the shape Gray's face was in, Typhlosion was appalled. A thick coat of purple aura had formed around the Kantonian, seemingly from nowhere, and he attempted to strike again. While Typhlosion continued a string of unsuccessful attacks with Dominic watching, Potens' eyes opened and she immediately locked onto the duo.

Gray, having regained her full state of consciousness, looked to her right and nearly fainted when she saw the Dragon-type.

 _"That can't be. It's impossible!"_

Potens glanced in her trainer's direction and smiled as soon as they made eye-contact, leaving Gray at a loss for words. Meanwhile, inside his chamber, Zennyo broke from his pose and cracked his neck in preparation for what was about to happen. Freely swinging both arms in circles, the Type-Beast suddenly tucked them into his sides and began to roar. Hearing that in her mind, Potens smirked and looked down at the ground.

"Hey, dumbass!" she called, drawing the attention of both Dominic and his Pokemon. The two gasped in shock as Potens, whose body was beginning to change dramatically, let out a menacing roar. "I've had just about enough of you two, so let's put an end to this once and for all! Zennyo, it's show time!"

Crossing her wings in front of her face, the wyvern began to squat while the dark purple aura around her began to swirl. The faster it did, the more intense her roar became, striking the fear of god into both trainer and Pokemon. Gray shared her enemies' feelings, though unlike them, she was unable to move and escape Potens' fury.

A pair of gigantic arms emerged from the pillar of aura, as did two whiskers. Or maybe it was a mustache. Either way, the tiny strands paled in comparison to the two purple eyes that pierced through. Less than a second later, the pillar exploded and standing in Potens' place was a purple Chinese dragon that had to have been about twenty feet tall.

Umbra, who continued watching from a distance, folded her arms over her chest and smirked at the transformation, muttering, "I'm glad I don't have to face that thing."

At that very moment, the other Pokemon snapped out of its meditation and scanned the area. Puzzled by how it wound up there, the creature felt a powerful gust of wind blow at her side, which was where it looked. Upon doing so, their eyes locked onto Potens' transformed state, wowing the Pokemon.

"Hey, wait a second," it said aloud, scratching its chin. "Holy crap! That's Zennyo!"

Dominic and Typhlosion, meanwhile, stood in horror.

Meanwhile, Zennyo began to cough in order to gain his friend's attention, which worked.

 _"Listen, Potens. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, so you need to finish things fast!"_ the Type-Beast shouted.

 _"Not a problem. I won't need more than a minute!"_

Ending the mental conversation, Potens looked down at the ants before her, blood boiling and all.

"Let's see how you like getting picked on by someone that's bigger than you!" she shrieked as she threw her right arm forwards and grabbed Typhlosion. Lifting him as high as she could, the Dragon-type brought her arm to the ground as quickly as possible and threw her opponent. The force of impact was so great a small-scale earthquake ensued, knocking Dominic onto his rear-end.

"Dragon Pulse!"

Widening his eyes upon hearing the attack, the mercenary watched Potens, or whatever the hell she had become, open her mouth and release a blast of draconic energy so large it consumed nearly half the area. Typhlosion had no chance of escaping, nor did his trainer, and both were thrown into the woods as a result of the godly power.

 _"Wow. That was a lot easier than I expected,"_ Zennyo said from his chamber, eliciting laughter from Potens.

 _"You can say that again. If we team up like this at the Unova League, there's no way we can lo-"_

The conversation was cut short when, out of nowhere, Potens' transformation ended. In a matter of seconds, she reverted back to her normal appearance and landed on her feet after falling from above. Pushing it in the back of her mind, she hurried over to Gray's side and helped the eighteen year old to her feet.

"Potens," the young woman said with a smile. "You're... alive!"

She then embraced her Noivern until hearing Ferus groan in pain. They quickly reached the Houndoom's side and Gray carefully placed a hand on his head, smiling the entire time.

"Ferus, are you okay? That was some punch you took," the girl joked, drawing a slight chuckle from the injured Pokemon.

"I should be fine. That was one weird transformation though," Ferus replied, drawing a pair of nods from Gray and Potens. "Anyway, we should get back to looking for Virtus. Who knows where she is by now?"

The brunette nodded in agreement and zapped Ferus back into his Poke Ball before heading towards the area in which Dominic was sent. Both Umbra and the Pokemon that had been meditating during the early stages of the battle pursued. Somehow, before Gray or Potens could leave the area, a familiar figure leaped out of the trees to their left and executed a front-flip.

Landing with its back to them, the Pokemon slowly rose and turned around, confirming its identity.

"Bellator?" Potens spat as she glared at the otter. "What the hell happened to your hair?"

The Water-type looked down at his arms and legs to see their were completely black. Then, looking back up, the creature gave a psychotic smile as it drew a sword handle from its back, and a black ray of energy materialized from it.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, Gray and Potens."

* * *

 **Game over, everyone: Potens used hax. Anyhow, this chapter was... all over the place, and that's a product of the _lovely arc previews_ (sarcasm). I can't even recap this chapter because my brain's fried, so yeah, go read it I guess. With that out of the way, it's FINALLY time for Potens vs Bellator (or Umbra), and boy do I have high expectations for this!  
Speaking of which, I'd like to give you all a heads up about the Unova League: It's going to be LOOONG. As these words were typed, I had yet to officially redo the outline for it, but I think it will last around 10-15 chapters, with some focusing on character interaction, or other storylines that are a product of the league (confusing, I know). As for the format, let me tell you, it's going to be unlike any other I've done or seen on here, so start the countdown! Till next time, peace out.**

 **1\. Virtus meeting Bellator!? What're your thoughts?  
2\. Thoughts on Typhlosion's transformation?  
3\. Who'll win? Potens, or Bellator (Umbra)?  
4\. Would you like to see the next arc focus on the Unova League? (Would discuss location, format to an extent, etc.)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Even with Flare and Plasma's attack subsided, Gray must face another mighty foe in her old Pokemon, Bellator! However, he's nowhere near the same Pokemon. With his goal being to murder Gray and Potens, the latter takes the opportunity to settle a long-standing score! Will Potens be able to defeat the monster she once called a friend?  
_**

* * *

 **Virbank City Arc**

 **Chapter 90: Inner Demons**  
 **Chapter 91: Falling for a Rival! Gray and Who!?**  
 **Chapter 92: Mega Battle 10:** **Greninja vs Blaziken!  
** **Chapter 93: Two Hearts Synchronize**  
 **Chapter 94: Mega Battle 11: Defeat Venusaur!**  
 **Chapter 95: Saffron City Spotlight  
** **Chapter 96: Potens' Resolve**


	89. Mega Battle 9: Potens vs Bellator!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, Virtus, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Greninja appear)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Virtus and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time** **)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus, Bellator, and Umbra appear side by side)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey Now let's get going!**

 **Delta Edge:** _Oh no! I'm innocent I tell you! Innocent! XD Hopefully Potens can beat Bella- I mean, Umbra, though I think you might be surprised with the way things turn out. As for the predictions, they're interesting (Will especially), but there won't be another crossover for the remainder of the story, outside of potential epilogue chapters. And I don't know what you mean by you keeping quiet about the league, but I actually forgot Gray only has six badges XD_

 **Ktap4321:** _Eh, I don't think so. The combination of him, Virtus, and Potens would be too OP. If he did, one of the other two listed would have to leave_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yeah, that's my bad. There wasn't any order I could put the scenes in that actually flowed well, so I picked the best of the bunch (and it failed). Your prediction from, I think, a couple dozen chapters ago is very good. Very, very good. The meditating Pokemon... well, let's just see what it is :P_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _I'm glad you pointed that out. If you go back and read over the scene with "Bellator" and the scene with "Umbra" you should find the answer. If you don't, well, one will be provided at the end of this update :D Virtus meeting Bellator is something I've been wanting to do ever since she was caught, and Umbra will get to showcase her skills in this battle. If I were a reader, I'd pick her over Potens, no doubt. In regards to the league, it's coming up a lot sooner than you think_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Lolol, thanks! I really liked writing the bits about Gray and Dominic snapping, since I felt like they were realistic given the results of their previous meetings. That also was Synchro Typhlosion, which will make Dominic all the more menacing. Bellator meeting Virtus was intended to be really dream-like, and I'm glad that stuck out to you. Thanks again!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Virtus, (f), level 44, ****Double Team, Bounce, Swift, Dual Chop, Drain Punch*, Aura Sphere*** **\- (Mienshao)** **  
** **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)** **  
** **Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

 **Reserves**

 **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
** **Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower** ***, Scald* - (Bibarel)**

* * *

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Gray and Potens."

A gust of wind blew in the aforementioned duo's faces, adding even more force to the threatening statement. The black otter standing before Potens and Gray continued to point the blade at them, its arm remaining incredibly still. Potens immediately stepped forwards, only for 'Bellator' to swing at her.

The Dragon-type hopped backwards and evaded the wicked attack before roaring like a maniac. Gray wrapped her arms around the Noivern's wings, however, and prevented her from charging.

 _"She's just as dumb as I remember. God, how did Bellator put up with her?"_ Umbra thought, maintaining her primal expression. _"Ever since we met them, I've wanted to kill 'em."_

Gray slowly positioned herself so that she stood in-between the wyvern and otter, and she looked at both Pokemon for short moments.

"Bellator, seriously, what happened to you? Not your hair, just you."

Umbra grunted in response, suppressing a wicked smirk, and she began to lower her sword. Gray smiled at the progress and began to walk toward what she thought was her former Pokemon, only for it to swing at her.

"Die!" Umbra screamed as the black blade cut through the air like a knife through hot butter.

Screaming in shock, Gray threw her arms upwards to protect herself, but she was instead saved by Potens. Dragging her trainer back several feet, Potens stepped in front of the brunette and locked eyes with Umbra. Both Pokemon remained silent as they stared at one another with unmatched ferocity, the flames in their eyes igniting the forest. As soon as one would attempt to make a move, the other mirrored it.

"You can't keep pace with me, Potens. You never could, and you never will," Umbra taunted, motioning for the other Pokemon.

Surprisingly, Potens refrained from acting out of emotion, and instead she turned to Gray to whisper something. That proved to be a crucial mistake in a mere nanosecond, as Umbra dashed al the way to Potens' side and hurled her blade.

 _VLOOSH!_

Gray's ears perked up at the sound of water splattering against the ground, as did Potens'. Both of them looked back at where Umbra had been standing, and they gasped for what must've been the millionth time that day. Just like all of the previous times, what the trainer and her trusty Pokemon bore witness to was truly breathtaking.

Yet another familiar figure stood before them, and it had successfully kicked the blade out of the demon's hands. Slowly, it turned and locked eyes with the eighteen year old and her Noivern, who both smiled in an instant.

"Virtus, you're okay!" Gray shrieked as she ran towards the Fighting-type and embraced her while Potens kept a close eye on the black Dewott as it quickly hopped back onto its feet directly from the ground.

Potens let out another powerful screech that nearly burst the Water-type's eardrums.

"Yeah, and it's all thanks to this Pokemon I met!" the Mienshao exclaimed, piquing the interest of Gray, Potens, and especially Umbra.

"Well, we can talk about that later," Gray stated, shutting down her Pokemon. "For now, Potens and I need to deal with Bellator." The Kantonian pointed directly at the feral creature, who seemed to be more of a demon than a being from Earth.

"He's a Pokemon that used to travel with us before we met," Potens added. "I think we told you a little about him, but nothing huge."

Turning to her teammate and trainer, Virtus shook her head and then pointed at Umbra, who raised an eye in suspicion. Then, without warning, the mustelid generated an Aura Sphere attack and fired it.

"Watch," the Unova Pokemon ordered, taking off once she felt confident that Gray would do as she said. Umbra quickly avoided the ball of aura that had been flung at her, but her eyes were unable to track Virtus at the same time, leaving her completely defenseless.

"Take this!" Virtus snapped, slamming her palm against the otter's face before they crashed into the ground. Both members of her audience stared in bewilderment. "See? Bellator wouldn't have gotten hit by that, and he definitely would've used a scalchop!"

Potens continued to shake her head, commenting, "It's official: she went into the forest for five hours, and now she's a nutcase."

Gray, on the other hand, thought over what Virtus had said, and began stroking her chin as she recalled the battles she had participated in with the former ace of her team. Every time an opponent would charge, he was never caught by surprise, and he would always have a hand by a scalchop. Staring at the black-haired otter that was pinned to the ground, the brunette's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god. That's not Bellator!"

"What? Oh great, now I'm the only sane one," Potens whined, folding her arms over her chest. "Look, there's no way there's a Dewott that just so happens to know our names. Seriously, you two are losing it."

Virtus scowled in response and turned to look at Gray who, despite not facing her, gave the impression that she was watching.

"I swear I'm going to kill both of you when I get free! And I'll enjoy watching you suffer!" Umbra bellowed while bucking underneath Virtus. "And Virtus," she began lowly. "When my blade pierces your heart, I can finally be free of that idiot Bellator!"

Silence fell over the area, and the Mienshao turned to her trainer, then her friend. Giving them both a look that said 'I told you so' while she shook her head, Virtus let out a sigh. She then proceeded to place her hand against the back of Umbra's head and closed her eyes.

"Wow! What are you doing, Virtus!?" Potens shouted, causing the mustelid to smile and turn.

Her mouth didn't move a muscle as her hair began to turn white at a furious rate. Gray's eyes widened at the site, as did Potens', though neither could so much as make a sound. With Virtus' hair becoming as white as snow, the faux-Bellator's turned an even darker black.

"Potens, Gray," Virtus began, inhaling deeply as incredible pressure pushed against her chest. "I know how sudden this is, but it's what needs to happen."

The eighteen year old began to shake her head violently as she rushed towards the Pokemon. Virtus looked back towards her trainer and gave a soft smile as Gray squatted and stared her directly in the eyes.

"What the hell's going on? Please, just let us know so we can have an idea of-"

"Gray, when I first saw you crying near the outskirts of Mistralton City, I could tell you had suffered terrible losses," the bipedal Pokemon began, flashing a fond smile as she thought back to that very day. "I knew how you felt, but I didn't know why. I woke up one day in darkness, lost. Then I met you, and..." Tears formed in the Pokemon's eyes, but she refused to wipe them away due to the potential of Umbra breaking loose.

"And you became a part of our family," the Kantonian concluded with a smile, only for the ghost-white Pokemon to shake her head.

"Yes, but that's not what I was going to say." Potens looked on from afar and remained silent. "We formed a bond, the very bond that was the initial cause in your sorrow."

Gray recoiled at the statement and so did Potens. They stared, neither knowing how Virtus had discovered anything about Bellator, or about Synchro Evolution.

"And _that_ bond was the cause of _my_ heartache. Gray, you're probably not going to believe this, but I'm..."

Virtus looked down at Umbra and closed her eyes. Memories she never had poured in, and that's when she knew what she had to do.

"Actually, I think I'll just let you see for yourself, and maybe one of you will have the same reaction I did when I found out about it." She smiled again, leaving Potens and the young woman between them confused. "Thank you both, and everyone else, from the bottom of my heart. It's been an honor to be a part of your team."

Gray sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes while Potens looked on, her face remaining blank as she was too confused to understand what was going on.

"Potens," Virtus called, drawing the bat's attention. "You're the one that saved me from the darkness. I could've ended up like her had I not met you." Pointing at the Dewott that seemed to be made of shadows, the Mienshao smiled and closed her eyes. "Goodbye."

Suddenly, both she and Umbra were enveloped in white and black light, respectively. The two bodies then merged, and even though the intense rays of light flashed right in her eyes, Gray didn't look away. Her mouth was agape and she, along with the Flying-type to her left, watched as the single orb of light began to materialize. It took about two minutes for the light to finally dim, and when it did, Gray and Potens uncovered their eyes.

One single Pokemon stood ten feet away and on the ground Virtus had occupied prior to vanishing. It quickly reached for its face and its eyes went wide. Then turning around to catch a glimpse of its own body, the bipedal creature cracked a slight smile before finally noticing the presence of both females. It sweat-dropped in embarrassment almost immediately while the brunette rubbed her eyes. Peering ahead once again, she was shocked to see that the Pokemon wasn't a figment of her imagination, prompting her to turn towards Potens.

The wyvern stared daggers and proceeded to turn her head away in disgust. Gray sighed at the childlike actions, shaking her head before turning to the other Pokemon. She attempted to speak to the creature, but found herself unable to. Whether it was due to the emotions from their last encounter, or those that had risen right then, she had no idea. All Gray did know was that she couldn't talk.

With the continued silence, the bipedal Pokemon awkwardly shifted its weight from one side to the other until it stopped.

 _"This is... I guess it's what I expected."_

Potens snapped the creature out of its thoughts when she unleashed a booming roar. Locking eyes in an instant, neither of the two so much as drew a breath until Potens finally spoke.

"Bellator," she said while snarling.

The aforementioned otter remained poised despite the fearsome tone ringing in his ears.

"It's weird to see you're a Noivern now," Bellator replied. "When did that happen?"

"Right after you left."

Gray lowered her head and sighed inaudibly, sneaking glances at both Potens and Bellator. The new leader of the team and the former leader. To think how much Potens had grown in such a short period of time was baffling, to say the least.

 _"Come to think of it, had Bellator not left, I doubt Potens would've ever tapped into her potential."_

Gray continued staring at the ground with the thought echoing in her mind, though she was forced to look up when the sound of footsteps entered her ears. Turning halfway, she watched as the Noivern stormed away from her side and closed in on Bellator. Gray then followed and bent her knees, readying herself for a potential conflict between the two.

"We're battling. Now."

Bellator gave a blank stare in response. Upon seeing the reaction, or lack thereof, Gray struggled to contain her laughter, further angering the Dragon-type. Bellator spoke, however, before Potens could explode, saying, "That's fine by me. I've been waiting for this."

Potens rolled her eyes and thought, _"I'm sure you have,"_ and she continued to walk by her former teammate, her eyes set on the area she had just battled in. Gray and Bellator followed closely behind, neither of them talking, though they both shot looks to their sides, examining one another nanoseconds at a time. They eventually reached the opening and Bellator scanned his surroundings, unlike Potens or Gray, both of whom had grown familiar with it despite having only seen it once.

"So is this the place?" the Dewott inquired as he watched the Noivern walk over to the cliff of rocks that had been destroyed during Gray's battle against Dominic. "Huh. It's not what I was expecting, but okay."

His eyes immediately fixated on the river to the right, and he reached for both of his scalchops.

"How are we going to do this?"

Potens glared daggers at Bellator and waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead, the bipedal otter looked in Gray's direction. The Dragon-type cracked her knuckles in response and motioned for Gray to join her, though the eighteen year old continued to stand off to the side of both Pokemon.

"Gray's with me since, you know, I didn't quit," Potens spat, causing her former friend to clench his fists in response. "I mean, that's only fair. Wouldn't you say so?"

Bellator refrained from yelling by exhaling deeply and nodding. Despite the Water-type's composed reaction, his opponent narrowed her eyes and smirked, knowing she had struck a chord. Gray continued to stand still despite Bellator's response, and the sounds of nature filled her ears.

Tranquill and Unfezant chirped from afar while Watchog and Patrat scurried up the trees, eager to get a better view of the looming battle.

"Gray?"

The aforementioned girl snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Bellator, who held back a slight smile.

"Aren't you going to help Potens? After all, _she's_ your Pokemon; I'm just a wild one."

"R-right," Gray stuttered, making her way to Potens' side as she did so. Upon reaching the wyvern, she forced a smile until Potens turned so that her back was facing Bellator. In doing so, she prevented him from reading her lips, which was why Potens positioned herself as such.

"Listen," she began, catching Gray by surprise. "If you're not up for this, then sit out and let me battle by myself." Gray blinked once at the speed of a Slugma, and she stared into her powerhouse's eyes. There was a ferocity in them that had never been present, whether it be in her's, or anyone else's. "I've been training for this moment ever since he left, so if you're not as ready as I am, then don't bother."

The words caused Gray to flinch, and she continued staring at Potens. Her mind raced back to the very night Bellator had left - as it had done countless times before - and she recreated the scene. Potens was the only one that tried stopping him, she was the one that took his departure the hardest, and for good reason.

"I'm going to show him that he was wrong, with or without your help," Potens proclaimed, turning her back to Gray while locking eyes with Bellator.

That's when it hit Gray. The very words Bellator had said still resonating with her. She looked over her Noivern, and the dialogue began to play.

 _"You're not worth my time, Potens. You never were, and you never will be."_

 _"The fact that I even considered you to be a friend shows me just how blind I am."_

 _"We were never friends."_

Both Potens and Bellator, from what Gray could see, were locked in a staring contest. Neither one refused to give in to the other. That had been the case during their travels together, as whenever one would take a step ahead, the other would take two to keep from being behind. It was rather one-sided, however, as Bellator continually shattered expectations and left everyone in awe every time he stepped foot on a battlefield.

 _"Potens always tried keeping up with him, but she never could reach Bellator's level,"_ the brunette thought to herself, looking at both Pokemon.

She could feel the fire burning in Potens' heart.

"Potens, let's do this together." The big-eared bat looked back at her trainer and flashed an ear-to-ear smile. "Bellator, you can have the first move!"

Nodding in response, the blue otter took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles. Without wasting another second, he took off at an unprecedented speed, shocking Gray and her Pokemon.

Reappearing right in front of his target, Bellator wound his right fist back while it was shrouded in a cloud of frost. Hurling it right at Potens' face, the Water-type delivered a wicked blow and sent her flying past Gray and into the pile of rocks. They shattered on contact and turned to dust, though Potens quickly rose to her feet and let out a roar of determination that created a gust of wind.

"That's the spirit, Potens! Use Acrobatics to retaliate!"

Potens extended her wings as far out to her sides as possible and ascended at the speed of light. Then, as she was engulfed in turquoise light, the bat began to fly in a jagged motion before eventually crashing into Bellator. Ramming him into the ground without any concern for her own wellbeing, Potens let out another roar as the land beneath her and her opponent gave in slightly. The Dragon-type then returned to her trainer's side and smirked as she watched Bellator stand up with a few bruises already present, though it didn't look as if he was hampered by, or even aware of them.

Suddenly, he bent his knees and was swallowed by a body of water. Taking to the air like a rocket, Bellator roared and rushed towards Potens.

"Get out of the way with Agility!" Gray countered, throwing her right hand out to her side.

Potens jumped back and barely evaded the Aqua Jet attack, though Bellator didn't relent even as the Noivern took to the air. Speeding towards his target at a breakneck pace while a ring of blue energy spun around Potens' body, Bellator slammed his head into her back, causing Potens to spiral towards the grass down below.

"Recover and use Super Fang!"

While Potens continued to fall like a sack of bricks, Bellator pursued while still using Aqua Jet. Opening her eyes out of nowhere, the Flying-type regained control of her flight and straightened out just before crashing, catching Bellator by surprise. She then turned around and, while her fangs extended, chomped down on Bellator's head as he slammed into her.

All of the Pokemon watching from the trees gasped when they watched the Aqua Jet attack get overpowered by Potens' might. The Noivern proceeded to bite as hard as she could, causing Bellator to grunt in pain. Somehow, he grabbed one of his scalchops and slashed his attacker across the chest. Potens opened her mouth and stumbled back in response while Bellator retreated with concerned expression. As he examined the shape Potens was in, he panted.

 _"Shit, she's so much stronger than before, it's like she's a whole new Pokemon!"_ the Dewott shouted in his head while maintaining a stoic expression. _"I guess I can't hold anything back if I want to win."_

With that, Bellator grabbed his other scalchop and sprinted across the grass. Two blades of water shot out of both shells, and he began to slash at his opponent wildly, though Potens managed to dodge every single one of the attacks, albeit barely. Still, the Unova Starter continued his onslaught until, eventually, he swung both blades straight down in an attempt to spike Potens. Hopping to her side, the wyvern evaded and Bellator found himself defenseless, as both of his scalchops were stuck in the ground.

"Potens, use Dragon Pulse, and don't hold anything back!" Gray screamed.

Doing just as she was told, Potens threw her head forwards and unleashed a body of multi-colored energy that zipped through the air and closed in on its target at the speed of light. The beam turned into a dragon and it snapped its jaws before exploding, creating a cloud of smoke shortly afterwards.

"Nice work! That should do it!" the Kantonian exclaimed, drawing a nod from Potens after she let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Gray watched a high-pressured blast of dark blue water pierce through the smoke and strike her Pokemon, who was sent hurtling through the air as a result. Bellator proceeded to walk out with an unfazed look on his face, leaving Gray in a state of shock. Behind the brunette, Potens slowly pushed herself onto her feet. She was covered in bruises and scratches, and after looking up, she stared Bellator right in the eyes. Gray slowly stepped to the side and allowed both Pokemon to converse without so much as exchanging a word. The looks in their eyes were more than enough to compensate for words, though that didn't stop them from speaking.

"You're a lot stronger than I thought you'd be, Potens. A lot stronger," he said, reemphasizing how greatly his friend had exceeded expectations.

Potens, meanwhile, stared daggers at the otter. Nothing he said reached her. The only thing sitting in her mind was what he had said that night.

 _"You're not worth my time, Potens. You never were, and you never will be."_

She began to curl her lips and snarl, showing her fangs. Seeing that made Bellator open his eyes a bit wider than normal, and he remained silent. The anger - the hate - swelling up inside her reached Zennyo's chamber, and the Type-Beast took notice.

 _"Ah, so he's the one you've been wanting to defeat. I see."_ The Chinese dragon grinned while stretching his now-freed arms, and then slammed both hands together. _"_ _I don't have much energy left, but I'll give you what I can, Potens."_

Meanwhile, Gray looked back and forth at the combatting Pokemon, waiting for someone to make a move. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed and prepared to issue a command, but was cut off when a small ring of purple aura began to swirl around Potens' feet.

"Zennyo?" she whispered to herself before stifling a gasp. Gray knew exactly what her Pokemon was trying to do, and she was going to help.

As it sped up, the ring of aura coated Potens and her eyes slowly began to turn purple as well, though it was a much lighter shade than the energy around the dragon's body.

As the aura continued forming around Potens, Gray stared along with Bellator, the latter's jaw hitting the ground. Turning to face her trainer, Potens' purple eyes locked onto the brunette and looked over her for a second, allowing Gray to see that the aura had taken the shape of a Chinese dragon - or Zennyo - at least in the face. Then, once the aura stopped climbing up the Noivern's body, her pupils returned, as did the whites of her eyes. However, the color remained purple, and she shot a fearsome look at Bellator.

With that, Potens' jaws unhinged like those of a snake and she began to roar so powerfully, a gale force wind was created, making it difficult for the Dewott to remain at such a close proximity.

 _"What is this power?"_ he asked himself while looking over the Noivern before him. _"Is that... is that Potens?"_

A deafening roar ensued, and the winged creature raised her hand to point right at the Water-type.

"I am NOT going to lose this battle!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, sending chills down the spines of Gray and Bellator. "No matter what it takes, I will beat you!"

With that, Potens rocketed forwards and Bellator found the air escape his lungs before he could even blink. Soaring upwards, the Unova Starter looked an inch to his right and found himself paralyzed by the purple eyes belonging to his opponent. Potens then let go of him, only to grab Bellator by the head with her tail.

"Aaagghh!" she roared, descending like a bomb.

In an instant, the Noivern started to spin like a wheel, and she threw Bellator into the ground so violently that the ground shattered and a cloud of dust shot up, swallowing the entire area.

Gray covered her face for nearly five minutes to the sound of Potens roaring like a maniac, and she waited to hear even the slightest sound from Bellator. When it didn't come, she uncovered her face and, despite the dust still not settling, searched for her former Pokemon.

"Bellator? Bellator! Are you okay?" Gray shouted. She began to cough up a lung as the dust entered her throat, but that didn't stop the brunette from searching. Dropping to the ground and crawling, Gray eventually stumbled upon Bellator's body and picked him up. Rushing out of the area while Potens' rampage continued, the Kantonian suddenly tripped over a root and hit the dirt, though her grip on Bellator remained.

Falling on her shoulder, she opened her eyes and smiled when the otter's opened as well.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked right away.

Bellator stared in silence. The blank look in his eye unnerved the eighteen year old, and he slowly rolled out of her arms to stand up.

"Why?" he questioned.

The young woman didn't speak, instead choosing to watch Bellator closely. He continued, however. "Why did you protect me, Gray?"

Turning to face the aforementioned trainer, Bellator stared at her intently until she shrugged. The nonchalant nature of her response drew anger from the Water-type, and he punched a tree as hard as he could. Hanging his head afterwards, the middle-staged Pokemon went quiet even though he heard Gray moving towards him.

"It's because I love you."

Everything went still as the words left Gray's lips. For as short as the sentence was, its significance was massive, and Bellator felt an anchor fall upon his shoulders.

"Even though you left - the terms were terrible, no doubt - because you thought we were holding you back, I knew you never really meant it. There were so many other factors with Teams Flare and Plasma, us losing to Hugh and Greninja, and..." Gray paused, and Bellator turned to give her a confused look.

Thinking over the battle against her rival in Driftveil City, Gray ran a hand through her hair. Bellator and Potens were the last two remaining on her side, and Greninja was Hugh's final Pokemon. Before he activated Synchro Evolution, Greninja wasn't able to keep up with Potens. Not Bellator, it was Potens.

 _"That's why he left! Seeing Greninja, his biggest rival, struggle with Potens, his closest friend..."_ Gray shook her head and snapped out of her thoughts.

"And with how strong Potens was becoming, you started to feel weak. And all of the memories of you being sent back to Professor Juniper's came rushing back, so I get it, and I don't blame you for leaving, Bellator."

 _"That's the Gray I know,"_ a feminine voice said in Bellator's head. _"That's the Gray we know,"_ it iterated, correcting its speech before a series of memories flashed before the Dewott's eyes, none of which he had been a part of. The Mistralton Gym, Twist Mountain, and a battle against Hugh were the most prominent scenes, with the last burning in Bellator's retina.

He had flung an Aura Sphere attack at Greninja's Water Shuriken, and the emotions from the battle were running high. He wasn't going to lose, he wasn't going to let Gray lose.

Opening his eyes, Bellator exhaled calmly and turned away from the brunette that had rescued him, perplexing her.

"Where are you going?" the Kantonian questioned nervously, knowing full-well what the looming answer was.

Bellator turned with a slight, confident smile, and he spoke without hesitation.

"Potens isn't the only one that's been waiting for this battle, and I'm not about to walk away from the toughest challenge I've ever faced."

Gray blinked once and watched as the Dewott strolled back towards the destroyed area where he and Potens had been battling. He stopped, however, and spun on his heels before locking eyes with Gray. The young woman ran forwards and smiled at her former Pokemon. For a second, she could've sworn she had seen Virtus standing in his place, but upon taking another look, it was Bellator.

"You're not going in alone, buddy."

The words nearly knocked the Water-type over, and he watched as Gray slowly reached for something on her belt. Then, extending her hand, the Unova Starter's eyes widened when he saw a Poke Ball pointed at him. Looking Gray in the eyes, he saw unwavering confidence, leaving him in awe for what felt like an eternity.

How could she have put everything behind her already?

Suddenly, Bellator cracked a smile, and he raised his right arm.

"Gray, we're gonna win this together."

The young woman slowly blinked once as she recalled hearing those exact words at some point in her life. Blinking for a second time, Gray flinched. She was no longer in the woods near Opelucid City. Far from it, actually.

Deafening roars echoed through the stadium filled with nearly a hundred thousand rabid fans. Yet, despite the absurd amount of people watching her, Gray paid them no attention, and instead had her eyes fixated on none other than Fortis. Behind him, she saw a colossal beast with white fur and green hands: Mega Abomasnow.

Oddly enough, Gray wasn't the slightest bit rattled by the circumstances. The four scoreboards hanging overhead showed that both she and her opponent, Trentavious, were down to their final Pokemon. That's when she heard it.

"Gray, we're gonna win this together."

Fortis extended his fist.

After blinking her eyes again, she found herself staring at Bellator, and a smile spread across her face, just like it had during the Indigo League.

"You bet, buddy. Let's show 'em how strong we are!"

Bellator's fist connected with the Poke Ball.

* * *

 **Wait... wat? Virtus and Umbra's disappearance makes no sense, right? Well, for now, I guess. You'll understand later. Also, that battle was... a letdown. Again. No need to worry though, because Bellator and Potens WILL battle next chapter! Huzzah! Speaking of next chapter, it will focus on what's going on with Bellator (like how the hell he actually became a thing again), and the group will also get to see him again! Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Why the hell did Virtus and Umbra turn into Bellator? Anyone? (Hint: Yin and Yang)  
2\. Are you surprised Bellator's back?  
3\. Did you like the parallels between Fortis and Bellator (the scene at the end)? Why, or why not?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Inner Demons**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Back aboard Gray's team and continuing his battle against Potens, a war of emotions rages on in Bellator's mind. Will Bellator overcome these strange influences, or will his demons of the past haunt him?_**

* * *

 **Virbank City Arc**

 **Chapter 91: Falling for a Rival! Gray and Who!?**  
 **Chapter 92: Mega Battle 10:** **Greninja vs Blaziken!  
** **Chapter 93: Two Hearts Synchronize**  
 **Chapter 94: Mega Battle 11: Bellator vs Venusaur!**  
 **Chapter 95: Saffron City Spotlight  
** **Chapter 96: Potens' Resolve**


	90. Inner Demons

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (Unicus, Bellator Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear alongside Gray)  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as images of Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, and Hugh and Greninja appear)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Umbra's and Virtus' faces overlap, and Bellator appears with gray eyes and fur)  
Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)  
Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (The screen splits and half of Potens' face appears next to half of Zennyo's)  
Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Greninja and two other Pokemon appear behind Bellator)  
Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (The Unova Champion and Gray smirk at each other)  
Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Oh boy. Lots of explaining to do in the end A/N, so please make sure to read that. I will say right here that it explains to an extent why the chapter turned out the way it did - even though I like this version a lot more than what was planned - so I'd like to apologize to anyone that finds this underwhelming. Anyhow, let's get going** **!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Oh, really? I wasn't expecting a reaction like that. Umbra is, in a way, similar to a Type-Beast, though she isn't one. Technically, she and Bellator are the same, but she became her own person. If you read over most of the other responses from everyone, you'll find out what Umbra really was. And thanks a ton! The support means a lot :)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yes, yes they are (and they do too). Thanks! I've been looking forward to this battle for a long while, and the Naruto vs Sasuke comparison is an interesting one (and I really see it now that you mention it). I've always wanted to have a battle set up like that one in one story or another, so if I do end up making another, there will most likely be a battle/duel between two characters that resembles the battle between Naruto and Sasuke_

 **JustinThePokemonMaster:** _Why are you crying, senor? And there was a bit that you missed, but not too much_

 **Delta Edge:** _Yeah, Chapter 94's is going to be Bellator's comeback, though his return wasn't at all intended to mirror Fortis' (in that there was no violence), it was more so to mirror him reconnecting with Gray, just like Fortis did_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Mobile typing is death. And thanks! I originally planned on putting this chapter and the previous together, but it felt right having things end the way they did. I also really wanted to showcase the old Bellator everyone came to know and love before he left. However, while he'll have a prominent role, I feel like his return's going to let me focus on how the others react to his presence, which should be fun!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Team Potens is the way to go, but Team Bellator's going to make a bunch of really cool promises that tempt you XD Trump Bandwagon tho RIP Rereading those chapters definitely helped stir up those feelings. no doubt about that. In regards to your first answer, that's spot-on, and will be confirmed later on in the Virbank Arc. Thanks for the review!_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _I know what you mean, but I looked over the ways I could've wrapped up Bellator's story (for lack of a better term) and none of them actually did what I wanted them to. When was the last time Celsus and Dicax were shown? Chapter 88. They'll be getting more battling time though, with the latter being in both Gyms while Celsus will be in one. I also like the thought you had with Fortis and Bellator!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Lolol, you actually have said that twice, and it was about Fortis and Ferus XD Although, I can't help but feel the same way as you right now, since this is easily the best overall team Gray has had, especially when you have to consider Furcifer's return, plus Citeria getting his chance to shine. Unlike Kanto and Johto, which relied on the same two and three Pokemon, respectively, this group can count on (in my opinion) every single member of this team since they've all come up big within recent memory. Your explanation of Umbra is the most accurate (props, sir) of all, and the passing of the torch is such a cool way to view it. Wow, I can't get that out of my head now!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 50, Razor Shell, Ice Punch, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, X-Scissor, Aqua Jet* - (Dewott)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)** **  
**

 **Reserves**

 **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)** **  
**

* * *

"Where are you, Bellator!?" Potens boomed as she descended and sped through the forest. Spreading both wings wide, the Noivern let out short snarl, spun out of the way of a branch, and looked from left to right at a frenetic frequency. "You're not running away again, are you!?"

Flocks of Tranquill and Unfezant burst out of the trees, all squawking wildly and at the same time as Potens rushed through their living quarters. Eventually, Potens' speed decreased and she returned to the site of the battle, only to realize Gray wasn't there. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, scanning the area carefully before preparing to ascend and search for her trainer from the skies. The winged creature stopped, however, when she caught a glimpse of something - or someone - moving from inside the ocean of trees. Three seconds later, Gray waltzed her way out into the open.

"Where is he?" Potens interrogated, causing her trainer to stop on a dime.

Gray stared at the Noivern intently before resuming her stroll to the side of the grassy area. Once she reached her destination, the brunette inhaled deeply and reached for her belt. Just before her hand could fall on Bellator's Poke Ball, something grabbed her wrist and jerked her.

Gasping at the same time as she widened her eyes, Gray turned to her right and stared in confusion. Nothing was there, yet she still felt a quintet of fingers wrapped around her wrist. She then shifted her focus back to Potens and noticed the Dragon-type had yet to break her gaze.

"Did he do something to you? I swear, I'm going to kill-"

"No!"

Potens flinched and felt Gray's words bouncing around in her ears, making her focus on the brunette. Her eyes were drawn to a slight flash of light, and the weight of a truck fell on Potens' heart. Watching the spherical device leave Gray's hand and spin through the air, the Kalos Pokemon nearly exploded when Bellator materialized.

Bellator slowly looked up from where he was standing and locked eyes with Potens, cracking a slight grin as he did so. The Water-type then reached for his scalchops and held them out to his sides all while turning to Gray.

"I know you're going to be mad, Potens, but Bellator's officially back," Gray announced.

The words zipped out of their creator's mouth and slammed directly into Potens' stomach, knocking the wind right out of her lungs. Unable to speak or do anything else, for that matter, Potens shifted her intense glare from her trainer to the Dewott opposing her as he began walking forwards.

"That's right," he said, reaffirming the Kantonian's words. "And even though we're teammates again, Potens, we're going to finish this battle!" Bellator roared.

The weight that had fallen upon the Noivern's heart vanished in an instant.

"And there's no way in hell I'm going to go easy on you, so get ready!"

Again, Potens flinched. Frozen by the oddly-hard-hitting words, she eventually shook her head and snapped out of the crippling effect. As soon as she did so, Potens threw her wings out to her sides and sent a powerful gust of wind Bellator's way. The Dewott continued to smirk as he experienced his teammate's power first-hand, but that didn't stop him from taking a battling stance.

Gray, meanwhile, stood off to the side of the area and looked at both of her Pokemon with an enormous smile.

"The battle was stopped with my attack, so it's your turn, Bellator," Potens decreed, snapping Gray out of her gleeful trance. "You better make it count."

The two stared each other down in silence while their trainer attempted to prepare herself for commanding both sides. Seconds later with her composure at its height, Gray cracked her knuckles and spoke.

"Bellator, you heard her! Take off and use Aqua Jet!"

Not even a second passed between when Gray spoke and Bellator acted, making Potens - and even Gray herself - stumble backwards. A cloak of water danced around the Dewott's body as he sped through the air and crashed into Potens. The force of impact caused her to skid along the grass, though not much damage was done due to Zennyo's energy surging through Potens' veins.

"Retaliate with Dragon Pulse, Potens!" Gray commanded as Bellator landed three feet away from his opponent.

Doing just as she was told, the big-eared bat reared her head back and released a multi-colored blast of energy from her mouth. It quickly turned into the shape of a Chinese dragon and snapped its jaws on Bellator, exploding a second afterwards. As a small body of smoke covered the site of the attack, Gray watched as her Dewott was thrown along the ground, only to come to a stop when he crashed into a tree.

Despite the horrible pain, Bellator rose to his feet. He had no time to relax, as a blade of wind emerged from the smoke and struck him.

"Gah!" the Dewott cried as he was hurled back against the tree he had just moved away from. While he continued to fight against the excruciating pain coursing through his body, Bellator lifted his gaze and watched Potens march his way.

"What's wrong, Bellator? I thought you said you weren't going to hold anything back."

The words stung, and the blue-haired otter snarled while narrowing his eyes. If Potens really wanted a fight, then she'd get it. Her opponent had no plans of backing down, and she only fueled the fire burning deep in his soul. No one was going to talk to him like that, especially if they weren't nearly as strong as their ego led them to believe.

 _"Yes! Feel the hatred, Bellator!"_ a demonic voice hissed from within the aforementioned Pokemon's head.

The owner of said voice was none other than Umbra. She was standing with her arms folded in the middle of an odd room, which had black walls on one half and white ones on the other. Two pairs of titan-sized doors that faced each other, one being black and the other white - just like the walls - drew the shadow-haired otter's attention. Even the tiles she was standing on were black, but there was a clear line where they turned white.

 _"Don't show Potens any mercy! If she's going to disrespect you in spite of the fact that the two of you were best friends, then all bets are off!"_

The amount of black tiles began to increase, and the previously-white walls had turned the opposite color. In a matter of five seconds, everything had turned black except for one small area in the middle of what had been the white tiles. Standing inside the zone was a white Dewott, which made Umbra snicker.

"You're really pathetic, Virtus. Sure, you may have gotten me back in here, but look at yourself! You're already at my mercy! Hahahaha!"

Meanwhile, Bellator was kneeling on the ground and snarling like a rabid animal. Potens had stopped dead in her tracks and kept both eyes on the Unova Starter, as did Gray. Suddenly, Bellator's neck snapped upwards and looked through his teammate.

"AAGGHH!"

Rocketing his fist forward, the Dewott punched Potens in the face, sending her flipping through the air like a rag-doll until she skidded to a halt. Taking to the sky as quickly as she could, Potens watched in horror as Bellator suddenly dropped to all fours and let out another feral roar. Water shot up around him and started to take shape.

From the claws at the end of his hands and feet, to the tail and two ears protruding back from his head, it was almost as if Bellator was developing the actual characteristics of a fox. Once two small fangs stuck out of his mouth, the beast let out another roar, though it sent chills down the spines of Gray and Potens.

 _"This is the same transformation he underwent against Alain and Charizard!"_ Gray thought to herself in shock after looking over Bellator and his familiar form.

"Potens!" he screamed, snapping the brunette out of her mental conversation. She then watched as Bellator ascended like a jet, using the water surrounding his body as a thruster. "I'm going to destroy you!"

Unable to react quickly enough, the Noivern watched as Bellator's front arms turned into blades of water. He proceeded to strike her over the head with both at the same time, and just like that, she was sent spiraling downwards. Once she struck it, everything went dark.

 **000**

A sliver of light pierced through the shadows. As the former extended its hand further, the darkness fled.

Potens lifted her head and examined her surroundings. There was an abundance of trees, and a small river - if one could even call it that - ran through and over gravel. The Noivern could hear everything, see it too. Hell, she could smell the dirt and even taste it. Only one of her sense wasn't working.

She felt no pain, or anything, for that matter. The ground, though she was laying on it, was otherwise absent. The wind that was whipping as a result of her impact with the Earth's surface seemed to go around - and not strike -her body. Even Gray's hand, which she saw was on the side of her face, had been lost.

"Thank Arceus you're okay," Gray whispered to herself before pulling out a Full Restore and spraying Potens with it. "I was so worried, I thought you..." The brunette wiped a tear from her cheek and forced a smile. "That doesn't matter. You're fine now."

Potens nodded slowly and sat upright, only to see Bellator lying facedown on the ground. The fox cloak was no longer present, and he didn't move a muscle. That changed in a mere moment, however, when Gray also sprayed him with a Full Restore, allowing Bellator to sit up just like Potens.

"What... what happened?" he asked while rubbing the back of his head, clearly dazed from the transformation.

Gray felt Potens' eyes and sweat-dropped sheepishly when the newly recaptured Pokemon before her stared and waited for an answer. Wiping her brow with her arm, the brunette sighed and looked at both Bellator and Potens.

"You turned into that fox thing again," she stated. Bellator's mouth shut instantly and he stared at the ground, hanging his head while doing so.

He drew his teammate's attention, but Bellator continued to hang his head, seeming to be distraught.

"As soon as you hit Potens, the water disappeared, and your whole body went limp," Gray concluded, running both of her hands through her hair repeatedly. "Well, that's enough of that. We're heading back to the Pokemon Center right now. Return!"

The two powerhouses were struck by separate beams of red light, and they disappeared inside their respective Poke Balls, leaving Gray by her lonesome. As she started her way back to Opelucid City, the brunette looked up at the clear sky and shuddered underneath the sun's rays.

* * *

 **I won't talk about this chapter because there isn't much I can say. Instead, I'll talk about the important info I mentioned in my beginning A/N.  
There shouldn't be an update between Wednesday-Friday/Saturday because I have to fly out to my college for orientation. When I get back home I'm heading out again, because I'm moving across the country to Arizona. That's a three day drive, so there will be meager time for writing between now and July 8th.  
Basically what I'm trying to say is expect only an update or two over the next two weeks. Once the move's over though, I plan on finishing this story (30ish chapters) by mid-August, so updates will hopefully be going out like rapid-fire. Of course, that's just a goal and not in anyway a promise.  
** **Thanks for reading the note, and here's to hoping I can produce some content for y'all despite the hectic schedule!**

 **1\. Based on the preview below, who do you think the rival is? (Hint: You've met him before)  
2\. I've also decided I won't focus on rewriting ALL of Owen's Kanto journey. With that being said, I'm leaning towards rewriting bits of EACH of Owen's stories, the focus being mainly on Kanto and Kalos. Thoughts? (Hold nothing back/Be honest)**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Falling for a Rival! Gray and Who!?**_ ** _"_**

 ** _With the group having arrived in Virbank City due to the attack on Opelucid, Gray and her Pokemon train for their looming Gym Battle. However, Bellator's presence doesn't go over well and he leaves, only to run into a trainer who is somehow connected to Gray. When the two meet, the young man proposes a battle in order to unify Gray's team, catching Gray's eye! Will her team be able to work together and overcome their differences?_**

* * *

 **Virbank City Arc**

 **Chapter 92: Mega Battle 10:** **Greninja vs Blaziken!  
** **Chapter 93: Two Hearts Synchronize**  
 **Chapter 94: Mega Battle 11: Bellator vs Venusaur!**  
 **Chapter 95: Saffron City Spotlight  
** **Chapter 96: Potens' Resolve**


	91. Falling for a Rival! Gray and Who?

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (** **Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)** **  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as Furcifer leaves and Advena dies)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (** **Unicus, Bellator, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear alongside Gray** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Hugh and Greninja appear on one half of the screen while another trainer and his Blaziken appear on the other half)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (** **Bellator's and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus and Umbra stand behind Bellator)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (A boy sitting in a tree looks out at the ocean and pictures Owen and Gray)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Buongiorno, principessa! That's about all the Italian I can remember, but I don't care, I hated that class anyways (because I'm a goon). First, I'd like to make note of some changes in the song above, so yeah, there's that :P Anyways... last chapter was the anticlimactic conclusion** **of the battle between Potens and Bellator. I can come up with reasons for why it wasn't good, but it ultimately comes down to me, and I've realized the past few chapters have actually been terrible. Do you know what that means? That's right, dear reader that didn't guess: It's time for me to get my ass in gear. This chapter will focus on Gray's team interacting and planning for the League, a new rival, and a potential love triangle! Now let's get going!**

 **Rales Mckoy:** _I take full blame for that. I don't have an excuse. There will be another battle between those two, however, and Bellator will have Synchro down pat, so hopefully that can live up to the hype. The result of the previous chapter's battle won't initially rear its head (I think), but I can assure you it'll pop up in 93. There won't be significant changes made to Owen's travels either. I'll most likely end up redoing a League battle or two... although Kalos could be completely revamped. Also, thanks a lot! Everything's been chaotic between graduation (last Friday) and having to move, so it means a lot :D_

 **dragonplayer18:** _RIP That pun was too strong XD You're really close (or would've been. I'll explain in the end A/N) with the rationale behind your guess, but it won't be Marcus. As for Umbra, she's Bellator's evil side, and Virtus was his good side. I'll go into more detail eventually, but for now, I'll leave it at that ;) And the support is much appreciated!_

 **Delta Edge:** _Well, thank you! I honestly thought I'd miss Virtus, but I don't, oddly enough. Maybe it's because Bellator is/was one of my four most favorite characters (trailing Ariel and Frank, tied with Ferus), so that's probably it. And thank you! It sucks leaving everything on one side of the ocean (I'm from NJ), but college starts in August, so it was inevitable :/ I can't tell if you censored yourself or not (lol), but Heros is... an amazing guess. Fun fact, he was actually supposed to be in the rewrite of Owen's Kanto trek! (He might be in Kalos now, though) Hoenn... that was, overall and in my opinion, the second worst region I did. I never loved it in Ruby or Sapphire like a lot of people, but it's such a cool region... I'm in a weird spot, man! XD_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _It was definitely too short, but thanks! The battle between Umbra and Virtus (or light and dark) will make for a pretty interesting subplot, and y'all will be seeing Bellator's light transformation eventually. And (again) thanks! Everything went well, but it's great to be back :D_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _Eh... I wouldn't say they've become rivals yet, though they're on their way. In regards to Umbra, Bellator will most definitely have to hold her off during battles, although the light side won't be much better. Rewriting Unova... I love that idea (and rewriting them all)! I'll probably end up focusing on that, Kanto, and Kalos more than the others - if at all - and thanks! Orientation was awesome, but moving's going to blow big time :/_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Was it really even a battle? But Trent... Treeeeent! YES! I love Trent more than every rival Gray's had (except Hugh, who is the peoples' champ), but he won't be appearing... at least not yet ;) As for Owen's journey, it's a combination of the grammar, the battles being utter trash, and the desire to go back and write about him XD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 50, Razor Shell, Ice Punch, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, X-Scissor, Aqua Jet* - (Dewott)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)** **  
**

 **Reserves**

 **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Hello, Virbank City! How is everyone doing today!?"

The question echoed in the wind and city, leaving the speaker waiting with an awkward expression plastered on their face. Laughter ensued, and whoever it was that had spoken turned while scowling. Their eyes fell on a quartet of familiar figures, though the look on their face didn't soften. On the contrary, actually.

"Jeez, Unicus, what crawled up your butt and died?" Potens questioned, drawing a pair of laughs from the Girafarig and Mawile, while Citeria's face puckered up.

"Miss Potens, that is no way to talk to one of yur pals," the friendly Bibarel proclaimed, only for Potens to wave him off as she walked over to Unicus with a grin and playfully punched her in the shoulder. "Oh, that was one of them good ol' jokes, right?"

The Sandslash and Noivern nodded while sweat-dropping, but they turned their respective gazes to Celsus when he trotted out across the battlefield, whinnying as he did so while saying, "I'm not gonna lie, I'm really happy we're not in Opelucid City anymore. That place gave me the creeps."

"Same here," Dicax added. "I don't know what it was, but something was off about that place."

The others nodded and went silent as they looked out over the industrial power plants of Virbank City and at the rising sun, unaware of their final teammate's presence. Bellator was perched on the roof of the Pokemon Center all by his lonesome, and he too was staring out at the sunrise, listening to every word his friends were saying.

"So," Celsus began, drawing the attention of everyone, including Bellator. "Why do you think Fortis and Ferus wanted us out here this early?" Silence fell over the group and Unicus, Potens, Dicax, and Citeria looked at one another.

Shrugs ensued and elicited a groan from the Girafarig. Instead of hanging his head, the Normal-type stared at Dicax, prompting his teammates to do the same until Dicax looked at each of them sheepishly. "What are you looking at me for?" he asked.

Unicus rolled her eyes and scampered over to the Steel-type's side, placing an arm around him before whispering, "C'mon, Dicax! We know you can solve this!"

"Yeah, this here ain't nothing compared to the other stuff you've... uh..." Citeria paused and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, I can't think of a good verb, but you know what I mean."

The Mawile glanced towards Potens and saw that she had the same hopeful look twinkling in her eyes, making him sigh before conceding defeat. Cheers followed, but were quickly silenced when a random trainer from inside their room at the Pokemon Center screamed.

Out of all the Pokemon, the only one to not react was Bellator, who continued sitting and staring at the enormous ball of fire rising over the horizon at an alarming rate. He then closed his eyes, reached for both of the scalchops on his thighs, and turned while blades of water shot out of the handles.

Two figures stepped out from the stairway that led to the roof, and Bellator let out a calmed sigh. He proceeded to place both of the scalchops back on his thighs and immediately returned to his original position of sitting on the edge of the building. The duo that had arrived exchanged confused glances before they both cautiously walked over to Bellator.

"Hey, we want you to come down to the battlefield," the larger of the two stated while flapping their wings.

"And no, this wasn't organized by Gray. We did it," Ferus added, drawing a nod from Fortis. "So come on and just humor us, Bellator. Please."

The Dewott slowly turned his head and locked eyes with his elders. It had only been two days since he rejoined Gray, yet it felt like an eternity. He had never left.

"Sure, that's not a problem for me," the powerhouse announced, rising to his feet as he did so. "Do you mind if I ask what it's about?"

The members of Gray's Kanto and Johto teams didn't answer. Instead, they both jumped down from the roof. Fortis quickly grabbed ahold of Ferus' tail just before the quadruped could hit the ground, and then he waited for Bellator to follow suit. Seconds passed and he eventually turned angrily, only to find the Dewott standing a few feet away, staring at him.

Unicus, Potens, Celsus, and Dicax immediately glared at their teammate. Ferus turned, sensing the harsh looks, and then glanced back at the Water-type. His expression softened in an instant, and he sat down while clearing his throat.

"Listen up, and listen well," he ordered, snapping the attention of the group of younger Pokemon his way. "Fortis and I organized this meeting because we know you're really close to qualifying for the Unova League, and we think we can help out."

A collective grunt from the Unova team trailed the statement, and they watched as Fortis started to pace back and forth.

"Look, we both know that you still need to win two badges, but that doesn't take much time at all. Trust me, it goes by in a flash," the Flygon said, snapping his fingers as he uttered the last two words. "Now's the time where Ferus and I are going to help Gray come up with training regimens for each of you, and you'll all be pushed to your absolute limits."

Unicus' face dropped in horror while Potens folded her arms over her chest and stared at her mentor intently. Dicax and Celsus refrained from sighing as neither wanted to face the wrath of Ferus, who was looking for obnoxious reactions. Unlike the others, Citeria smiled and sat on his rear-end like an idiot.

"This team's a lot better than mine was," Ferus began all of a sudden as he stood up, "and while I can't speak for Fortis, I'll assume it's the same case with his."

The Ground-type nodded, prompting his friend to continue.

"That's exactly why we're going to work you guys into the ground. You have a _real_ chance at winning the Unova League, and I'm sure you all would like to see your hard work pay off with a championship, right?" the Houndoom inquired, eliciting a series of cheers and claps from the five Pokemon that weren't Bellator, himself, or Fortis.

"What kind of question is that, Ferus? Of course we'd want to win the League! We'd be the strongest in all of Unova!" Unicus exclaimed, only for the aforementioned Fire-type to snap at her.

"That's not why you battle!"

Each of the younger Pokemon recoiled while Fortis eyed the hound sheepishly, thinking _"Damn, calm down. We're not trying to look like Durus here."_

The Houndoom continued to snap his jaws as if he were getting ready to rip Unicus apart, making the Sandslash and her teammates back away in fear.

"You're supposed to battle for _others_! Not yourself!" Ferus boomed, stomping his front right paw as he shot an enormous body of fire towards the sky in a fit of rage. "Tell me something, all of you! Who's the one that's gotten you all this far? Who's willing to protect you no matter what? Huh? Tell me!"

Panting after his tirade, Ferus shook his head in disgust and walked away from Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria with one thought in mind: _"Wow, I really sound like Durus right now. Oh no! What's happened to me!?"_

While the younger Pokemon stood in silence - the only parts of their body that moved were their eyelids - Fortis folded his arms over his chest and coughed to grab their attention. After failing on his first attempt, the dragonfly coughed for a second time. Once he watched each of gazes aimed his way, he spoke.

"I'm not going to go off like Ferus, and I'll make my bit short and sweet. Seriously, think about the answer to his two questions."

Fortis began to walk towards Unicus and he placed a hand on her head, freezing the shrew dead in her tracks.

"Unicus, who raised you from an egg all the way to what you are now? Who brought you along to Unova when they could've left you back at their home?"

Ferus glared at the Sandslash while the latter's teammates looked on intensely, each wanting to hear the answer.

"Gray did. Gray could've left me, but she didn't."

"Who helped you protect the abandoned Pokemon of Castelia City, Celsus?" Ferus questioned, spitting each of the words as if they contained venom. "Who didn't hesitate to do that even when they had to worry about getting badges and stopping Team Flare?"

This time, the Girafarig found himself at the center of attention, and he hung his head in shame.

"Gray. Gray put my needs in front of her own even when I was a wild Pokemon."

The eldest two nodded emphatically and turned to Dicax before deadpanning. Neither knew how he was caught, nor did they know a thing about his past, and the Fairy-type was fully aware. Just as he prepared to crack a victorious grin, the Mawile was clobbered by the might of plot convenience.

"Who was the _one_ trainer that was willing to talk to you instead of battle?" Fortis quizzed, leaving the intelligent Pokemon before him at a loss for words. Suddenly, he found one.

"Gray."

"Citeria, who carried you back to the Pokemon Center even after she thought you attacked her? And who was the one that helped stop the Pokemon framing you?"

The bubbly Pokemon patted his stomach and flashed a toothy grin, lightening the mood a bit.

"Well, I'd be hard-pressed to find an answer other than Miss Gray. I am forever in her debt, and that's why I'm present for this meeting," the Bibarel announced, putting a smile on Fortis' and Ferus' faces.

At the same exact moment, both of Gray's previous powerhouses turned to their successors and eyed them intently.

"Potens, who looked for you in the middle of the night in Castelia City even when you didn't listen? Who brought me- no, _Fortis_ back to help you reach your potential?" Ferus interrogated, his second question catching the Noivern by surprise.

She looked around at the others and waited for them to confirm the information, though they lacked the knowledge. Suddenly, Fortis nodded after turning to look his pupil in the eyes. The Dragon-type's eyes began to swell slightly, but she bit her lip and turned away quickly, drying the tears.

"She really brought you two back to help train me?"

Ferus shook his head at the question and groaned in agitation before saying, "No. She brought me back to help train all of you. Fortis stayed because Gray wanted you to learn under his tutelage."

Once again, the elder Dragon-type nodded in support of his friend's claim. "So, Potens, who was the person that did those things?" Fortis asked coldly.

The wyvern flinched and forced out the first name that came to her mind. "Gray. I'll never know why she ever looked for me in Castelia City," she said.

"Sure," Bellator interjected, catching a fearsome scowl from Potens as a result. The Dewott's confidence steadfast confidence vanquished his teammate's rage, and he continued. "But what I do know - from firsthand experience - is that no other trainer would've done that."

Potens clenched her fists and attempted to suppress her desire to scream just like the others had done, but she was unable to. Her blood was boiling, and the steam had to escape somehow.

"What the hell makes you think you're all high and mighty, huh? Are you so above us you feel compelled to tell us why we're terrible Pokemon?" Fortis and Ferus attempted to step in-between the powerful duo, but Bellator was too quick and had already reached Potens' side.

The Water-type Starter looked his five teammates in the eyes for several seconds each, unnerving them all except for Potens.

"I consider myself lucky. I know what it's like only battling for yourself, battling in spite of someone. Fuck, you actually met that side of me," Bellator said, bringing memories of Umbra to Potens' mind. "For me to be alive right here, right now... it's thanks to Gray, and I'm aware of that. But you guys?" he asked rhetorically, shaking his head right afterwards. "You've lost your ways, and that's why you're on a losing streak."

With that, Bellator turned his back to all of his teammates and walked by Fortis and Ferus, who simply turned to watch him leave. Right before he did, the bipedal otter stopped and remained stationary, refusing to move a muscle. He could feel the glares from his former teammates, as well as Citeria's conflicted feelings.

"If Gray asks, would you let her know I went to go meditate?" he asked anyone, drawing a pair of nods from Ferus and Fortis. "Thanks," the Dewott added without even looking. Springing up to the roof, he disappeared in a flash and left the seven Pokemon flabbergasted.

 _"Bellator, you can't really believe the others don't battle for Gray,"_ Virtus thought while sitting across from Umbra in the white and black room. _"To hear what they're saying, you must open your ears... and your heart."_

 **000**

The sound of the departing boat drew a sigh of relief from a young man as well as the Pokemon accompanying him. After recomposing himself, he ran a hand through his blonde hair, feeling each of the spikes along the way. He kept his eyes glued to the ground and buried his hands in the pockets of his baggy pants.

Mirroring the blonde's stride was a tall, muscular Pokemon with a pair of enormous legs. The majority of its fur was red, with the ends of its legs being a gold-ish yellow, while its chicken-like arms looked like toothpicks.

"Are we going to Castelia City tonight?" the creature asked, only for his trainer to shoot a look that seemed to ask _'are you stupid?'_.

"Why the hell would we do that? We just got here from Shalour City, and I'm not spending another damn second on one of those shitty boats," the young man answered through the dilapidated scarf covering the lower-half of his face. "What I'm really in the mood for is finding a battle, one that isn't a walk in the park."

The blonde locked his fingers and placed them against the back of his neck as he nonchalantly made his way through the streets. Nodding his head in agreement while scratching his right wrist, the large, bipedal creature let out a disappointed sigh.

"There really hasn't been a challenge outside of Rei, has there?"

"Why don't you tell me, Blaziken?" the Fire-type's trainer retorted in an instant.

Blaziken paid no attention to the obnoxious remark, brushing it off as if it were nothing. The two traveled as quiet as mice for a solid ten seconds before Blaziken heard his trainer groan.

"Sorry. It's been a long week."

"No worries. Let's just get to the Pokemon Center and go to sleep."

The young man nodded and soon found himself standing at the front of the globally-recognized building. Looking up at its red roof, both trainer and Pokemon let out a sigh of relief, causing those walking by to smile at them. Blaziken returned the kind expression, but the blonde he was with wanted no part of the interactions, and he acted as if he didn't see.

While Blaziken continued exchanging greetings with strangers, his trainer impatiently leaned against the Pokemon Center wall and rapidly tapped his foot. Then he began twiddling his thumbs. Next it was checking his Pokedex. Last was his phone, which only had one contact. He quickly sent a message to the only person in his contacts, and stood up right afterwards.

"Alright, I'm done waiting. Let's go, Bla-"

The blonde stopped mid-sentence as his eyes darted from one body to another. None of them were Blaziken, and he began to growl while clenching his teeth, thinking _"Why does he always do this? He really is a pain in my ass."_

Groaning, the young man began to walk around the perimeter of the building in hopes of spotting his Pokemon. He didn't, and his temper began to wilt underneath the rays of Blaziken's absence. Once his lap around the red-roofed building had been completed, the trainer began to crack his knuckles forcefully. Glancing at the people passing by, he wasn't able to recognize any of them, and it didn't look like they had been present at the same time as Blaziken. That's when he spotted it.

On the edge of the Pokemon Center's roof was a meditating Dewott.

"Hey!" the male barked, only for the Pokemon to not respond. "Hey! Dewott on the roof! Down here!" he screamed repeatedly in an attempt to break Bellator's concentration.

The stubborn Pokemon tried his damnedest to maintain his detached state, but soon found that he had been yanked back into the real world by some little dork standing in front of the main entrance to the building.

"What do you want?" the Water-type questioned, doing his best to prevent the rage from escaping his heart. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

He continued to look down at the trainer that had called for his attention, and Bellator narrowed his eyes. He was wearing a black coat - whose collar was popped - with a black t-shirt underneath that was exposed due to the coat being unzipped. To say his mud-covered boots were worn out would've been an understatement of epic proportions.

 _"This guy can't be anything more than a thug,"_ Bellator thought to himself until the trainer spoke.

"Have you seen, or can you see a Blaziken around here? I kinda lost him."

 _"Hmph. So he's an idiot, not a thug."_

Bellator didn't say a word, yet he still helped the trainer by scanning the area. After finding Blaziken in no time and grabbing a scalchop from his thigh - all while rising to his feet - Bellator noticed the puzzled expression from the young man below. Without warning, he jumped from the roof.

"NO!" the trainer screamed as he prepared to dive for Bellator.

Much to his surprise, he watched as the bipedal otter stabbed the blade of his scalchop into the wall, allowing him to hang from it like a branch. Bellator proceeded to rip it out of the wall and land on the ground mutely. Upon standing, the otter's confidence increased his stature two-fold, leaving the trainer by him in shock.

"He's right... there," the Unova Starter stated, throwing his scalchop while saying the final word. The seashell zipped through a crowd of people and dug into the wall of a stone building. At that moment, the blue Pokemon walked over to his weapon with the stranger tailing him, and once they arrived at their destination, Bellator pointed. Standing a hair to the right of his scalchop was none other than Blaziken, who had been talking to a random man.

"Blaziken!"

"Huh? Oh, hey!" the chicken replied sheepishly as he began to slink away from the spiky-haired blonde. "Sorry, I was helping Jeff here with a problem he had in a battle against the Virbank Gym Leader."

Bellator's ears perked up at the mentioning of the person, and he folded his arms over his chest while clearing his throat. The Hoenn Starter looked down and locked eyes with his Water-type counterpart, and the latter of the two proceeded to point at his scalchop.

"So that was you," the Blaziken said to himself while rubbing his chin. He then turned and yanked the seashell out of the wall and handed it over to its owner while thinking, _"He's just as skilled as Gallade and Bisharp said. They really weren't kidding."_

"That's right. Now tell me about the Gym Leader here. What type do they specialize in?"

Much to his dismay, Bellator saw that the random stranger had left. Sighing in agitation, he picked his head back up, albeit reluctantly, and looked at both the young man and his Blaziken. "Well, I'm glad I could help you." Bellator turned on his heels and began to walk away from the pair of strangers, but they followed.

"Can I help you?" the Dewott asked with a groan while rolling his eyes. "Look, I'm kinda busy trying to train for a Gym Battle, and I need to knock some sense into my teammates, so-"

The powerful Pokemon was cut off by Blaziken's trainer as he rose his hand and held it like a stop-sign. Once he was sure Bellator was done talking, the half-masked man cracked his neck and said, "Don't worry, we weren't following you. We were just about to get a room at the Pokemon Center."

Shrugging in response, Bellator attempted to turn away once again, but he was held in place by the blonde-haired male. Once he squatted, the young man revealed his phone and held it out so that Bellator could see the name of the contact.

"Rei..." he muttered to himself, only for his eyes to go wide in an instant. "Rei? How do you know her?"

"I see I have your attention now," the trainer said while Blaziken chuckled and nodded in agreement with the blonde. "Rei's a friend of mine, and she told me about a girl by the name of Gray, and her Dewott that goes by Bellator."

The aforementioned Pokemon kept a composed expression, but his heart began to beat at a much more frequent rate. He stared into the eyes of the unfamiliar person whose face was only four inches away from his. He noticed the flames around Blaziken's wrists were burning intensely, causing a knot to form in the otter's stomach.

He then picked up on the softened gaze from the trainer and cursed mentally while the blonde moved back a little and bowed his head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. You see, we're competing in the Unova League, and Rei told me my toughest competition would be your trainer, assuming you're Bellator. I wanted to challenge her to a battle, and seeing that you want to give your teammates a couple good hits, I think that we can make things even."

"Yeah, you did help him find me," Blaziken added, drawing a nod from his trainer, who extended a hand and waited for Bellator's response.

Looking over the blonde's pale fingers that stuck out of black, fingerless gloves, Bellator refused to accept the deal.

"Not so fast, buddy. First, I want your name."

The human turned to Blaziken and they chuckled in unison, making Bellator raise his eyebrows suspiciously. His nerves were eased, however, when the young man spoke.

"My name's Heros."

 **000**

Gray continued to play with her hair as she paced back and forth along the battlefield, drawing looks from Alain, Noah, and N. Even the Pokemon that were present couldn't help but watch intently and whisper about the Kantonian's behavior. The sound of flapping wings burrowed in everyone's ears, and a powerful burst of wind whipped around the area.

Landing before Gray were Fortis, Charizard, and Potens, each of whom shook their heads. The brunette threw her hands up, shouting at the same time.

"Don't keep stressing about it, Gray. Bellator's going to come back sooner or later, it's only a matter of time!" Noah exclaimed, only to have a rock thrown at his head. He quickly ducked out of the way and popped his head back up once he was safe. "Well, I guess that's not a viable option."

Alain and N shook their heads in unison, mumbling something about Noah being an idiot. Meanwhile, Ferus and Zoroark darted onto the battlefield from the streets of the city, and they came to a screeching halt when they spotted Gray. Both Dark-types sweat-dropped as she continued her rampage, though N spoke up upon seeing them.

"Did either of you find him?" he questioned, causing Gray to spin on her heels and stare intently at the duo.

Ferus and Zoroark shook their heads.

"You shouldn't be surprised he just left like he did, Gray." Upon hearing her name, the brunette turned and eyed Potens, narrowing her eyes as a scowl formed on her face. "He's done it once before, so why wouldn't he do it again? To be honest, I figured he'd disappear sooner or later."

Each of her teammates, save for Citeria, nodded after walking over and standing by the Noivern's side.

The five Pokemon watched as their trainer's eyes scanned them, though Unicus suddenly stepped forward and cleared her throat, dragging Gray's attention her way. "I hate to say it, but she's right. Bellator's..." She paused and sighed, hanging her head as no description formed in her mind. The Sandslash folded her arms over her chest and looked over to the others.

Chatter filled the air and danced its way into the ears of whomever entered the area. The rhythm's tense nature caused goosebumps for those subjugated to Gray's verbal lashing, and the four Pokemon standing before her attempted to slink away. Citeria continued to look on, shaking his head while thinking, _"Golly! I just don't get why they don't like Mister Bellator so much. It's quite a shame."_

"Miss Gray," he called out in an instant.

The miniature explosion of sound caused Gray, as well as her friends, to jump. Unicus, Potens, Celsus, and Dicax turned their heads back and stared at the Bibarel.

"Barring your permission, I'd take great pleasure in searching for Mister Bella-"

A foreign shadow appearing on the battlefield kept Citeria from completing his announcement, and he turned to search for the cause. Upon lifting his gaze, the Sinnoh Pokemon, along with everyone else, spotted Bellator on top of the Pokemon Center's roof. Two unfamiliar bodies stood on either side of him, however: a Blaziken and a young man. Both Bellator and the Fire-type then jumped down from their perch, the latter taking its trainer, and the otter spun before landing without making a sound.

Blaziken simply landed on his feet, though he glanced at Bellator for a second before whispering something to the spiky-haired blonde by his side.

"Bellator!"

The Dewott nodded upon hearing his name and cracked a slight smile as Gray, along with Fortis, Ferus, Noah, and Arcanine ran over to him. In an instant, the Unova Starter found himself pinned to the ground, inches away from Ferus' fangs while both of the Houndoom's front paws were pressed against his throat.

"Where the hell were you!? We've been looking for over three hours!" he shouted, snapping his jaws shortly thereafter.

Fortis and Gray exchanged glances, prompting the former to grab and lift Ferus off Bellator. Despite the quadruped's protests, Fortis refused to release his grip. "Glad to see you're back," he said to the Dewott, nodding before he walked away. Bellator nodded in response and turned his attention to Gray while Noah and Arcanine laughed at Ferus' cursing rampage.

Gray's deadpan expression caused her Pokemon to turn away immediately and look at the sky. All of a sudden, Bellator felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He somehow managed to spin and saw that Gray had dropped to the ground, and her chin was resting on his shoulder.

"I hope you know how nervous we were," she said quietly. Heros and Blaziken overheard the comment and locked their sights onto the Water-type and then the rest of Gray's Unova team. Each member was staring and pointing at him while whispering, prompting Heros to intervene.

"Excuse me, Miss," he called while reaching out to Gray, grabbing her attention, as well as that of Bellator's. "I know it's not my place to say anything, but it's my fault Bellator wasn't back sooner."

The young woman raised her eyebrows and stared for a moment before catching a glimpse of Blaziken out of the corner of her eye.

"Technically it was mine. You see, I wandered off on my own without telling him, so he had to go find help. If it wasn't for Bellator, it would've taken at least five more hours for us to meet back up." The muscular chicken proceeded to bow along with Heros, but the two stood upright when they heard Alain's and N's footsteps.

Meanwhile, off near the other end of the backyard, Gray's Pokemon watched Heros, who seemed to be aware of their looks. Fortis, still holding Ferus, reached the quintet and shook his head.

"Who's that guy, Fortis?" Celsus asked, refusing to break his attention from the unfamiliar young man by Gray. "And why did he show up with Bellator?"

The Dragon-type didn't respond, however, and proceeded to release Ferus. Once he was free, the Johto native turned and spat in Fortis' direction, only to receive a smirk that further enraged him. The Houndoom then breathed deeply but continued to seethe as the rest of the Pokemon spoke. Suddenly, Ferus felt someone tap him on the back, so he spun and nearly snapped his jaws on the culprit.

Much to the dog's surprise, his bite was stopped. When he looked up to see who it was, he sighed. Of course it was Fortis. Who else could he have expected?

"I need to talk to you for a second."

Not waiting for a response, the Flygon proceeded to walk away, prompting his friend to follow while their pupils continued to whisper about Heros.

As the two factions conversed separately, Heros extended a hand to Gray. She looked up and, even though the faded scarf was covering Heros' lower half of his face, she saw a genuine smile. Noah glared daggers as Gray accepted the offering and, with the stranger's help, rose to her feet.

Zoroark snickered at his reaction and directed Charizard's attention towards the angered Kantonian. Charizard wasn't amused, nor was his trainer. Alain proceeded to make his way to Gray's side, and he locked eyes with Heros while Charizard did the same to Blaziken.

"It was nice meeting you two," the Kalosian stated coldly. Heros didn't look away, nor did he back down.

"We're not leaving just yet, actually. After all, we still owe Bellator a battle, don't we, Blaziken?"

Alain's eyes widened and his fists clenched after he watched the blonde grin. He then turned to Gray and waited, tapping his foot against the ground furiously at the same time as Noah.

Gray, meanwhile, looked down at Bellator and watched as a sheepish expression swept over his face. The normally-composed Pokemon rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, further displaying odd behavior before he said, "I figured having someone new to battle would be more helpful with training. Is that okay?"

The brunette face-palmed while sighing, but she quickly looked up and stared directly at Heros.

"I'm not sure. It depends how many badges they ha-"

Not a second later, Gray was introduced to a badge case that was filled with eight pieces of metal. Her jaw hit the ground, as did those of Noah, Alain, and N.

"W-wait! You can't battle him if he has eight badges when you only have six!" Noah interjected as he rushed to Gray's side, pointing at Heros for emphasis.

Without warning, the eighteen year old was blasted by a wicked stream of water and rolled about a dozen feet back. His friends, Heros, and Blaziken stared at the source - it was Bellator - intently as he turned. Narrowing his eyes upon seeing the blonde and his Hoenn Starter, Bellator grabbed one of his scalchops and pointed it as a blade of water appeared.

The action, coupled with Noah having been sent rolling, drew Bellator's teammates' attention, and they looked on closely while the sound of silence amplified the intensity.

Blaziken's wrists suddenly emitted flames so hot they caused the rest of Gray's team to sweat. Both of the Starter Pokemon continued to pose while their trainers kept to their thoughts and out of the stare-down until Bellator and Blaziken suddenly turned their backs to each other.

"I don't care about them having more badges; I wouldn't care if they were the Champion. I'm not backing down from a challenge!" Bellator roared, directing the proclamation towards Noah.

Charizard, Fortis, and Ferus smiled in response. Alain, on the other hand, shook his head as he looked at Heros. Then, turning to Gray, he followed the experienced Pokemon and smiled.

"You're right, Bellator. We accept your challenge!" Gray proclaimed, hurling her right fist forwards and at the nameless blonde. "By the way, my name's-"

"Gray Plain," Heros concluded, causing the aforementioned girl to sweat-drop and stare at him. Arcanine, Charizard, and Zoroark all prepared to attack, as did Noah, Alain, and N. As soon as he noticed the protective responses, the Kalosian raised his hands as if he were trying to call for a timeout.

Blaziken glanced in his trainer's general direction and then glared at each of the Pokemon that were threatening to attack.

"I believe you've met a friend of mine. Her name's Rei Amari."

"Rei? You know Rei?" Noah interrogated, drawing a nod from Heros. "So you're from Kalos!"

The trainer in question exhaled through his nose and began to crack his knuckles before saying, "Quite the astute observation," which resulted in laughs from everyone - much to Noah's dismay, of course. "But yes, I'm from Kalos, and Rei told me about a battle she had in Hoenn against you, Gray.

"That's not the reason I'm here in Unova, but since we're here, why wouldn't I challenge you?"

Bellator narrowed his eyes at the young man while he heard his teammates' footsteps drawing closer. Once they arrived, Unicus, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria stood on either side of Bellator and in front of Gray. Heros cracked a grin underneath his scarf, preventing anyone from seeing it, and then he spoke.

"My name's Heros; it's nice to meet you."

Gray simpered before walking towards the trainer box furthest from Heros with her Pokemon in tow. She turned after reaching her destination and couldn't help but smile when she watched Blaziken and Heros enter the other trainer box. Just when she was about to speak to the blonde, Gray's attention was diverted by the rest of her Pokemon. They formed a line along the side of the battlefield and eyed their trainer.

"The gentleman over there has eight badges, right, Miss Gray?" Citeria inquired, eliciting a nod. "Well I'll be. This is sure to be a trial like nothin' else."

"You can say that again," the Sandslash to his left mumbled. "We've never had to face someone this strong before. Maybe you should choose Ferus and Fortis for this one, Gray."

The Kantonian shook her head in an instant, yet she wasn't fast enough with her response. No, not in the slightest, actually. Stepping forward from the line of Pokemon was Potens, and she fixed her sights on Unicus.

"If that's the attitude you're going to have - any of you, that is - then don't battle. Every time adversity comes knocking, turn your back to it and run, because it's not like we're going to have to face tough opponents at the Unova League, right?" she questioned sarcastically, drawing a smile from Gray. "I'm sure as hell not running from this."

With that, Potens turned her back to her teammates and nodded at her trainer, who returned the gesture before shifting her focus back across the battlefield.

N stood in the referee box while Alain and Noah were about a dozen feet away with their Fire-types, none of them saying a word as they examined Heros.

"How does a two-versus-two battle sound to you both?" N asked, his eyes dancing from one trainer to the other. Both nodded, prompting him to clear his throat and raise both arms. "This will be a two-versus-two battle between Heros and Gray, where both trainers may substitute their Pokemon freely! Furthermore, the battle will be over when both Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Now choose your first combatant!"

Heros quickly grabbed a Poke Ball from his belt and enlarged the device while Gray turned to her team and quickly looked over them. As her opponent released his first Pokemon, the brunette pointed and beamed until she heard Heros' voice crack through the air.

"Ludicolo, the battlefield's yours!"

The Poke Ball snapped open and, in a bright flash of light, a large, duck-like Pokemon materialized on the other end of the battlefield. Its complexion looked similar to that of a pineapple while a hybrid of a lily pad and sombrero rested on its head, and extending from that was a very small trunk which had a sharp yellow tip. Zig-zagging brown stripes of fur were accentuated by the rest of the fur being yellow, and it also had thick green arms and legs.

A stupid smile spread across the Grass-type's face and it began to dance, causing Noah and his Pokemon to sweat-drop, as well as Gray's team - excluding Bellator and Potens.

"What is this guy up to? Does he really think something like that can beat Gray?" Arcanine thought aloud while shaking his head. "He can't be serious." Frogadier, Gourgeist, and Espurr grunted in support of their friend's stance, unaware of the looks exchanged between Ferus, Charizard, Alain, and Fortis.

Meanwhile, Gray's gaze hardened and she turned back to her Pokemon.

"Citeria, I choose you!" she announced, catching the Bibarel by surprise. However, he nodded and waddled onto the battlefield. Citeria then squared off with Ludicolo and flashed an equally goofy smile.

Both Water-types continued to stare at one another while the spectators remained silent, allowing N to speak without issue.

"This battle will be between Ludicolo and Citeria! Begin!"

"Alright, use Quick Attack!" Gray barked, hurling her right arm as far to the side as she could.

Citeria dropped to all fours and scampered towards his target. A streak of white light trailed the beaver from the start due to his increased speed, and Blaziken listened to the excited gasps from those watching.

"Ludicolo, keep dancing and set the stage with Rain Dance!"

Blaziken turned his head away from Gray and her Pokemon while chuckling. Even though Citeria was exceptionally fast - much faster than most foes he had come across - the odds of Heros being overwhelmed by the beaver were zero. Ludicolo acted just as swiftly as his trainer responded by twirling to his left a nanosecond before Quick Attack could land. Then, he threw his hands towards the sky and a gigantic ball of water ascended. It exploded upon reaching its apex and the sky was suddenly filled with storm clouds.

The wind howled and Gray shielded her face with both arms, though she soon found herself caught in the middle of a rainstorm. Each droplet of water that smacked against the ground made a cracking noise, and they soaked everyone's clothes.

While covering their heads, Alain and Noah watched Charizard, Arcanine, and Ferus growl as the golfball-sized raindrops exploded against their bodies. The younger of the two trainers reached for a Poke Ball on his belt, but stopped when he saw his Frogadier jumping up and down in a puddle, its face filled with jubilation.

He also noticed Bellator and Citeria were unfazed, if not elated by the conditions.

Gray slowly uncovered her face and looked out at the battlefield, an ear-to-ear grin forming shortly thereafter. Heros shared his opponent's reaction, though it remained hidden thanks to his trusty scarf, and he kept both eyes glued to the dancing Ludicolo before him.

"Citeria, capitalize on their mistake!" the brunette commanded, drawing a swift nod from the brown Pokemon. "Fire away with Scald!"

His head snapped back almost as if someone had come up from behind and done it, and Citeria proceeded to release a boiling-hot blast of water. Steam filled the air as the rain struck Citeria's attack, but the stream of high-pressured water only picked up speed.

"Holy crap! I never knew Citeria had that kind of power in him!" Whinnying after he finished speaking, Celsus shook and lowered his head before continuing, asking, "Did any of you?"

Unicus and Potens shook their heads, and Dicax did too, though for a different reason.

"That's not natural," the Hoenn Pokemon said, resulting in his four-legged friend scoffing.

"He's right; it's because of Rain Dance." Everyone turned and stared at Bellator, who continued to watch the battle as if his life depended on it. "Do you notice anything different about the way he's acting now than before?"

Potens face-palmed instantly and cursed under her breath, piquing the interest of Celsus and Unicus. "Rain Dance increases the power of Water-type attacks. That's why Scald is so much stronger than usual."

"But if that's true," Unicus began, tapping her claws against her chin as she focused on the spiky-haired Kalosian standing at the other end of the area, "why would Heros help Gray?"

A slight smirk formed on Heros' lips and he quickly threw a hand forwards as the steam continued to thicken and cover the battlefield, making it increasingly difficult for either side to see the other.

"Dodge, use Swords Dance, and strike with Drain Punch!" the nineteen year old boomed, his words cracking like a whip.

Gray's, Noah's, Alain's, and N's eyes shot wide open when each of them watched Ludicolo plant both hands against the ground and breakdance. With his limbs flailing about in the wind, Ludicolo suddenly hurled himself forwards and executed a series of cartwheels. Mirroring a golfball hit with topspin, the Grass-type reached Citeria's side in a matter of seconds while swords sprung up from nowhere and clanked by his body, causing a ring of red energy to wrap around Ludicolo and disappear. Then thrusting his right fist forwards while it was engulfed in dark red energy, the fully-evolved Pokemon cried excitedly, and he struck Citeria.

A grizzly crack echoed in everyone's ears once the Bibarel's face was pounded, and he was sent into the wall behind his trainer at the speed of light. Citeria hit the ground face-first and, after several seconds of remaining still, N raised his arms.

"Citeria is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

Gray sprinted after Citeria and knelt by his side, paying no attention to the others as they checked on their friend. Citeria slowly opened his eyes and chuckled for a brief moment before gripping his chest, grimacing, and falling back to the ground.

"Don't overexert ourself, buddy," the young woman pleaded while cradling Citeria's head with her left arm. "I'll take you to Nurse Joy right away and you'll be healed up in no time."

The bubbly Pokemon forced a smile and waved to his teammates before disappearing inside the Poke Ball Gray was holding. While the others were watching Gray rush inside to fulfill her promise, Bellator looked back to the exact spot where Citeria had been laying while Heros whispered something to Blaziken despite remaining as still as a statue. A nod was the response, and Blaziken made his way out onto the battlefield while Ludicolo was withdrawn.

 _"That kind of power..."_ Alain thought. _"Something's wrong here."_

Alain could feel Charizard was staring holes through him, but he didn't turn around to converse with his Pokemon. While remaining still, the black-haired trainer caught a glimpse of Fortis and Ferus out of the very corner of his sight. They were acting just like him, making the young man feel uneasy.

"I hope whoever's lucky enough to get picked next is okay with battling me," Blaziken blurted over the screaming silence. The Hoenn Starter continued staring at each of his potential opponents and resumed his comment, saying, "You're going to be in way worse shape than your friend though, that's for sure."

 _"Just what the hell does Blaziken think he's doing?"_ Heros pondered, only to be snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a speeding object flying towards his Pokemon's face.

He narrowly managed to evade, and a thud rode the wind into everyone's ears. Turning, the Kalosian spotted Bellator's scalchop planted firmly in the wall. Several different cracks formed in the stone structure, and the sound of it succumbing to the pressure of its weight ensued.

Blaziken glanced at the weapon and back at Bellator before doing a double take. A smirk formed on his face, and the two Starter Pokemon stared each other down even as Gray reemerged from the Pokemon Center. Zoroark glanced back and forth between the Water- and Fire-type Pokemon.

You could cut the tension with a knife, and the Dewott grabbed his other scalchop from his thigh. A blade of water materialized and he pointed it directly at Blaziken.

"Guys," he began, addressing Unicus, Potens, Celsus, and Dicax. Each of the aforementioned Pokemon opened their eyes a bit wider than usual and watched as Bellator's grip tightened dramatically. "If it's okay with you, I want to battle him." No one responded, and although he kept his back to them, the Dewott spoke once again, albeit in a hush whisper. "No one threatens my friends and gets away with it."

"Bellator," Potens whispered as she eyed the blue otter. Her fearsome glare aimed at Blaziken disintegrated, but that of Bellator's remained and continued to harden.

 _"Looks like someone got back in your good graces,"_ the all-too-familiar voice of Zennyo commented through chuckles, making his carrier's face burn an intense shade of red.

"If that's what you want, then go ahead and fight him," Unicus spat, turning her head away from the Dewott. He nodded in response and then did the same to Gray, who returned the gesture as she watched Bellator step foot on the battlefield.

Blaziken turned around and walked over to the scalchop still planted in the cracked wall. With one swift motion, he yanked it out and flung the shell at its owner. Bellator simply raised a hand and caught it in-between his fingers, causing Heros and his Starter to smirk.

Off to the side of the battlefield, Ferus, having sat down, spat an ember before speaking to Fortis and Charizard, stating, "I'd love to knock that chicken's head clean off his shoulders."

The pair of winged creatures remained silent, however, and continued examining the Hoenn Pokemon, prompting Ferus to quiet down and do the same.

"Are you ready, Gray?" Heros queried with a cheeky grin. Gray giggled in response, having seen through the blonde's scarf, and nodded while her Dewott cracked his knuckles. "Blaziken and I won't hold anything back, but I'll understand if you want to quit."

Gray's giggling continued and she tucked a stray stand of hair behind her ear.

"That's not a word in my- no, _our_ vocabulary," the young woman replied, motioning towards herself and her Unova team. "And backing out now would be inconsiderate."

Heros raised an eyebrow and unfolded his arms as he waited for an explanation.

"You did say battling me was one of the reasons you came to Unova, right? Not giving this battle our all..."

She paused and stared into the Kalosian's intense eyes. A light flickered, and Gray flinched. She shook her head but went back to staring at Heros, only to recoil again when she saw the light flicker several more times.

"Uh, Gray?"

The aforementioned trainer snapped out of her trance and looked down to see a puzzled Bellator. Gray blushed in embarrassment with everyone's sights locked on her, but she regained her composure and nodded. With that, N cleared his throat.

"This battle will be between Blaziken and Bellator! Begin!"

"Ladies first," Heros said immediately, prompting Gray to respond just as fast.

"Be careful what you wish for. Bellator, blitz 'em with Aqua Jet!" Gray barked, hurling her fist forwards.

Bellator grunted in response and tucked his arms into his sides, causing a coat of dark-blue water to shoot up and swallow him whole. The Dewott proceeded to zip through the air and close in on Blaziken, whose eyes opened a bit wider while a smirk crept across his face.

"Swords Dance."

Acing as calmly as his trainer spoke, the Fire-type crossed his arms while swords of turquoise light clanked around him. As a ring of red energy took the swords' place, Bellator rammed into Blaziken and sent him skidding along the ground. Although the chicken showed no signs of injury, Gray grinned and continued her assault.

"Now use Air Slash to keep up the pressure!"

As soon as he reascended, the coat of water around Bellator dispersed, and he swung both of his scalchops several times. Several crescents of wind were created as a result and headed right towards Blaziken, who turned back to Heros and waited for a command. Once he finally did nod at his Pokemon, the blonde cracked his knuckles and threw both of his arms out to his sides.

"Destroy them all by using Blaze Kick!" Heros roared.

Blaziken's eyes shot wide open and Bellator flinched as the colors changed from white to red, baffling not only him, but Gray as well. From afar, Potens narrowed her eyes and noticed what her teammate and trainer had, causing a knot to form in her stomach. Suddenly, Blaziken dropped to the ground, keeping himself up only with his hands, and he spun like a breakdancer with both feet ablaze. Smashing both feet through the Flying-type attacks, Blaziken let out a prideful roar once he stood upright, though Heros was unfazed by it and kept his cool.

"Time to go on the offensive, Blaziken! Charge and use Acrobatics!" he demanded, drawing a nod from his longtime partner.

Just like that, Blaziken sprinted towards Bellator while his arms and feet were engulfed in bright blue energy, but Gray simply narrowed her eyes at the same time as her Pokemon and countered.

"Not on my watch! Bellator, go right at him and use Razor Shell repeatedly!"

Heros gasped slightly and took a step back as a smile unfolded underneath his scarf. Watching Bellator rip both shells off his thighs and swing at Blaziken like a madman - and Gray cheering while also doing the same movements behind him - caused Heros to think. And think he did.

 _"Rei,"_ he began, his face remaining unchanged. _"She really is like everything you said."_

Blaziken and Bellator continued blocking each other's attacks all while grunting loudly. Each time the Hoenn Pokemon's limbs struck his foe's blade, a loud clank echoed through the air and sparks of water and fire scattered everywhere.

"Keep it going, Bellator!" Unicus shrieked out of the blue, causing her teammates to cover their ears and groan in pain. "Come on! You can do it!" she continued, this time clapping. Even with the Sandslash's support, Bellator was unable to break through Blaziken's defenses.

"Yeah! Fight with everything you've got!" Dicax yelled before turning to Unicus and nodding.

With the Fairy-type aiding Unicus' shouting, Bellator's speed began to pick up ever so slightly. Celsus and Potens gasped at the sight, prompting them both to join in on the cheering.

"Show 'em what you're capable of, Bellator!" Celsus hollered, whinnying shortly thereafter.

"Bellator!" Potens called, grabbing the aforementioned Pokemon's attention, even as he continued his onslaught - and blocked Blaziken's at the same time. "Don't just fight for yourself! Do it for Citeria, Gray, and hell, even us!"

Gray turned to face the Noivern, as did her other Pokemon, Noah, Alain, N, and even their Pokemon. Did _she_ really just say that to _him_? Bellator ducked underneath Blaziken's right leg and a smile crept across his face before he started to do a series of backflips, which allowed him to dodge each of Blaziken's proceeding attacks.

Upon landing a few feet in front of Gray's trainer box, he turned to his trainer and friends, and then back to Blaziken and Heros, both of whom seemed to understand - and respect - the message he was trying to send, as they eased their stances.

"What's going on right now? Why'd they stop battling?" Zoroark whispered to Ferus, who shrugged and turned to Charizard and Fortis. The pair shrugged just like Ferus had, and they watched intently while the trainers huddled up and spoke.

N, having glanced between the two trainers, smiled and began to chuckle under his breath, drawing stares from both Alain and Noah, prompting the former to ask, "Do you know what they're doing?"

The eldest of the group nodded and adjusted his cap while Noah continued to glare daggers at Heros.

"Just watch. It'll be better if you get to see it instead of having me explain," N opined, eliciting an annoyed grunt from his Kalosian friend.

Back by Gray, Bellator looked from one of his friends to the next, watching each of them nod. Not a word was exchanged throughout the brief intermission, yet Gray found herself understanding every single thing that was being conveyed. From the looks each of her Pokemon were giving to the way Bellator reacted, their words - or lack thereof - rang loud and clear.

Just like that, the otter turned his back and locked eyes with his opponents once again. Blaziken proceeded to walk back onto the battlefield with his wrists ablaze, but stopped when Bellator slammed both of his hands together and closed his eyes.

 _"Thank you... everyone."_ The light had disappeared, and nothing was visible in the darkness. _"I can't- no, I won't let you down, not here; not now!"_

"Aagghh!" the Dewott began to roar as a ring of water formed on the ground at his feet. Everyone gasped, save for Heros, and all eyes were glued to Bellator as he lowered himself into a squat and grew louder.

 _"Yes! Listen to your heart, Bellator!"_ an angelic voice sang from within the aforementioned Pokemon's head.

The owner of said voice was none other than Virtus. She was standing with her arms extended to the sides in the middle of an odd room, which had black walls on one half and white ones on the other. Two pairs of titan-sized doors that faced each other, one being black and the other white - just like the walls - drew the white-haired otter's attention. Even the tiles she was standing on were white, but there was a clear line where they turned black.

 _"You're not alone in this fight: you still have your friends! Let them lend you strength and use it in addition to your own!"_

The amount of white tiles began to increase, and the previously-black walls had turned the opposite color. In a matter of five seconds, everything had turned white except for one small area in the middle of what had been the black tiles. Standing inside the zone was a shadow-haired Dewott, which made Virtus shake her head.

"You're no match for the good in his heart, Umbra. As enticing as your you bloodlust may be, it will never outweigh love!"

At that very moment, Bellator stopped roaring and glanced back at Gray, though the ring of water continued to inch up his body. The brunette paid it no attention, however, and locked eyes with her Pokemon, smiling the entire time she did so. Suddenly, Gray began to hear the rhythmic sound of her heart beating, and both she and Bellator said the same thing.

"We're gonna win this together."

Bumping their fists together, the girl and her Dewott smiled and nodded at each other while remaining silent, though those looking on marveled at the moment. Charizard and Alain looked at one another and chuckled, knowing full-well what was coming, while Fortis flinched at the words that had escaped his trainer's mouth. They were the same ones he had said to her at the Indigo League, so how had Bellator managed to think of the exact same sentence?

With that, Bellator faced Blaziken once again, though this time he was covered entirely in water. He and Gray were also mirroring each other's movements, no matter how subtle, causing Heros to narrow his eyes in befuddlement.

"Hey, Heros," Gray called, snapping the blonde out of his thoughts. She slowly lifted her right arm - Bellator did so at the same time, as well - and pointed at Heros' left wrist, catching him by surprise. "You can use Mega Evolution, right?"

The Kalosian nodded along with Blaziken, and both Bellator and Gray laughed.

"You're gonna need it," the Water-type proclaimed.

"Hah! I like this version of you much more than that angry one," Blaziken retorted. "Why don't you show us we'll need it instead?"

Neither the brunette nor her Pokemon needed a second invitation. Two heartbeats sounded in Gray's ears, and the same happened in Bellator's as they proceeded to tuck their arms into their sides and look up at the sky.

"Together we can't lose!" they screamed in unison, causing the water around Bellator's body to shoot upwards and turn into a geyser.

For every inch the geyser ascended, Gray's confidence and Bellator's power did the same. The colossal body of water pierced the heavens and left the audience floored, as evidenced by all the jaws on the ground.

"How? How are they doing that?" Charizard asked in shock, shaking his head as he did so. "Is their bond really that strong?"

Ferus cracked a smug grin and wagged his tail at the site as flashbacks of Bellator's fight with Charizard flooded his mind. Even the reactions from the Unova team reminded Ferus of the incident, and he began to chuckle once he saw Fortis standing as still as a statue.

"You never saw him do this?" the Houndoom inquired, which was met with a slight shake from his friend. "Oh boy, you're in for a treat. Isn't that right, Charizard?" Ferus taunted, drawing a loan growl from the winged lizard.

While the geyser continued spinning, two fearsome, gray eyes pierced through. A streak of blue light did too, and it rested in-between its gray counterparts. When the water dispersed it acted as a shield of sorts, and a thin coat of it remained around Bellator's body.

Heros continued to watch as two stubby arms punched through the water, causing it to disperse. Much to his shock, as well as Blaziken's, the blonde noticed all the droplets of water begin to form together on Bellator's back, where they took the shape of two sword holsters.

The Dewott smirked as he took his scalchops from his thighs and placed them in the holsters of water, all while his hair began to turn gray. Once both weapons were tucked away and he let his arms fall, Bellator noticed the transformation had completed, and a look of supreme confidence washed over his face.

"So she wasn't kidding about that either," Blaziken whispered to his trainer, who nodded in response. "Good, now we can't hold anything back either," he concluded giddily.

"Slow down there a second, Blaziken," Heros ordered, replacing the excited expression on the Fire-type's face with one of annoyance. "We're not going to do any of that, at least not yet."

Pouting at the response, Blaziken folded his arms over his chest and then sighed. All of a sudden, Heros stepped onto the battlefield with his hands raised, signaling the end of the battle.

"Sorry to be so abrupt, Gray, but we're all battled out," Heros announced, causing all of the spectators to deadpan. Bellator immediately snapped out of his transformation and fell to one knee, panting furiously, and Gray stepped towards him in concern.

"The battle has been called!" N shouted to officially put an end to the bout before he, Alain, and Noah walked onto the battlefield and towards their friend. "Too bad we didn't get to see Bellator in action. That would've been great!" he exclaimed to his fellow males, both of whom nodded in response.

They then watched as Gray helped Bellator onto his feet and they met Heros at the middle of the field with a pair of smiles.

"I finally got to see some of what the great Gray Plain was capable of. I can't say I'm toooo disappointed," Heros remarked cheekily, eliciting a giggle from Gray.

"Well you're not too bad yourself, Heros. Certainly not as great as Rei, but you're close," the Kantonian fired back.

Blaziken leaned back and let out a hearty laugh while Heros held his chest, acting as if he had just been punched before saying, "Damn, she doesn't hold anything back off the battlefield either."

The two trainers continued laughing for a bit, ignoring the watchful eyes from Gray's companions and Pokemon until she finally spoke.

"So what do you plan on doing for the next month? I mean, you have eight badges, so it's not like you'll have to worry about that."

Heros nodded and tucked his hands in his pockets before shrugging nonchalantly along with Blaziken. He then turned to look at the Pokemon Center and let out a sigh.

"Well, Kalos is kinda far from here," Blaziken said before his trainer, which was met with an approving nod from Bellator. "Maybe we can travel around a little more and battle any other trainers that are competing in the league."

Heros grunted indifferently and continued to look off into space. Gray's eyes flashed and she stepped forwards, grabbing Heros by the arms as she did so. The Kalosian recoiled slightly, but soon found himself staring at Gray.

"Why don't you stick around with us for a little bit? I still need to get two badges, so you can battle everyone here and in whatever other city we go to," she proposed, generating a soft smile from Heros. "Plus," she added, making his eyes widen a bit, "I'm holding you to another battle. A real one," she said, sticking a tongue out while smiling.

The nineteen year old across from her laughed and nodded his head, breaking Gray's grasp.

"I think that'd be great. Don't you, Blaziken?"

"Sure, but Bellator better be ready to get his butt kicked."

The Unova Starter scoffed at his rival's remark but extended a hand at the same time as Gray, saying, "Yeah yeah, we'll just see about that, won't we?"

Blaziken laughed and nodded in agreement before taking his new rival's hand. Heros proceeded to do the same and took Gray's hand, causing her to flinch. Only one thing was going through Gray's mind as she and Heros looked into each other's eyes, still ignoring those staring at them.

 _"Just who are you, Heros?"_

* * *

 **Hold up for just one spicy second. Heros? In U:ANG? Yes, this is real. The would've-been badass of Rei's cancelled story is in this one because, well, he's Heros. There's a second reason too, but we don't have to worry about that just yet :P  
Anyways, this chapter featured Heros' introduction as a rival, and it looks like he's made quite an impression on Gray, if ya know what I mean. So that's about all I have for you fine people right now, but get ready for da hype next time around, where there'll be a Mega Battle, but without Alain! (WHAT!?) Till next time, peace out.  
**

 **1\. Heros tho? Thoughts on him?  
2\. Would you like to see Rei and/or Sawyer return from the deleted story?  
3\. Who wins next chapter?  
4\. Should I post the first chapter of my new story? I'll only post the first two chapters until U:ANG's completed**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 10: Greninja vs Blaziken!**_ ** _"_**

 ** _Shortly after meeting their new friend, Heros, the group runs into Hugh and White yet again. One thing leads to another, and a battle between Hugh and Heros ensues as both wield the power of Synchro Evolution and Mega Evolution, respectively. Which trainer will emerge victorious?_**

* * *

 **Virbank City Arc**

 **Chapter 93: Two Hearts Synchronize**  
 **Chapter 94: Mega Battle 11: Bellator vs Venusaur!**  
 **Chapter 95: Saffron City Spotlight  
** **Chapter 96: Potens' Resolve**


	92. Mega Battle 10: Greninja vs Blaziken!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (** **Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)** **  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as Furcifer leaves and Advena dies)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (** **Unicus, Bellator, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear alongside Gray** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Hugh and Greninja appear on one half of the screen and grin while Heros and Blaziken appear on the other half and reach out to Gray)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (** **Bellator's and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus and Umbra stand behind Bellator)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (A boy sitting in a tree looks out at the ocean and pictures Owen and Gray)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Ladies and gents, I just realized U:ANG hit 90 chapters two updates ago :I I have to admit, I expected myself to cut corners and finish before that total, so it's a bit of a shock to be here right now XD Anyhow, last chapter featured a meeting between Heros (from a deleted story) and Gray. They had a very short battle, in which Heros clearly was the stronger trainer, but he called it off after Bellator Synchro Evolved. This chapter, the same won't happen with Heros battling Hugh in what should be one insane fight. Now let's get going!**

 **dragonplayer18:** _Lol. Why wouldn't you ship Gray and Heros (or root for it)? He's a more comedic version of Alain, definitely, and thanks a bunch! Setting the scene was a bit difficult, and I didn't want to make the battle too long because that'd reveal his entire team, so it's good to know it all worked out. I will be starting a new story, and the move will commence Saturday. Four days in a car with two dogs... no bueno :/_

 **The Phantom Starfish:** _First things first, I love the name XD Tbh, I don't remember the 4th wall break, but I know it's there. More should come though, lol. Thankfully you knew it was Heros right off the bat, although the new story won't be about him, as awesome as that'd be. However, I have a feeling at least one of the main characters will be received as well as him. Thanks for the review!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _That you have, and that you will XD He is different, mainly because writing a chapter with old Heros was impossible, lol, but I do like this version of him more. Noah won't... not at all. As for Sawyer and Rei, if/when they do appear, Gray will battle them, since it'd make up for them getting sent to the shadow realm and all, plus Mega Sceptile vs Bellator would be epic! The rationale for Heros winning makes perfect sense, no worries there, and the first chapter should be posted by the time you're reading this, so hopefully you liked it!_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Of course you like it; it's Heros! Rei's team is a lot more interesting than Sawyer's, imo, even though his is better. And Blaziken's Type-Beast could make things pretty interesting. Maybe that's why he was brought into this story... hmm (aside from jealousy) :P New story hype, too much for me to resist. And thanks a lot! Classes start late-August (orientation was awesome though), and the move is in a day... so there's still time to not survive XD_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _In all honesty, I missed the chicken pun the first time. Shame on me. I think Heros is, quite honestly, the perfect sue (he would've been flawed if TLG existed). Too much stuff to cover really, but I think we all know what I would talk about. Heros vs Noah (romantically) should spice things up quite a bit, and Heros vs Hugh is going to be awesome! I agree with your take on Sawyer and Rei, though if they do come back it'd (most likely) be in an epilogue chapter. And lastly, thank you! I'm glad you liked the chapter, and things will hopefully get better from here on out!_

 **Delta Edge:** _Eh, you came up with two so I'll give half-credit :P But yeah, the Heros comeback is real! The epilogue idea is a good one, though I think Blade's a bit too far ahead of the others, considering he's Hoenn's Champion and all_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _Haha, Trent was close to appearing, but I figured I'd hold him off for a potential (and highly likely) epilogue chapter instead. Bellator's arrival is bittersweet, though I was much more attached to him than Virtus (Synchro Evolution explanation's coming soon!), and one of Heros' Pokemon does have a Type-Beast! Side note: I actually looked up competitive Pokemon to assemble his team XD_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _As awesome as that battle was, I actually built the team from a competitive standpoint to make Heros even more menacing. Mega Gallade and Mega Sceptile vs Bellator are about the only things keeping me from saying screw it to their returns, but it's unlikely they'll appear in any real chapters (epilogues are possible). Blaziken could have the Type-Beast, but I think you should have some more faith in your boy Hugh. I mean, just look at his hair and try to NOT root for him! XD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
** **Bellator, (m), level 50, Razor Shell, Ice Punch, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, X-Scissor, Aqua Jet* - (Dewott)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
** **Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)** **  
**

 **Reserves**

 **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

"Boy, that sure was some way for Bellator to make his grand re-entrance, wasn't it?" Noah asked in-between gulps of water.

He, Alain, Arcanine, and Charizard were all sitting at a table in the dining hall of the Pokemon Center. Noah's other Pokemon - Frogadier, Gourgeist, and Espurr - chowed down on their food, paying no attention to the ongoing conversation between their trainer and the elder male. Very few trainers were in the room, though neither Alain nor Noah cared about their volume.

"Definitely," the dog to Noah's right opined with an emphatic nod to boot. "Although I really thought Potens was going to get a shot at Blaziken. I think that would've been a lot better, but that's just my opinion."

Charizard scratched his chin and pondered the idea: would Bellator or Potens have put up a better fight against Heros and Blaziken? It was difficult, no doubt about it, and the winged lizard continued to scratch away while Alain merely sipped his water, not hesitating in the slightest.

"It would've been a lot better had that guy not called off the battle." Noah nodded in agreement as Alain continued speaking. "It's odd that he'd do such a thing, especially if he had two more badges than Gray, and Bellator only landed one hit on Blaziken. There's not a chance he could've done that much damage."

The Kalosian let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, nonchalantly glancing down at his phone to see if he had received a text. Noah did the same, and his eyes lit up at the same time as his phone's screen. Picking the device up off the table, he blazed through the lock-screen and punched in his passcode at the speed of light, causing Arcanine to deadpan along with Charizard and Alain.

"Is it N or Gray?" Charizard inquired. "I really want to know what the plans are for dinner," he added before his stomach roared, causing the Fire-type to sweat drop while those around him laughed.

Noah slowly looked back down at his phone and skimmed through the message. Looking on subtly, Alain watched as his friend's face dropped. Then it was his phone, and finally his head.

"What's wrong, Noah? " asked the Mega Trainer, who took another sip of his water. "Did someone send you one of those bogus, haunted chainmail things again? Look, I told you-"

Waving off the tirade before it could happen, Noah tossed his phone across the table and it landed on Alain's lap. The black-haired trainer proceeded to pick it up and eye the message displayed, and he immediately winced with a sharp inhale. Upon hearing the reaction, Noah nodded and let out a sigh while Arcanine rolled his eyes.

"So what if Gray's taking that guy out for dinner?" Alain asked rhetorically, clearing his throat. "You've done a lot of nice stuff for her. I mean, there was Icirrus City, and then a bunch of other stuff between then and now, right?"

The eighteen year old shook his head slowly.

Neither Alain nor Charizard knew what to say, and they glanced at one another before turning to see Arcanine snarling. The powerful duo continued to look around until Espurr hopped up from her meal and hopped onto Noah's lap, placing a hand on his back reassuringly.

"Aw, thanks, Espurr," the emotionally devastated trainer muttered with a smile as he lifted his head and eyed the Psychic-type, who shook her head. Tilting his in response, Noah prompted the feline to speak.

"I was only consoling you, Master. You're, as they say, screwed."

 **000**

Clothes were tossed out all over the floor and a wave of them continued to fly out of the closet. Fortis and Ferus had scampered their way across the room and hid from the dresses along with Celsus while Unicus kept jumping up and down giddily.

"Come on, Gray! Show us!" she ordered while clapping like an idiot.

Potens and Bellator, who were meditating on the two beds, remained still and silent even as Dicax stared at them from inches away. Every so often he'd occasionally glance down at the pen and paper in hand to see if his scribbling was linear, and then he'd go back to examining the two Pokemon.

"Remind me again why _we_ have to be here," Ferus ordered while glaring at Unicus, who gave a toothy grin and flashed both of her claws, which seemed to turn into blades. "Please, Delcatty's scarier than that. You're gonna have to do a lot better if you want to rattle ol' Ferus!"

Celsus and Fortis exchanged subtle glances and rolled their eyes at the proclamation, and Unicus did the same, shifting her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Gray! Let's go!" she barked, making the two elder Pokemon as well as Celsus sit upright in a flash. The Sandslash proceeded to turn and sneered at Ferus, who scowled in response.

Before anything could transpire, Gray walked out in a white sweater with brand new jeans, and she posed for a second until noticing the looks of disgust from her conscious Pokemon. However, she continued looking around the room until she scratched her head.

"Guys, has any of you seen Citeria around?" the Kantonian asked, resulting in all of her friends shaking their heads. "How does this happen _every_ day?" she whispered to herself while rubbing both temples. "Okay, I'm going to go look for him, and you all need to be good for N. Can you do that?"

Each of the Pokemon nodded while Bellator and Potens continued to meditate. Gray smiled in response and began to walk out of the room, patting each of the creatures on the head until the door swung open and nearly clocked her in the face. Standing in the hallway was none other than Heros, who had a sleeping Citeria in his arms.

"Hey, uh, I kinda found this guy passed out in front of my door."

"I am so sorry, Heros," Gray said, bowing two or three times as she did so. "I swear they're not always like this," she concluded, drawing a laugh from the blonde, whose scarf still remained wrapped around the lower-half of his face.

"Don't worry about it. You should've seen Blaziken earlier this morning before Bellator came and helped. Now _that_ guy gets dumber and dumber each passing day." The two laughed once again and Heros passed Citeria off to Fortis, who placed the Bibarel on Potens' bed. "Are you ready to head out?"

"Yup!"

With that, Gray slammed the door behind her and left her Pokemon back in the room, where they returned to their normal conversations.

"Wait!"

Everyone stopped and turned to Celsus, who was staring at the door before he met his teammates' gazes and asked, "Did she just leave with that guy we met this morning?"

 **000**

"Wait wait wait, you're telling me you and Rei had a battle in Lumiose City that ended up being broadcasted across Kalos!?" Gray shouted in disbelief, leaning across the table while the Kalosian cupped a hand around his ear.

Heros nodded in response with a slick grin, and the brunette across from him leaned back and laughed while shaking her head. "But that's not the best part," he told Gray, who leaned forward immediately. "Have you heard anything about a Pokemon called Volcanion?"

"No way," she replied, drawing hearty laughter and a series of nods from Heros. "You battled that too!?"

"That's right. Blaziken and I marched into the Power Plant outside of Lumiose because there were some power outages, and we had to fight _the_ Volcanion to get the lights turned back on." Gray rested her face in her hands and drank from the straw sticking out of her soda with a smile.

She and Heros continued exchanging stories about their travels and laughed the entire time. For every story Heros had of himself or Blaziken, Gray matched it with one of her own, whether it be about herself, Durus, or even Owen.

"And then he took Fortis under his wing and helped turn him into the Pokemon he is today!" the eighteen year old exclaimed, only for the elder trainer to lean back in his chair and fold both arms over his chest. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"No no no no no!" Heros retorted immediately, shaking his head and waving his arms at the same time. "It's just... Nah, forget it," the blonde muttered as he paid the check and rose from his chair. Gray did the same and walked outside the restaurant with Heros, who tucked his hands in his pockets and looked up at the starry sky, seemingly unaware of Gray staring his way.

She sighed inaudibly and looked off to the left side of the street, smiling at the children passing by and waving, prompting her to return the kind gesture. Heros glanced to his left and softened his gaze as he watched Gray. After about a minute, he finally cleared his throat and spoke, causing the brunette to jump in shock.

"The thing I was thinking about back at the restaurant," he began, jogging the Kantonian's mind. "You mentioned how you knew Owen Plateau, and that made me think."

Gray tilted her head and looked at the older boy by her side. She noticed the reflection of the dark night sky in his eyes, but immediately found she was blushing in response to herself, causing the brunette to flare up even more.

"You see, I've always looked up to that guy. Sure, people will say things cuz he had a kid when he was, what, fifteen or sixteen?" the trainer asked, drawing a nod from Gray. "Well, he's still there for his kids. That's what I didn't want to talk about."

Heros proceeded to bury his hands back in the pockets of his jacket, but both eyes remained fixated on the stars above. Meanwhile, Gray stared at the blonde and, after putting two and two together, she covered her mouth while gasping. Heros closed both eyes and lowered his head.

"I was waiting for that," he mumbled.

"Heros, I'm so sorry to hear about that," the brunette whispered. Her male counterpart simply shrugged it off and continued walking as if nothing had happened, though Gray didn't. "Anyone that'd walk out on their family is scum. No, ya know what? They're worse than scum!"

 _Crack_! She slammed her foot against the sidewalk as hard as possible and everyone around stared. Some even started whispering as Gray's blood continued to boil and her words grew more venomous.

"Uh, Gray? Can we do this somewhere else? Preferably somewhere with less people?" Heros whispered to the fuming brunette, who ignored his pleas. Suddenly, Gray inhaled slowly and exhaled at an equally sluggish speed. Once her eyes opened, she nodded and walked in stride with the Kalosian.

"All I'm going to say is that your dad was an idiot for leaving."

Heros' eyes widened at the comment and he turned slightly, a smile forming on his lips and underneath his tattered scarf. The young man slowly brought one hand up to it and grabbed the worn-out cloth, his gaze having returned to the comforting specks of light painted on the black canvas overhead.

 _"Gray Plain, you truly are-"_

"Hey, check this out!"

Heros deadpanned as Gray's shouting shattered his train of thought. Returning to the real world, Heros shook his head slightly and focused on the message depicted on Gray's phone, commenting, "I don't get it," afterwards.

"Oh god, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?" the young woman asked aloud as she brought her hands up to her head. "My friends texted me saying that they're over by docks getting some dinner. Wanna go check it out?"

"Eh. Getting to know people isn't exactly a strong suit of mine," the blonde replied, eliciting an infectious giggle from Gray. The two laughed a little while longer and eventually reached the edge of the city by the docks. Several buildings made of cracked stone, scrap metal, and plywood sprung out of the ground like weeds, and the smell of dead tuna smothered the area.

One building to the right, which looked a bit nicer than the others, had its lights on, and there were also sounds of chanting coming from it.

"That's the place," Gray announced, only for her new friend to shake his head adamantly.

"No way. There's not a chance in hell I'm going inside," he declared like a child, all while stomping. When Heros opened his eyes, he noticed the girl he had been with most of the day had vanished, and he began to twirl around in confusion. "Gray?" the trainer called, cupping both hands around his mouth.

Eventually, he spotted her by the front door of the illuminated building, so he followed. Upon arriving, Heros noticed a cheeky grin on the younger trainer's face, drawing a puzzled expression from him.

"I thought you said there wasn't a chance you'd come inside," the brunette teased. Heros groaned in response and made a half-hearted effort to get away before being dragged inside.

Once they stepped foot in the door, Heros and Gray looked around at the dungeon-like room, what with its leaky walls and cracked floors - or at least what you could see of them was cracked. The ground was covered in thrown food - burgers, fries, drinks, you name it. Even so, Gray didn't exit. Instead, she looked at her phone and scrolled through the contacts in hopes of contacting her friends.

"We should go. This place isn't safe," the elder trainer opined, only for Gray to wave him off. "Seriously, we shouldn't be here. Let's go."

Again, Heros' words fell on deaf ears. Unlike the previous time, he wasn't going to take no for an answer, so he stepped closer towards Gray and spoke once again.

"Come on, Gray. We'll find your friends once we're out of here," Heros stated as he grabbed Gray by the hand and pulled her over his shoulder like a fireman.

"Let me down, dammit! Heros!" she screamed the entire way out, kicking wildly as she did so. Despite the Kantonian's best efforts, she was unable to shake free of Heros' grasp and found herself outside the dump.

Once her feet hit the ground, Gray slapped Heros on the arm and glared.

"Ow! What was that for?" he interrogated, matching the intense look. The two continued to glare at one another like children until, suddenly, unfamiliar voices traveled through the air and into Heros' ears.

"Oi! Gray!" a male, maybe seventeen, called. His blue hair bobbed up and down with each step he took, and the girl to his right, who was wearing a baseball cap, waved her arms frantically even after making it within a few feet of her friend.

As soon as the two were close enough, they embraced Gray, who let out an awkward laugh while watching Heros linger.

"I can't believe we're running into each other again. What a small world!" the girl, a brunette just like Gray, exclaimed as she extended both arms as wide as she could. "By the way, who's the guy over there?"

The Kalosian tensed up and tried to act as if he hadn't heard the question, which only made Gray laugh harder. Shortly after regaining her composure, the young woman pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and motioned for Heros. "White, Hugh, this is Heros. He's from Kalos and - I'm sure you'll like this, White - he's also a friend of Rei's."

Heros watched the younger girl, White, rush over to him wide-eyed while Hugh kept his cool and extended a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Heros. My name's Hugh!"

"And I'm White!"

"It's a pleasure," the Kalosian replied, shaking both hands at once before he heard White speak.

"So are you a trainer or something? It sure does look like you've been traveling," the sixteen year old blabbed, making note of Heros' tattered clothes, most notably his scarf.

Gray delivered a swift smack upside the head in defense of her friend who couldn't help but smile at the act. "I am," he answered simply with no intent of furthering the conversation. One look from Gray changed that though. "What about you?"

White shook her head about a million times before placing both hands on Hugh's shoulders and dragging him over towards Heros, whose intense stare only hardened.

"I'm not, but Hugh is an awesome trainer! He has seven badges, and other than Gray, I don't think anyone can stop him at the Unova League!"

Hugh, whose face was growing as red as a cherry, rubbed the back of his head and shook it. "That's not true. My Pokemon and I work hard, but we're not unbeatable," he announced bashfully, drawing a look of intrigue from Heros. "If we're going to talk about threats to win the League, Gray's the real deal."

The aforementioned trainer shook her head in response, just like Hugh had done, and watched as Heros' eyes darted back and forth between herself and Hugh.

"Hey, I know!" Gray shouted all of a sudden, grinning at Heros. "Why don't you two battle? I just had one with him yesterday, and I'm sure you and Greninja can give him a great fight, Hugh."

He shrugged in response and put his hands in his pockets indifferently until Heros spoke.

"You have a Greninja, huh?"

"Not just any Greninja," White began, causing Hugh to hang his head and sigh while Gray laughed and listened to what her former companion had to say. When she was done, White backpedaled and jabbed Hugh in the ribs with her elbow, though he wasn't amused.

"So a Greninja that Mega Evolves to look like you. That sounds a lot like Bellator," the Kalosian stated as he turned to Gray, who flashed a thumbs up. "Well, I'm up for it if you are, Hugh."

The Unovan's apathetic expression turned to one of ferocity, and he nodded while shaking Heros' hand.

"You're on!"

 **000**

After gathering everyone outside, Gray and White smiled and watched as Heros and Hugh walked towards their trainer boxes. N, Alain, and Noah stood in-between the two girls, and all of the Pokemon were off on their own playing or getting ready to watch the battle.

The quintet of trainers breathed in the disgusting air tainted with smoke, yet nothing seemed to get in the way of their happiness. After all, the original group had been reunited once again, and it looked as if they were going to be in close proximities due to the minuscule difference between Gray's badge total and Hugh's.

"So Bellator's back? How'd that happen?" White quizzed as she looked at Noah, who turned and opened his mouth to respond. He stopped, however, and looked up at the night sky before shrugging. "Alain? N?"

The aforementioned duo turned and had the same response as Noah, leaving White with one last person to ask. Before she could, the sound of Fortis' voice erupting from the other side of the battlefield startled White and made her jump.

"This will be a one versus one battle between Heros and Hugh, and it will be over when either combatant is unable to continue! Now, choose your Pokemon!"

"Blaziken, the battlefield's yours!"

"Greninja, time to shine!"

Both Starter Pokemon materialized from the light emitted by the Poke Balls, and they analyzed each other for a few seconds. Once the two sides were satisfied, they nodded and met in the middle of the field. Greninja and Blaziken proceeded to bow to one another and returned to their respective trainers.

"Does Heros have any kind of special evolution that you know of, Gray?" White quizzed, only for the elder brunette to shake her head adamantly. "Hmph. Well, Hugh and Greninja have been training super hard to get an even better hang of Synchro, so he's in for a rough time."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Potens shot back right away. "Heros is the strongest trainer we've ever come across, so Hugh needs to be in tip-top form, otherwise this'll be over really fast." Bellator nodded in agreement along with the others, causing the sixteen year old to frown.

"This one battle will be between Blaziken and Greninja, and Hugh has the first move! Begin!"

"Jump and use Water Shuriken!" the younger of the two trainers commanded.

Springing into the air with the help of his powerful legs, Greninja reached for where his pockets would be if he wore pants, and proceeded to throw several shurikens of water. The bodies of liquid spun furiously and sliced through the air while on their way towards Blaziken, who remained as still as a statue along with his trainer.

"We're not wasting any time with this. Jump out of the way!"

The Fire-type hopped to his right then hurdled one of the many other shurikens aimed at him. Once the attack ceased, he turned back to Heros and watched the blonde nod sternly. As they did so, Gray examined both trainer and Pokemon carefully before gasping, knowing full-well what the duo was about to do.

"Blaziken, let the strength of our bond run through your veins! Mega Evolve!"

All eyes fell on the Kalosian as his Mega Bracelet and the metal sleeve on Blaziken's arm began to emit rays of light. When they connected, the chicken was encased in a pink egg, which shattered in a mere two seconds, unveiling Blaziken and his new look.

The yellow markings on his upper legs and chest were replaced with black markings, and his hair-like feathers took on a wing-like shape. The crest on his head also changed into a flat, backward-curved horn, and the fire released from his wrists grew exponentially while they also produced much more heat.

He let out another ferocious cry and took an odd stance, putting all his weight on one leg while lifting the other so that he was prepared to kick someone in the face at all times.

"So that's a Mega Blaziken," Gray muttered with a grin before turning to Fortis, Ferus, Bellator, and Potens. _"I wonder how well each of them would do against an opponent like that."_

Hugh snapped the brunette out of her thoughts in an instant, however, shrieking, "We're not going to back down, no matter what our opponent does! Greninja, charge with Double Team and use Acrobatics!"

Greninja bolted across the battlefield while several clones materialized on either side of him. All of the clones and Greninja himself began to shuffle their position on the battlefield while their limbs began to glow light blue. Just like that, they all closed in on their target from every angle, putting a smirk on Hugh's face, as well as that of White's.

"Hmph," the Unovan's opponent scoffed, hiding the smirk plastered on his face with the tattered scarf. Heros then threw his right hand forwards even as Greninja and his dozen clones continued to close in on Blaziken. "Use Swords Dance quickly, and then respond with an Acrobatics attack of your own!"

Several swords of light spun around the Mega Evolved Pokemon's body and clanked, causing a ring of red energy to surge from Blaziken's stomach. Once that disappeared, his eyes shot wide open and he began to rocket his arms and legs forwards - each limb burned a bloody red and radiated unfathomable power. Evading and countering all of his enemies' attacks, the Fighting-type dropped to the ground and swung his legs like the blades of a helicopter, destroying the few remaining clones. They all let out cries of pain before bursting into individual clouds of smoke, and only the real Greninja remained.

"Looks like we're going to have to adjust our strategy," the Kalosian Pokemon muttered under his breath, which somehow drew a nod from Hugh.

Blaziken sluggishly turned half-way around and locked his sights on the bipedal ninja-frog, who returned the fearsome look without the slightest bit of doubt. Both Pokemon stood still for a moment, taking in the atmosphere of their battle, as well as the other's strength.

"Greninja, keep a distance and use Extrasensory!"

Placing both of his hands together while rearing back, the Water-type grinned when he threw his head forwards and shot a beam of multi-colored energy towards Blaziken. The taller of the two attempted to jump out of the way with his unmatched leg strength, but he found himself in quite the predicament when four of Greninja's clones crept out of the ground and latched onto his lower body. The weight of the four frogs weighed Blaziken down and led to him being struck by the super effective attack, which caused him to skid back to Heros' side.

Greninja proceeded to hop back to Hugh, matching his opponent's position on the battlefield while also shooting a look Bellator's way. The Water-type Starter Pokemon nodded at one another, neither wanting the battle to end with Blaziken as the victor.

"They're quite the team, don't you think, Blaziken?" the aforementioned Pokemon's friend questioned with a satisfied smile. "It's no surprise Greninja is Bellator's biggest rival."

Blaziken nodded in response while the flames from his wrists began to burn blue, making Hugh's eyes widen in shock. The spectators were also shocked by such a display, but Gray and Potens kept composed and continued to watch with intrigue, both for different reasons.

The Hoennian Pokemon cracked all of his knuckles and his neck both ways while his eyes pierced through Greninja's soul, and he said, "For as impressive as they are, I'm not convinced, Heros. Let's put an end to this."

Following his friend's orders, Heros extended his right arm and stuck it straight out to the side, crying, "Take 'em down with Flamethrower!"

Wasting no time to strike, Blaziken seemingly teleported from his spot to Greninja's side and released a blast of blue flames that swallowed the frog whole. Pained screams filled the air while the Mega Evolved Pokemon walked away from his victim, and everyone grimaced at the sounds of Greninja's cries.

 _"Holy shit!"_ Gray cussed mentally as she glanced back and forth between her eldest two Pokemon and the Unova team. _"Ferus and Fortis are the only ones that could have stood up to that Flamethrower. Heros and Blaziken are on their own level."_

"That was a little overboard, don't you think?" Noah interrogated after watching Heros and Blaziken nod at one another. "You could've used Acrobatics or something less painful!"

Fortis, who remained in the referee box, listened as the noise coming from Greninja grew quieter with each passing second. Finally, not a sound was made, and the amphibian continued to lay limp on the battlefield, his face pressed against the ground.

"No," Heros shot back at Noah, who flinched. "Neither side should hold back in a battle, no matter what. That's just what we did." Blaziken grunted in support of his trainer while Arcanine trotted out from the crowd of Pokemon and stood in front of Noah, snarling at his fellow Fire-type.

"This isn't over."

Everyone turned while Fortis cracked a grin. Their eyes locked onto the downed Starter and gasps ensued as he pushed himself upright. Once he stood, Greninja let out a grunt and his arms swayed limply by his sides. All of the burn marks painted on his skin from the devastating attack began to slowly disappear, perplexing the opposing trainer and Pokemon.

"If we're going down, we'll be scratching and clawing at you the entire way, Heros!" the spiky-haired Unovan proclaimed, putting a smile on his foe's face. Suddenly, Greninja's neck snapped upwards and the look in his eyes sent chills down Blaziken's spine.

"Mega Evolution be damned, we _will_ win this battle!" the Kalosian Starter boomed.

His voice bounced off the walls of the Pokemon Center and were too heavy for the wind to carry, creating an even more powerful echo than anticipated.

"Our bond knows no limits!" Hugh screamed, his spit flying after each word. "Now, Greninja, it's time to show them just how strong we are!"

Much to the surprise of the spectators, their Pokemon, Heros, and Blaziken, Greninja slammed both of his hands together and let out a fierce battlecry. As soon as he did so, the water spinning around his body was transferred to his back, where it began to turn a much brighter shade of blue. The light of the water intensified to a near-blinding level, and the shape of the liquid became more defined.

Bellator found his eyes widening as soon as he recognized the shape of the water to be that of a shuriken. Appalled by what he had just witnessed, the Dewott looked down at the ground and cracked a grin as memories of the same thing happening flooded his mind.

Right when he looked up, Bellator watched as the water on Greninja's back snapped into the shape of a shuriken. Meanwhile, a trio of navy-blue spikes popped out of his head and two white fins emerged from the sides of his neck, which resembled Hugh's hair and the collar of his vest, respectively.

Two piercing, red eyes locked onto Blaziken, yet the Mega Evolved Pokemon showed no signs of backing down.

 _"That transformation's similar to the one Bellator underwent,"_ Heros noted while he examined Greninja's new appearance.

"The battle will resume with it being Hugh's move!" Fortis shouted before anyone could consider interrupting.

Hugh - and Greninja, who mirrored his movements - nodded in response while Fortis threw both arms upwards. With that, a new battle had begun.

"Greninja, charge and use Acrobatics!"

The long-tongued Pokemon took off at mach speed and was within inches of Blaziken in a matter of nanoseconds. Then, with all four limbs burning light blue, he struck his target relentlessly. Those standing off to the side of the battlefield gaped as Greninja finished his onslaught with a left hook that sent Blaziken tumbling into the Pokemon Center. The Water-type jumped back to Hugh's side and folded his arms at the same time as his trainer, who was smiling the entire time.

Heros, meanwhile, turned his gaze from Blaziken to Hugh. He suppressed a grin while his Pokemon stood and reentered the battlefield before turning to inspect the looks on everyone's faces. White beamed and, along with Servine, cheered for Hugh and Greninja; N and Zoroark clapped; Alain and Charizard smiled and shook their heads; and Noah and Arcanine whispered while glancing back and forth between the two.

Then there was Gray. Heros flinched when, after turning to her, he saw a slight smile form. Next, she nodded.

Heros mimicked the action and took a deep breath while his Starter did the same.

"Things just got a lot more interesting, haven't they, Blaziken?" the blonde asked with a grin.

Blaziken's wrists emitted even more intense flames and nodded. Not a word escaped the chicken's mouth as he peered at his foe. The duos smirked at one another, and the stillness on the battlefield left the spectators waiting. And just like that, the battle resumed.

"Blaziken, use Stone Edge!"

Extending both arms as far forwards as he could, Blaziken grunted while several dozen sharp stones emerged from thin air. All of them were sent flying right at Greninja, but he, as well as Hugh, reacted swiftly and without hesitation.

"Alright, use Night Slash to cut through the rocks and charge!" the Unovan countered.

A pair of black blades formed in both of Greninja's hands, and he used them to slice the rocks in half. Hugh did the same, and Greninja expertly destroyed every single one of them headed his way. However, what neither of the two picked up on was Heros whispering to Blaziken. Suddenly, he soared into the air.

"Blaze Kick!" Heros boomed as the wave of rocks continued to swarm Greninja.

Blaziken descended at a furious speed while his right foot turned ablaze, and he began to spin head over heels. Hugh's neck snapped up and he spotted the free-falling Fire-type before issuing a command.

"Greninja, use Shadow Sneak!"

Just before Blaziken could crush his target, Greninja was sucked underground as a shadow, which then moved a few feet forwards. As soon as Blaziken's fiery foot connected with the ground, Greninja resurfaced and, somehow, Hugh reacted at the perfect time.

"Now blast 'em with Water Shuriken!"

Yanking the huge weapon off his back, Greninja proceeded to hurl it like a discus. The super effective attack struck and exploded in an instant, sending Blaziken crashing into the wall behind Hugh. Fortis took only a quick glance before preparing to call the battle, but he was halted by the sound of Heros' voice.

"Now, Blaziken! Use Acrobatics!"

The Hoenn Starter disappeared in the blink of an eye, causing Hugh and Greninja to recoil. Both trainer and Pokemon began to look around the battlefield wildly in hopes of finding their opponent, but he found them first. Blaziken suddenly crashed down upon the Dark-type and, after pinning him, delivered several punches to his face. One after another, the sound of Blaziken's fist cracking against Greninja's face grew louder and more grisly, causing most of the audience to turn away.

Hugh looked on and bit his lower lip, cursing wildly in his mind as the beating continued. There wasn't a single thing he could do to help, or so he thought. A light went off in the rookie's head, and he threw his right arm to the side.

"Use Extrasensory to escape!"

A sudden blast of multi-colored blast of psychic energy surged out of the frog's mouth and swallowed his attacker whole. In an instant, Blaziken was sent hurtling through the air before eventually smacking against the ground. Still, he effortlessly got back on his feet by pushing both hands against the ground and jumping slightly. The bruises and cuts painted on Blaziken's body put a relaxed grin on Greninja's face as he retreated to Hugh's side, but he noticed something about the Fire-type was off.

Both of his had turned completely red - not even the pupils were present. It was almost as if something had taken control of his body, or was at least trying to. His hesitation to act, coupled with Hugh's intense strategizing allowed Heros to strike, catching the younger duo by surprise.

"Blaziken, we're ending this!" he snapped. "Use Blaze Kick!"

Appearing in front of Greninja just as quickly as his trainer had spoken, Blaziken swung his right leg violently. It connected with the side of his target's face and Greninja was launched into the side of the Pokemon Center so forcefully the building shook.

Everyone stared in amazement, flabbergasted by the sudden surge in power. Everyone except Potens, that was. Blaziken reverted back to his normal form, as did Greninja, and Fortis shot forwards with both arms reaching for the sky. Even with everything going on around her, Potens kept both eyes locked on Blaziken.

* * *

 **So Heros and Blaziken overcame Hugh, Greninja, and Synchro Evolution. What did you expect? It's Heros ;P Anyways, this chapter dove deeper into Gray and Heros' relationship, as well as there being a battle between Mega Blaziken and Synchro Greninja. Next chapter will take a quick peek at what's to come, and yeah, that's really it (I think). Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on the battle?  
2\. How do you like the chemistry between Gray and Heros? Is it natural? Too forced? (Any feedback is greatly appreciated)  
3\. Would you like to see more chapters like this one (date-themed)? Why or why not?  
**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Mega Battle 11: Bellator vs Venusaur!"  
**_

 ** _Having trained as hard as she possibly could, Gray challenges Roxie to a Gym Battle! However, Gray soon finds Roxie's home-field advantage was far more influential than anticipated, and is forced into a corner. Things take an even worse turn when Roxie's ace Pokemon, her Venusaur, becomes even stronger when she Mega Evolves! Can Gray and Bellator overcome such slim odds?_**

* * *

 **Virbank City Arc**

 **Chapter 94: Saffron City Spotlight  
** **Chapter 95: Potens' Resolve**


	93. Mega Battle 11: Bellator vs Venusaur!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (** **Lysandre and Ghetsis appear along with Dominic, Colress, the Flare admins, and Shadow Triad)** **  
The losses sting, you shed a tear (Gray sulks as Furcifer leaves and Advena dies)  
Everything seems lost, but you can not mope (After looking up, Gray sees Fortis and Ferus standing together)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (** **Unicus, Bellator, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear alongside Gray** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Hugh and Greninja appear on one half of the screen and grin while Heros and Blaziken appear on the other half and reach out to Gray)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (** **Bellator's and Gray's faces overlap, and they open their eyes at the same time)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (Zekrom and Reshiram begin to fuse together in front of everyone)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (Virtus and Umbra stand behind Bellator)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (A boy sitting in a tree looks out at the ocean and pictures Owen and Gray)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **So, before we start with the usual A/N, I want to take time out to thank you all for the honest about last chapter and how things have been progressing. Really, it's something I've been wanting to happen, and now that it has - and hopefully will continue to do so if there are any flaws like there were in the last update - I'm reaching new levels of effort I never thought I was capable of, and I'm dead set on giving the best possible content I can. So again, thank you, truly. And please, if there is something that sticks out that you think I could work on, let me know. Also, special thanks to _PhantomGalaxy13_ for beta reading this chapter!**

* * *

 **Heyo! Time for Gray's seventh Gym Battle, and one that I've been looking forward to for a loooong time. Last chapter, Heros and Gray went out on a date (I flubbed the timing of that so hard. My bad) and they ran into White and Hugh! That led to Hugh and Heros battling, with the latter coming out on top. This chapter will be Gray's Gym Battle against Roxie, and it's also a Mega Battle that'll feature everyone's (former) favorite team member, Bellator! Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _He's probably one of my five favorite characters (pretty sure I've said this), so I agree, man! However, I do think his badassness is more a product of what we've seen in Kalos, so I'll have to crank it up a bit (never turn it down!) xD Lol, Heros bandwagon makes the relationship a lot easier to buy, but I really need to work on it being natural. Thanks for the support!_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Yes! That's what I thought xD More date chapters between them (and maybe others?) will be featured, and Noah's jealousy will continue to manifest and eventually blow up, though that's down the road. Thanks!_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Battles tho. But yeah, the relationship happened way too quickly. You'll see it slow down these next few chapters, but it'll pick back up during the league. The chemistry was forced (I think we talked about this earlier), and I think it's because I *tried* having Heros and Gray work well instead of letting it happen. A blunder on my part, no doubt, but I'll fix it_

 **Delta Edge:** _You don't know the reasons behind my decision for_ _Gray and Heros being a thing (not yet), so please don't act like you do. Also,_ _I don't see how Hugh losing has any influence on the significance of Gray possibly beating him at the league, nor does it have an impact on how strong Gray's team is. The relationship developing as quickly as it did is definitely unrealistic, that's for sure, so I'll hit the brakes on it. Thanks for pointing that out!_

 **The Phantom Starfish:** _Heros being stupidly OP is intentional, but (in this case) was more a moment like when a Pokemon evolves in a battle and is more or less guaranteed the win. But don't fret, sir, Hugh will have just as good a chance as anyone when the League comes (Heros won't be as broken). The Type-Beast and Mega Evolution combo would utterly destroy anything, so that's really a good question. Who exactly are ye, Heros?_

 **Trentavious Phoenix:** _You most certainly will like the battle if that's one of your strategies (even though Gray has a counter to it), and I had the exact same thought about GrayXHeros making more sense if Kalos was still going. But since it isn't, I need to do a better job of handling it, and the new Team Grim could make a return for the Hoenn story, depending on whether or not I'm sold on the villains I have planned right now_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thanks! I enjoyed writing their interaction. Blaziken might be the single most OP character in the history of this series and Owen's, tbh. And Hugh's going to come back a LOT stronger when the League rolls around. Plus, this Mega Battle's going to be awesome (hopefully)! It was awesome to write, and I can't wait for more in the future!_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _xD Heros sliding into the DMs tho. Thanks, and I totally agree with you. In all honesty, I didn't even realize she was being so wildly inconsistent with her moods. With the shoulder punch scene, I'm trying to work more on showing and not telling (something I'm awful at), and I completely forgot what that actually meant (somehow), so I didn't elaborate on the situation with it ending in good spirits. As for the whole family-leaving thing, I totally agree with you. It's weird for me, because whenever I write, it's a lot harder for me to judge whether a certain topic is covered long enough, but then as a reader, I can spot it right away. I really need to start paying closer attention and going over things really carefully, so thank you for pointing that out! And you certainly have the right to talk, come on now xD If something sticks out as much as that did, everyone can talk (not to say you aren't qualified, because you certainly are). And expect more spotlight for the other members come the Unova League! To conclude very quickly, thanks for the awesome review! I'm going to take everything you said and apply it to this chapter so hopefully it's way better than what's been coming out_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 50, Razor Shell, Ice Punch, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, X-Scissor*, Aqua Jet* - (Dewott)  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 45, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)**

 **Reserves**

 **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

Gray inhaled deeply as she stood outside the doors to the Virbank City Gym, taking in the scent of body odor and waste tossed into the sea. Her face scrunched up at the foul scents and watched as her friends laughed, but she didn't seem to care. No. Today didn't offer her the chance to dwell on such an occurrence. Unicus, who marched right alongside her trainer, looked up at the brunette and grinned when she didn't react.

 _'She's serious today,'_ Unicus thought to herself, nodding several times while Noah opened the door and held it for the entire group.

The brunette's eyes danced around a tiny corridor, but they eventually settled on a flight of stairs, which she began to stroll down. Behind her - from closest to farthest - were Unicus, Noah, White, Hugh, Greninja, Heros, and Blaziken. N and Alain had said they would be later, but the elder duo had to take care of how they, as well as Gray and Noah, were getting to Opelucid City.

"I really don't want to be back here again," White whined as the sound of water dripping from a pipe echoed through the slim hallway.

Cracked tiles made up the sides of the walls, giving the feel of a subway, and the floors were covered in dirt, bugs, and some sticky substances that nobody wanted to know about. Flickering lights, all of which were barely hanging from the ceiling, caused some members of the group to jump.

"Hey, Heros," she called, grabbing the Kalosian's attention. "Did you ever battle this Gym Leader?"

Not only Heros, but Blaziken also nodded to Gray's question.

"Do you have any advice?"

Blaziken chuckled at the inquiry and shook his head along with his trainer, causing the Sandslash to pout. "Look, I'd love to help you out, Unicus - believe me, I would - but you and Gray will be fine."

Gray watched Unicus discretely and saw her beaming, putting a smile on her face too. When she turned her focus back to what was ahead of her, Gray saw an opening at the end of the hallway and picked up her pace, prompting everyone else behind her to do the same. Seconds later, they entered a waiting room that looked just as dilapidated as the exterior of the building, as well as the hall they had previously been walking through.

An old, wrinkly man with glasses stood behind a red rope and kept his eyes glued to the trainers walking his way.

"Welcome to the Virbank Gym," he greeted. "The name's Rock."

"Thank you, sir." Gray bowed with Unicus after replying, and her friends all waved to the ripped man, except for Hugh and Heros, who both gave nods. "My name's Gray Plain, and I'm scheduled to have a battle with the Gym Leader today."

"Your seats are right this way," he said while unclipping the rope and shuffling out of the way. The first to walk through was White, which was more of a sprint, followed by Noah, then Blaziken, and finally Heros. Hugh tailed the group, leaving Gray and Unicus as the last two remaining.

Rock looked at the Kantonian closely from behind his tinted glasses, and he stuck his hand out like a crossing guard, making her flinch. "Sorry for the holdup, young lady, but before you enter like your friends, I need to go over a few rules with you and the Pokemon you plan on using."

Unicus and Gray shared the same reaction, as they both tilted their heads. They were confused by what he said.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Rock's really cool," Hugh said after spotting the expression on his rival's face. "This Gym's pretty unusual."

Gray, meanwhile, turned back to the hulking grandpa and nodded, prompting him to continue speaking.

"Thanks for clearing that up. You all can go to the visitor section," Rock announced in an orderly tone, prompting Gray's friends to exit the waiting room. "Okay, Miss, I just need you to call out whatever Pokemon you plan on using, and I'll be glad to cover a few rules."

Wasting no time, Gray grabbed two Poke Balls from her belt and released Dicax and Bellator. She then knelt and said, "Guys, this man needs to explain a few rules about the battle to us, so listen up."

"Okay."

"Got it."

Rock grinned at the two Pokemon after hearing their responses, and he adjusted his tinted glasses. "Alright, so here's the thing about this Gym," he began, pausing dramatically while scanning the trainer and Pokemon before him. "Unlike all the others in Unova, this place hosts other events, all of which are related to music."

Unicus, Bellator, and Dicax listened intently.

"With that being said, the Gym Leader's a member of a rock band, and she likes having concerts during battles," he stated, perplexing the prospective challenger and her team. "I don't know if it's her love of music, wanting the added advantage of a crowd cheering her on, or both that drove her to this decision, but it drew a lot of complaints from challengers, and so the league makes me warn everyone about what they're getting into."

Each of the four looked at one another and then turned back to Rock, who laughed under his breath before taking off his glasses. "The crowds here are some of the most aggressive, intimidating ones you'll find, and they're not afraid to... let's say speak their mind."

Taking a moment to regain his breath, Rock paused and looked over his shoulder and down the hallway covered in shadows.

"If they don't do that, I know they'll be all over you and your Pokemon, Miss Plain. You're really at a disadvantage when you come into the Virbank City Gym, even if you know what type of Pokemon Roxie uses. So I'll ask this once, since that's all I'm required to do: Are you willing to go through with your challenge even after hearing what I just said?"

Gray didn't move a muscle and let the words sink in for a bit. She then looked down at her team members and squatted before asking, "What do you guys want to do? If you're uncomfortable with the environment, I'm more than willing to leave."

Dicax, Unicus, and Bellator glanced at one another and smirks appeared on the faces of the first two, who proceeded to nod excitedly.

"What about you, bud?" Gray quizzed, shifting all of her focus onto Bellator, who stared her right in the eyes. Suddenly, he nodded.

"An atmosphere like this is something I've been dreaming of. There's not a chance in hell I'd miss out on battling here," the Water-type proclaimed.

Once Gray rose to her feet, Rock unclipped the rope while motioning for her to proceed.

Without a word, Gray zapped Bellator and Dicax into their Poke Balls and walked inside with Unicus. There wasn't a chance she was about to lose this battle. No way.

 **000**

Gray's friends looked around the first-level of the room with wide eyes. Hundreds of people were jumping up and down with their arms raised towards the ceiling, and all of them were singing along with a band that was playing.

"Wow!" Noah exclaimed as he leaned over the rickety rails and examined the people a few feet below. "This is amazing! Where's the battlefield?"

Greninja slowly lifted his right arm and pointed towards the middle of the room, where there was an elevated stage. He then shook his head and leaned back against the wall by his lonesome, forcing Hugh to take over.

"That stage in the middle is where every battle takes place. You're right in the heart of the concert."

Arcanine tilted his head in response, so Hugh waited for him to ask a question.

"Does Gray have to wait until this is over?"

All three of Hugh, White, and Heros shook their heads emphatically before the lone female spoke up.

"When Hugh battled here, it was in the middle of a concert."

"Same with us," Blaziken added, raising a hand to draw more attention to himself and Heros, the latter of whom nodded in support of the claim.

Noah turned back to the ongoing concert. The band had just finished their last song, and as soon as they did so, Gray and Unicus walked out of the tunnel at the other end of the room. Instead of turning to take a seat in the nosebleeds like their friends, they were guided down a walkway towards the elevated stage. Each step the two took was met with rabid boos from the audience, and the reaction was only encouraged by the three bandmates. The young woman and Unicus flinched but continued.

Gray's supporters frowned at the classless greeting but remained silent as they watched their friend and her Starter step into their trainer box.

Suddenly, the lights hanging from the ceiling began to flash, and everyone at floor-level backed away. Cages emerged from underneath the stage and ascended towards the roof. After about twenty feet, the four walls stopped and the top began to seal itself. Unicus and Gray were essentially trapped in a metal box, leaving Noah and Arcanine flabbergasted. Even Hugh and Heros seemed taken aback by what was happening, and they went up to the railing and leaned over to get a better view.

"Ladies and gentleman!" a voice erupted, silencing the crowd. "Please turn your attention to the stage, because it's that time again!"

Screams followed the announcement, and the lights cut out in an instant. Two stage lights shone down upon two of the band members who were off to the sides of the singer, leaving Gray waiting in suspense.

"Now that our performance is over, we'd like to hand the keys over to a very important individual because she has a challenger!"

"Boo!" The band's fans jumped up and down as they continued to let the Kantonian know how they felt about her presence, but their screaming was hushed when a young woman with black hair stepped forward, holding a bass guitar in one hand while it was strapped on.

"Alright, alright. Let's get on with this, okay?" a pale, bald man interjected as he sat at the drums. "We all know you don't like challengers, but at least save some of that energy for the battle!"

The crowd exploded again, and the lights cut out. The whole room was swallowed in darkness, and the sounds of people banging on the cage echoed in Gray's and Unicus' ears. Suddenly, a scoreboard turned on and displayed Gray's picture along with three Poke Balls, wowing the brunette.

"This will be a three versus three battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and our one and only superstar, the Gym Leader of Virbank City and lead singer and guitarist of 'Muk You,' Roxie!" the bass player yelled.

One light turned on and revealed the Gym Leader. Her pale skin and spiked, snow-white hair complemented each other well but the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing looked hideous. It had purple and blue stripes stretching from one side to the other, and it looked about ten sizes too big for the young woman.

"Roxie! Roxie! Roxie!" the crowd roared in response, prompting the rocker to wave back to her fans as she strode down the walkway and towards the caged battlefield. As soon as she opened the door, Roxie felt Gray's eyes scan her, and she glared daggers in response while making a wide base with her knee-high boots. The door behind her closed tight and Roxie sneered at the sound.

"Welcome to the Virbank City Gym, Gray!" she shouted loud enough for the crowd to hear. "As you know, I'm Roxie, the Gym Leader."

She paused and threw the guitar she was holding over her shoulder, tightening the strap a nanosecond after so that it didn't strike the ground and shatter. Then, clearing her throat, she continued by saying, "By now, I'm sure you've realized this is no ordinary Gym, which is why it's so great. And because it's so great, I know for a fact that you won't walk out of here with a badge in your hand!"

Roxie then spat in disgust, causing Gray to raise an eyebrow.

She had no time to think about the Gym Leader's actions, however, as the hundreds of supporters began to bang on the cage like madmen. The sound of metal vibrating and being struck several hundred more times per second rang in her ears once again. Right when she began to cover them, Gray caught a glimpse of Roxie snickering.

 _'So this is what Rock was talking about',_ the brunette commented mentally. _I have to hand it to her, this is a pretty clever strategy._

"Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all combatants on either side are unable to continue! Roxie, choose your first Pokemon!" the bass player sang, snapping Gray out of her thoughts.

"Drapion, let's rock!"

Busting out of the tossed capsule was a large purple scorpion with a pair of incredibly long arms and a tail of equal length. It let out a roar and snapped its pincers menacingly at Gray, though the aforementioned trainer remained unfazed. Gray then began ignoring Drapion's intimidation tactics and turned to Unicus with a confident smile.

"Unicus, I choose you!" she exclaimed.

Curling up into a ball, the Sandslash rolled onto the battlefield and jumped, uncoiling herself in the process. Upon appearing, Unicus' picture flashed on the scoreboard, as did Drapion's. Both were underneath their respective trainers and above two slots each for their teammates.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Drapion! Get the show going!"

"Drapion, there's no slowing down our rhythm! Use Toxic Spikes!"

The scorpion snapped her pincers once again, but she stopped and pointed them towards the top of the cage. The white appendages turned dark purple and Drapion proceeded to shoot several arrows of poison into the air, each of which then nosedived and fell towards the ground at wicked velocities.

"Destroy all of the poison with Swift, Unicus!" Gray countered in a hurry.

Unicus did as she was told and fired several dozen stars at the bodies of venom, but she was unable to destroy all of them. As a result, Gray's half of the battlefield began to flash purple, and she cursed under her breath immediately. Roxie noticed the reaction from her opponent and smirked, making note of Gray's temper.

"And now use Swords Dance!" she commanded.

Drapion grunted in response while swords clanked around her. They were quickly replaced by a red ring of energy, which spun and eventually disappeared inside the Poison-type, whose power seemed to grow exponentially. Unicus remained fearless, however, and turned to Gray. The brunette nodded at her Starter and watched Unicus smirk and turn back to Drapion.

"If you're doing that, then we will too! Boost your attack power with Swords Dance and then use Magnitude!"

A similar set of swords appeared near Unicus, as did the red ring of energy. When the odd aura disappeared inside her, Unicus inhaled deeply and slammed both of her claws into the ground as hard as possible, causing the stadium to shake furiously. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the attack to strike, Roxie saw an opening and capitalized on it in an instant.

"Hurry and charge at her while you have the chance! Then use Knock Off!"

Before Gray could even breathe, she found Drapion towering over Unicus while both of her arms were surging with black energy. Clubbing Unicus without the slightest bit of hesitation, Drapion let out a roar until she was suddenly crushed by a wave of force that had shot out of the holes created by Unicus' claws. While the larger of the two was pushed back to her half of the battlefield, Unicus smacked against the ground and let out a grunt of pain. The crowd began banging on the cage, echoing the beat of the song.

Unicus glared daggers at the crowd and shot up to her feet, letting out a roar as she did so.

"Way to hang in there, Unicus! Charge and use Crush Claw!" Gray shouted.

Taking off like a bat out of hell, Unicus reared both arms back while her claws turned cobalt. Her opponents weren't thrown off by the aggressive move, though, and Roxie answered just as swiftly as Gray.

"Give 'em something they won't forget! Use Aqua Tail!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the Gym Leader watched as Unicus sprung into the air and delivered a jab to Drapion's face that nearly toppled the large scorpion. Much like Unicus, the Poison-type rose quickly while her tail was encapsulated in water, and she clobbered the Ground-type at point-blank range. The crowd exploded with cheers once again as Unicus skipped along the battlefield like a pebble that was thrown across a body of water, but this time, she remained face down.

"Unicus, don't give in! I know you can do this!" Gray barked over the hecklers throwing insults left and right. Hearing the support from her trainer, Unicus pushed herself back onto her feet and flashed a slick grin, which irritated both Drapion and Roxie. "That's the way! Now use Dig!"

Burrowing a hole underground in a matter of milliseconds, Unicus disappeared and left everyone waiting anxiously. About thirty seconds passed until the ground right in front of Drapion shattered, and Unicus emerged to deliver an uppercut. Landing the crucial blow, she grunted loudly and landed on her face out of exhaustion while Drapion was lifted off the ground and smacked against the surface on her back.

The referee, who was resting at the top of the cage's exterior, quickly opened a door and hopped into the box to examine both sides. Neither Pokemon moved a muscle, until Unicus slowly placed her claws against the ground and pushed with all of her remaining strength. With one last burst of energy, she threw her bodyweight backwards and stood upright, at least until she slouched over and looked ready to drop at any second.

"Drapion is unable to continue! Roxie, choose your next Pokemon!"

The members of the crowd went silent and looked around at one another, befuddled by the outcome of the match. Seeing Drapion's picture turn black made the moment real for all of Roxie's supporters, and even the Gym Leader herself looked to be dumbfounded.

"I can't believe Unicus pulled that off!" White shrieked as she jumped up and down while Servine nodded in agreement.

Greninja kept his arms folded and glanced at the rookie who'd tagged along with him and Hugh while letting out an inaudible sigh. If they think Roxie's just going to roll over like that, they're dead wrong.

"Awesome job, Unicus! You're going to take a long break, but I may need you later on." The Sandslash, who had slogged her way back to Gray's side, flopped down and nodded. _'_ _Unicus is out for at least one match and whoever switches in next is guaranteed to get poisoned. Wait... is that true?'_ The Kantonian pondered as she brought a hand up to her chin.

Then it hit her.

"Way to give 'em your best performance, Drapion," Roxie whispered as she withdrew the fainted Pokemon. She grabbed another Poke Ball right after that and lofted it into the air, giving Gray no time to think. "Crobat, put on a show!" the Gym Leader cried as it snapped open and released the four-winged bat.

The crowd began to stir as Roxie's bandmates motioned for them to get louder, though the ever-growing noise didn't seem to bother Gray in the slightest. Her grip on the Poke Ball resting in her right palm relaxed even more, and she casually tossed it forwards.

"Dicax, I choose you!"

Materializing from the capsule was Gray's Mawile, whose picture appeared underneath Unicus' faded profile on the scoreboard. Crobat's also appeared below Drapion's, and the referee quickly made his way to the top of the cage and let himself out before beginning the match.

"This battle will be between Dicax and Crobat! Begin!" he decreed.

"Dicax, bear down and use Iron Defense!"

The Steel-type did just as he was told and extended both arms out to his sides as far as he could while widening his base. After flashing silver for a brief moment, a ring of green energy spun around Dicax before being seemingly sucked into his body. He then flexed with a grin, enjoying his boosted defenses, but his opponents were having no part of it.

"We'll just see about that," Roxie muttered with a smug grin. "Crobat, Confuse Ray!"

Crobat zipped through the air and around the cage at light speed, disorienting Dicax before he suddenly descended and clamped his wings against the Hoenn Pokemon's face. Then, the bat sent large bodies of orange light from his eyes into Dicax's, and the latter of the two immediately began to stumble around.

"Damn!" Gray bit her lower lip and kept a close eye on the teetering Mawile, who continued to sway back and forth like a drunk. "Please, please use Feint Attack, Dicax!" she begged.

Listening to the command, Dicax suddenly slammed his head against the ground and began to do so repeatedly while letting out a terrified cry, shocking not only his trainer, but his supporters and Unicus as well. The crowd, on the other hand, relished in the moment.

"You suck!"

"Yeah! Go back to Kanto!"

The heckling continued and Gray attempted to ignore it, but the separate assaults began to unify.

"There's no way you're gonna win this match. Now let 'em meld with Heat Wave, Crobat!" Roxie barked as soon as Gray began to glance at those banging on the cage.

Her attention snapped back to the battle within a second, but Crobat was already executing the super effective attack by flapping his wings as fast as he could. Several crescents of fire were created and zipped towards Dicax, who continued teetering back and forth with his eyes shut, but that didn't stop Gray from issuing a counterattack.

"Come on, buddy, dig deep! Fire a Flash Cannon straight ahead just like I know you can!"

Dicax's eyes shot open and he turned his back to the incoming bodies of flames. He then unleashed a ray of silver light from the odd pair of jaws hanging from his head, and it crashed through Crobat's Heat Wave attack. Somehow, the Steel-type move managed to clip one of its target's wings, causing Crobat to crash towards the ground.

"What!?" Roxie shouted in disbelief as she watched her Pokemon plummet and eventually hit the ground.

"That's the way to do it! Now get in close with Feint Attack and then use Bite!" Gray commanded, punching one fist into another as she did so.

Dicax obeyed without hesitation and disappeared in a flash, leaving Crobat in a state of shock just as he prepared to take flight. Because of that, the Fairy-type managed to snap his jaws down on one of Crobat's other wings, making him shriek in pain while soaring around the cage. Everyone looked on with their jaws agape, resting on the floor while Gray's friends cheered at the series of events.

Roxie clenched her fists tightly and began grinding her teeth as Crobat remained unable to free himself of Dicax's grasp, and it didn't look like the Hoenn Pokemon was going to relent any time soon.

"Shake that damn Mawile off, Crobat! Acrobatics, now!"

"Too late, Roxie!" Gray taunted, wagging her finger at the Gym Leader, who, along with her Pokemon, flinched and stared at Gray. "Dicax, use Vice Grip and throw Crobat against the ground!"

A grin spread across Dicax's face as he threw his momentum towards the ground and began spinning like a wheel, causing Crobat to lose any flying ability he had. Then, just when he reached top speed, Dicax hurled his opponent into the ground as hard as he could, which made a loud thud and caused the stage to shake, as well as the cage itself. Upon landing, he folded his arms over his chest, satisfied with the work he had done while the referee reentered the cage to inspect both Crobat and his condition. Slowly, he looked up from the unconscious Pokemon and raised both arms much to Roxie's frustration and the crowd's dismay.

"Crobat is unable to continue! Roxie, choose your final Pokemon!"

"Boo!"

"That's a load of shit!"

"The girl's cheating!"

Gray laughed off the comments along with Dicax and Unicus as they sat down next to one another and looked around the enormous room filled with people dressed in punk rock garb. A loud ping echoed through the air and grabbed everyone's attention. Once all eyes were fixated on the scoreboard hanging over the cage, Crobat's picture turned black and Roxie's final spot became the center of attention.

Up in the nosebleed seats, Hugh ran a hand through his hair and exhaled deeply while Noah stared with wide eyes. Arcanine, Servine, and White were all cheering like crazy for Gray, and then Greninja, Blaziken, and Heros sat back and watched without so much as saying a word. The three exchanged glances and that was all they needed to know what was on each of their minds. Gray was winning- no, dominating the allegedly unstoppable Roxie on her home turf.

"Hello, everyone," a soothing voice greeted, drawing the attention of the large group. N and Alain walked side-by-side with Zoroark and Charizard in tow, seemingly unaware of what was going on. "How is Gray faring?"

"Take a look for yourself," Zoroark said as she pointed at the scoreboard, which took both trainers by surprise. "And she's done that with Unicus and Dicax? Damn!"

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Roxie held out Crobat's Poke Ball and hung her head. The speed demon was zapped back into his capsule without a word, but the young Gym Leader smiled at it before reaching for a different Poke Ball.

"Crobat and Drapion couldn't give you the opening act I was hoping for," she whispered while staring at the final spherical device in her left hand. "But you've never been the type to want one, so I guess this worked out for the best." Roxie smiled and looked up from her Poke Ball, which she pointed at Gray, Unicus, and Dicax.

Each of the three waited in silence for someone to speak, but no words left Roxie's lips, or those of the referee. It was all but silent in the cage, though the same couldn't be said for the steaming fans occupying the first floor. Vulgar words and phrases flooded the air and strangled the life out of anything that wasn't strong enough to hang with the rest, leaving the lone group on the second floor in horror.

Not a single one of them lacked a disgusted response, whether it be a head shake, turning away from the battle, or anything else of the sort.

"Alright, let's settle down, everyone!" Roxie shouted all of a sudden, her voice cracking like a whip. Her supporters quieted down in less than five seconds, and all eyes were on the Poison-type specialist. "Wait time is over! The real show's about to get started!"

Chatter stirred and questions began to rise, though Roxie shot them down in an instant.

"Venusaur, it's time for a showstopper!"

The red and white object snapped open and a copious amount of light poured out onto the floor. Gray's eyes widened in a combination of awe, excitement, and horror as she watched the Pokemon materialize. A behemoth of a Venusaur stood before Roxie and let out a deafening battlecry which somehow managed to create a small burst of wind.

Every soul in the room focused on the enormous Pokemon intently before shifting their gaze up to see its picture appear in Roxie's final spot and underneath Crobat and Drapion. Meanwhile, two pictures underneath Gray's were still lit up while a third hadn't even been used, showing just how significant the hole Roxie had dug was.

"Meet my ace, Venusaur, Gray." The Gym Leader stood with a smug look on her face that just needed to be wiped off, and her challenger bit down on her tongue to refrain from saying anything stupid.

What the brunette failed to notice was a small stone strapped to the top of Venusaur's flower, which rested on his back. In fact, no one saw it except the referee, who was resting at the very top of the cage's exterior as usual.

"Dicax, do you think you can go another round?" the Mawile's trainer asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'll give this battle all I've got!" he exclaimed, drawing a quiet laugh from Unicus while Gray smiled and gave a thumbs up.

The Hoenn Pokemon strode his way onto the battlefield and locked eyes with his opponent, though he found himself more intimidated than Venusaur was. The deep, dark look in the Grass-type's pupils sent chills down Dicax's spine, and he shuddered as a result. Before he could turn to Gray and say something, the referee tapped his microphone.

"This battle will be between Dicax and Venusaur! Begin!"

"Venusaur, Leech Seed!"

The large Kanto Starter quickly fired a series of saplings from the flower on his back, catching Gray and Dicax by surprise. As a result of the speed with which Venusaur acted, Dicax was unable to react quickly enough and dodge. The sapling that struck him snapped open and vines wrapped around his body before zapping him, causing the Fairy-type to cry out in pain.

"Shit!" Gray cussed, spitting the word out venomously. "Hang tough, Dicax, and use Flash Cannon!"

Fighting through the pain just like he was told to do, the Mawile reared his head back while an orb of metallic energy formed in front of his mouth. Firing the blinding burst at his foe, Dicax grinned confidently only for Leech Seed to sap away another chunk of his health.

"And now it's time for Light Screen!" Roxie shouted, catching Gray's attention.

Venusaur slammed his front two feet against the ground and roared, creating a glass wall that took Dicax's Flash Cannon attack head-on. Much to the brunette's horror, it didn't break through, and the crowd outside the cage began to cheer a bit louder.

"Charge at him and use Bite!"

"Seriously? Oh well, I guess we'll put an end to this." Roxie tapped her foot against the ground as Dicax ran towards Venusaur, snapping the terrifying jaws hanging from his head the entire way. Once her challenger's Pokemon hit the middle of the battlefield, Roxie snapped her fingers and yelled, "Use Earthquake!"

For the second time in as many turns, Venusaur slammed his front feet against the ground and roared. This time, instead of a barrier forming around him, a pillar of stone careened from the ground and somehow managed to strike Dicax in the chin. Gray's jaw dropped as she watched her Pokemon's limp body soar into the top of the cage and then crash against the floor just as violently. The referee wasted no time in calling off the battle, and the room exploded with cheers.

"Dicax is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" the man in a black and white striped shirt ordered as Dicax's picture on the scoreboard turned black.

Reaching for the unconscious creature's Poke Ball, Gray smiled and held the device up to her face. "Thanks a lot, buddy. You were amazing."

Once it was clipped back on to her belt, the Kantonian sighed and reached for Bellator's Poke Ball. She stopped, however, when Unicus inhaled sharply while rising to her feet. The two locked eyes and stared at one another for about ten seconds, causing the hecklers to grow even louder and more restless.

"I know I can win this battle," the Ground-type proclaimed without the slightest bit of doubt, causing her trainer to step back in shock. "That's why I'm going out there right now, no matter what you say."

A soft smile crept across Gray's face as she extended her arm towards Unicus. The shrew braced herself for a smack, and was shocked when Gray's hand landed on her head like a feather while she said, "If that's what you want, Unicus, then I'm behind you all the way."

The two tapped forearms - knuckles were out of the question given Unicus' claws - and they maintained stoic demeanors while Unicus' picture on the scoreboard lit up. Just as the referee attempted to speak, Unicus was swallowed by a purple coat of poison, which made her grunt in pain.

Heh, good luck dealing with Venusaur when your last two Pokemon are guaranteed to be poisoned, Gray. There's no chance you're winning this battle, Roxie thought with a sneer.

While that went on, the group peered down in an attempt to get a clearer look at the battle.

"Do you think Unicus is going to be okay going up against that Venusaur?" Servine asked Greninja and Blaziken. Both Pokemon continued to lean against the wall and ignored the question, and they watched Servine pace back and forth while speaking to herself at an inaudible level.

"She'll be fine," Fortis said reassuringly, placing a hand on the Grass-type's head with a smile. "Trust me."

Servine returned the smile and bowed to the Flygon as he returned to his spot between Charizard and Ferus. His eyes narrowed and a sigh trailed while he locked his sights onto Gray, twiddling his fingers.

All of the people that were hanging from the sides of the cage and screaming at Gray like wild animals grew louder every few seconds, as the young woman continued to look straight ahead.

The referee, who was in his usual perch, grabbed the mic to his side and, with a furrowed brow, tapped on it several times. Eventually, the sound of tapping echoed throughout the room, prompting him to speak.

"This battle will be between Unicus and Venusaur! Begin!"

"Unicus, use Swift!"

Obeying, Unicus threw both of her arms towards Venusaur as a wave of gold stars materialized from thin air. They then closed in on Venusaur, but Roxie was quick to react.

"No way! Venusaur, shield yourself with Light Screen!"

The Grass-type roared and slammed his front feet against the ground, causing it to shake before a wall of gold glass appeared in front of him. A smirk spread across the Pokemon's face as the stars exploded as soon as they hit the wall, but it faded when Gray threw her right arm out to the side.

"Now charge and strike with Crush Claw!"

Bolting across the battlefield as swords clanked on either side of her, Unicus closed in on her opponent faster than a jet could've. Leaping through the cloud of smoke in front of her target, the Sandslash jabbed Venusaur in the head with her cobalt claws, causing him to roar in pain. Unicus kept up her assault, slashing her opponent wildly.

Roxie turned her head away from the battlefield and stretched her arms up over her head with a yawn. "Alright, I'll step in now," she muttered to herself as the pained cries from Venusaur began to grow. "Stop Unicus dead in her tracks by firing a Magical Leaf attack!"

Venusaur shook his hips and caused hundreds of leaves to fall from the flower on his back. Just before they were set to hit the ground, the leaves shot forwards with rainbow-colored light surrounding each. Roxie snapped her fingers, and Unicus, still swinging her arms, began to slice through the initial burst of leaves. Gray looked on from afar and bit her cheek while watching her Starter swing both arms like the blades of a helicopter and wheeze for air. Then another wave was sent her way, and Gray took two steps forward while reaching out with her right hand.

"Get out of there with Dig, Unicus!" the young woman begged.

The Ground-type obeyed and disappeared underground. Gray let out a sigh of relief, but her jaw dropped when she saw all of the leaves turn around and pursue Unicus. A series of shrill cries filled the air, and Gray remained silent. The banging sound of the steel cage no longer drew her gaze or a sharp inhale.

"Venusaur, let her have it! Earthquake!"

There was no time for Gray to protest the attack. Waiting for the referee's call was the only thing she could do, and so she did. Pillars of rocks and dirt emerged from underneath the battlefield and one tiny speck was carried with them, along with bodies of purple light, showing that the poison had been cleared. Once the figure reached its apex, gravity took control and yanked it back to the ground like a rag doll.

"Unicus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your final Pokemon!"

White brought her hands to her face and gasped. Servine turned away from the sight and looked at the older Pokemon, each of whom blinked slowly.

Alain and Hugh glanced at one another and then back to the battlefield, both sighing deeply. Noah's hands were clamped around the rail and Arcanine began to pace back and forth.

Gray rushed onto the battlefield and scooped Unicus into her arms while the Ground-type's picture on the scoreboard turned black. Roxie's name echoed from the crowd, prompting the Gym Leader to swing her arms upwards several times. The room began to shake afterwards, but Gray continued to look down at her Pokemon.

"You were amazing, Unicus. Take a long rest," she whispered, zapping the unconscious Sandslash back inside its Poke Ball.

The brunette spun on her heel once she reached her trainer box and stared at both Roxie and Venusaur. Not a second later, Gray held her third capsule straight out and at Roxie. Let's give this everything we can! she thought to herself.

"Bellator, I choose you!" Gray shouted while throwing the device as hard as she could.

A blast of water rushed out and splashed against the ground, preventing anyone from seeing the identity of Gray's final combatant. The water disappeared rather quickly, however, and the stone-faced Dewott was revealed with both arms folded across his chest.

Roxie laughed immediately while Bellator's picture appeared in the final spot on the scoreboard, and she pointed at the otter, saying, "Well, that's the battle! There's no way Venusaur is losing to a Water-type!"

Bellator's and Gray's gazes hardened in an instant, and Roxie flinched at the reactions. Venusaur, meanwhile, growled at his opponent and slammed his front feet against the stage. It continued glaring at Bellator, and vice versa, while their trainers did the same.

Unbeknownst to ether Roxie or Gray, the scoreboard switched from displaying the conditions of their teams to a feed of their faces. At that very moment, the referee cracked a grin while looking at both combatants, and he brought the mic closer to his face.

"This battle between Bellator and Venusaur will determine whether the challenger, Gray, or the Gym Leader, Roxie, wins!" he screamed, eliciting roars of excitement from the crowd. "Now let the battle begin!"

"Venusaur, let them come to us. Use Light Screen."

The Kanto Starter obeyed and grunted as he slammed two vines - which had appeared from his back - against the ground, causing a barrier of gold light to form a few feet ahead. Gray smirked at the move, and Roxie raised an eyebrow at her challenger's reaction.

"We're more than capable of handling that. Charge!"

Bellator didn't waste a second waiting, as he bolted towards Venusaur while grabbing both of his scalchops. Roxie sweat-dropped along with Venusaur as she watched Bellator close the distance between himself and his target.

What an idiot, the young woman thought to herself with a sigh. "Time to cut them down. Use Magical Leaf repeatedly!"

Venusaur threw his head to the side and fired several hundred leaves shrouded in rainbow-colored aura at Bellator. Everyone watching leaned forward and kept their eyes locked onto the Dewott who hadn't slowed down despite the wave of leaves headed his way.

"Now use X-Scissor to cut through them all!" Gray yelled with a grin.

Two blades of light-green energy extended from his scalchops, and Bellator planted his feet while staring at the incoming wave of leaves. Then, he acted. His right arm swung upwards and destroyed about a dozen, and his left arm traveled the opposite way. All of the other leaves began to flank him, but Bellator acted in a flash, bending back as if he were doing the limbo.

All of the leaves slashed each other to bits and fell to the ground. The crowd went silent and stared at Bellator, who immediately took off towards Venusaur once again, prompting Gray to issue another command.

"Let 'em have it, Bellator! Use Ice Punch!"

Bellator made his hand into a fist, which was then shrouded in light blue frost, and he jumped as high as he could. Spinning as he descended, the Water-type delivered a powerful strike to his target's face, drawing a pained grunt from Venusaur as he was sent skidding back to Roxie's side.

She looked up from her final Pokemon and gaped at Bellator, who backflipped his way to Gray's side of the battlefield. A fierce expression was plastered on his face, and Roxie shuddered.

How did he do that? The sequence of Bellator slashing Magical Leaf and then somehow dodging the two bodies of leaves played in her mind over and over again. To think they'd force us into using this.

Roxie reached for the guitar strapped to her back and spun it so that the strings were facing Gray. Once Roxie played a chord, the audience began to cheer a bit while Gray raised an eyebrow. Peering at the white-haired trainer, her attention was diverted when Bellator turned and shared a similar, puzzled reaction.

"I think these people want a show, don't you, Venusaur?" The Grass-type roared in response and grinned, making Bellator lower his stance and reach for both scalchops. "Let's give a solo for the ages! Venusaur, Mega Evolve!"

Roxie pointed the top of her guitar at Venusaur and tapped an odd stone that was attached to it. Two beams of light rushed out of the stone and connected with the stone on Venusaur's flower, causing the colors to change from all white to blue and red. The former was generated from Roxie's Key Stone, while the red light was a product of the Venusaurite.

Suddenly, the beams converged and swallowed Venusaur whole. Gray and Bellator, along with the crowd and their friends in the nosebleed seats, shielded their eyes with the sound of a ferocious roar drowning out all other noise. The stage began to shake violently, so Gray lowered her arm.

Once she spotted Roxie's final Pokemon, Gray bit her cheek.

The flower on Venusaur's back had grown much taller and had large, light-green leaves stemming out from underneath it along with a few vines. Four dark-green leaves rested on his back, and two pink flowers had blossomed - one on his head and the other on his rear - as well as dark green markings on his forehead.

"Well, that's not good," Alain said under his breath as he watched Venusaur's picture on the scoreboard change to his Mega form.

The others remained silent and moved away from the railing, but Fortis, Ferus, Charizard, Blaziken, and Greninja did the opposite. Each one of them scooted past the trainers and leaned over while keeping their eyes glued to Bellator.

Roxie continued to play her guitar with a smug grin making its way across her face, and her bandmates joined in, amplifying the chants in support of the Gym Leader.

"Bellator, we're not backing down from this challenge!" Gray exclaimed, drawing a grunt from the Dewott as he drew both of his scalchops for a second time.

The elder trainer sneered at Gray in response before throwing her right arm forwards and pointing at her challenger.

"Show off that improved strength, Venusaur! Use Sludge Bomb!"

Clanks traveled through the air and Gray covered her ears. However, upon doing so, she gasped when a body of poison rocketed forwards and struck Bellator. An explosion ensued, hurling the otter into the steel bars behind his trainer, but he rose to his feet while people reached out to grab him. Batting away their outstretched hands with a scowl, Bellator spun and returned to the battlefield.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked while looking at the huge red mark on Bellator's chest.

"Keep up the pressure by using Magical Leaf in bursts!" Roxie roared, snapping Bellator's attention away from his trainer.

Obeying his command, the Mega Evolved Pokemon roared while throwing his head to the left. More than two-hundred leaves shrouded in rainbow-colored aura slice through the air and closed in on Bellator, who grabbed his scalchops while Gray issued a counterattack.

"Use Razor Shell!"

Bellator grinned and began to cut down the endless amount of leaves. His footwork mirrored that of a dancer's as he spun and delivered slash after slash, but Venusaur's assault didn't cease. Gray's eyes widened when she saw the Kanto Starter throw his head to the other side, but she refocused on Bellator. Sweat was pouring down his head and his breathing had become heavier. His movements had also become easier to track, and then it happened: he tripped.

"Get out of the way with Aqua Jet!" Gray shrieked.

The crowd gasped when, just as the leaves were about to carve up their target, a body of dark-blue water encapsulated Bellator. He took off like a rocket and zipped through the air, but the razor-sharp blades pursued. Every turn he made was matched, no matter how sharp a turn, they stayed on his trail.

Watching from above, all of Gray's friends and their Pokemon leaned up against the railing. Even Heros, who had been resting against the wall in the very back, was wide-eyed and furiously tapping his fingers against the rail. A word had still not been spoken, but everyone seemed to be on the same train of thought. Everyone except Greninja, at least.

With his arms folded and his back up against a wall, he stared at the ground with one eye on the battlefield while the other was closed. _'_ _Come on, Bellator. You can do this.'_

As he continued to desperately navigate his way around the cage, Bellator began to pant wildly. His opponents looked on with harsh scowls, and Roxie played another chord as she began to speak.

"You're not getting away that easily! End this right now with Frenzy Plant, Venusaur!"

Venusaur threw his momentum upwards and stood on his hind legs, letting out a menacing roar as he did so. He smashed both front legs against the stage shortly thereafter and it shook violently, causing Gray to fall on her rear-end while the crowd reached a deafening pitch. Colossal vines emerged from underneath the stage and contorted as they reached for Bellator. He managed to weave in-between several of the twisting vines and Roxie stomped like a child, but Venusaur's assault was endless. In a matter of seconds, the entire stage was covered in vines the size of buildings, and they piled up. The speeding otter narrowed his eyes and gasped when one shot out from the others, striking him with unmatched force.

"Agh!" Bellator shouted as the water dancing around his body splashed along the other dozen vines rising from the ground. Each of them smashed into the target and more screams followed before, suddenly, Gray and everyone else had lost site of the Unova Starter.

The scoreboard hanging from the roof displayed the condition of the battlefield, and everyone aside from Blaziken and Greninja gasped as their eyes fixated on the fifteen vines - each of which were as thick as a tree - sticking straight out of the ground and pushing against the roof of the cage. There was a tiny speck of blue inside them, and a scalchop could be seen.

With both legs shaking and sweat beating down her head, Gray covered her mouth and fell to the floor. The vines from Venusaur's Frenzy Plant attack crept towards the brunette and reached out to her face, trembling as they reached as far as they could. She looked back up at the tower of vines and placed one hand over the beating organ inside her chest.

"Bellator!" she screamed in the silence, her voice exploding like a gun firing a bullet.

The sea of vines drowned out her cry, yet Bellator, despite no one being able to tell, opened his eyes and looked at Gray. He attempted to punch his way through the cell created by his opponent, but his arm's momentum was stopped just shy of its target. Turning his head to the right, Bellator spotted several weeds, and they began twisting around his limbs.

 _'No! No, this can't happen right now!'_ The otter flashed his teeth and panted as he attempted to throw his momentum forwards. It was stopped in an instant, and the weeds' grips tightened. _'_ _It's over. There's nothing I can do to get out of here.'_

Bellator bit his lip and felt his eyelids grow heavier. The added weight made the darkness grow, and when he was welcomed by it, a void opened.

 _'They were right. All of them.'_

One after another, teenage boys and girls flooded Bellator's mind and rested against the canvas of darkness, which only grew with each one that appeared.

 _'I wasn't strong enough; I'm still not strong enough.'_

A knot formed in Bellator's stomach, and a tiny bead of water rolled down his head. It converged into a river, which rushed down the otter's body and left him drenched in sweat. Something inside him was attempting to escape its solitary confinement by beating faster and faster; harder and harder against the wall known as his chest.

 _'Let's become the strongest we can be and show the world just what we're capable of, Bellator.'_

The aforementioned Pokemon flinched at the voice and the darkness began to retreat. Light stormed into the picture and pummeled it, yet Bellator remained lost. He furrowed his brow and inhaled slowly, counting to ten as he did so. Exhaling at the same pace a few seconds after, the pictures of trainers in his mind were replaced by a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a confident smile, and her hand was on his shoulder. Nothing was around them except the warring factions of light and dark, and that's when he noticed it: her gray eyes.

 _'We'll do it together.'_

He shivered at the proclamation, but a smile - one that looked like it was copy-and-pasted from the girl - formed on his face. The blackness behind her disintegrated as light rushed right through. All the doubt, the scars, and the sorrow fled his mind, soul, and body.

 _'Thank you... Gray.'_

About a minute had passed, and the crowd began to roar as the referee dropped down into the cage and eyed Bellator's cell. He sighed and turned to Gray, watching the young woman stare at the ground blankly with one hand over her heart.

"I ca- can't believe it," Arcanine stuttered. "Gray lost when she was up 2-0?"

It was like a boxer had just punched each and every member of the group right in the gut, as not one of them was able to reply. They too stared. Jaws agape and numb-minded, the group looked like a bunch of wax figures. Only two strayed from the pack in Greninja and Blaziken, with the latter keeping a cool demeanor as he folded his arms and leaned against a wall while the ninja continued to lean over the rail and examine his rival - or where the vines had trapped him.

True to form, Greninja didn't utter a word. Instead, he kept to himself and continued to have the same thought run through his mind: _'Come on, Bellator, you can do this_ _.'_

Roxie strummed away on her guitar and Venusaur let out a mighty roar, causing the referee to turn their way. "Call the battle already! We have a show to give!"

The man let out another sigh and nodded, raising both arms in the air.

"Bellator is unable to-"

A ray of light forced itself out of the vines and grabbed the room's attention. Another shot out in the opposite direction, causing the cheers from Roxie's supporters to die. Before anyone knew it, the entire tower of vines was swallowed by light, and it exploded into millions of microscopic pieces. Gray lifted her gaze from the ground and watched as a familiar blue body, which looked to have jumped prior to the explosion, held two blades of water in its hands. Once she got a better look at it, Gray's eyes widened along with Roxie's and Venusaur's.

No longer did Bellator have two legs, nor did he have hair. Four wide legs with two black claws on the end of each and one in the spot of a thumb, had replaced his tiny two, and there was beige armor on each of them. A v-shaped tail, which had a beige-colored interior and dark-blue exterior had emerged just above his rear, and two bodies of white hair that looked like a mustache popped out of the sides of his face. Two longer bodies of white hair were beneath those, and a helmet - one that shared the same color as the armor - rested on its head, with the most prominent feature being a spear-like part sticking out of it. On its stomach was a plate of sky-blue armor, which was the exact same color as his hair when he was a Dewott.

Gray slowly reached for the Pokedex in her pocket and scanned the beast before her despite both of her arms trembling.

"Samurott, the Formidable Pokemon, and the evolved form of Dewott. One swing of the sword incorporated in its armor can fell an opponent. A simple glare from one of them quiets everybody. New moves learned: Megahorn; Ice Beam."

Gray's friends marveled at the transformation and began to high five one another while jumping up and down. Greninja, however, refrained from the celebration, but he smiled at his rival. _'_ _That's more like it,'_ he thought.

Bellator's picture on the scoreboard changed to that of a Samurott, drawing another roar from his opponent while the debris from his escape landed against the vine-covered ground. A glare was sent Venusaur's way, and the Grass-type was silenced in an instant, causing Roxie to raise an eyebrow.

"It's a good thing you're still able to go, Bellator!" the Gym Leader said with a slick grin as she returned her guitar to her back. "An anticlimactic ending to a comeback like ours would've been a real dud."

Nothing was said in response. Bellator simply turned away from Roxie and towards Gray, who watched a tiny smile break on the Samurott's face.

"I'm not backing down from this challenge."

Gray flinched and nearly fell over, but she was kept upright by Bellator, who had scampered forward and grabbed ahold of her hand. Then, helping the brunette to her feet, Bellator kept his hand extended, but balled it into a fist. Even with the stares from everyone at ground-level, the fully-evolved Pokemon's attention didn't waver. Suddenly, Gray began to laugh, and she nodded before tapping her fist against Bellator's.

"I'll be right by your side the whole time," she said.

With that, both trainer and Pokemon held the pose for at least ten seconds. They pulled away at the exact same time, their hearts beating in-synch, and refocused on their opponents.

"Evolution isn't going to help you win, Gray." Roxie sneered while pointing at her challenger and the four-legged Pokemon on the other end of the battlefield. "Venusaur's taken less than a fraction of damage, and he has a type advantage. You might as well quit now."

The crowd roared in support of Roxie's proclamation, but no one saw Gray's and Bellator's eyes snap wide open at the same exact time.

"No matter who or what stands in our way," the two said in unison as they lifted their right arms and pointed their fists at the opposition, "we'll never give in, because we're in this together!"

Just like that, Bellator was engulfed in a geyser of water as he and his trainer roared.

All of Gray's friends and their Pokemon rushed towards the railing and watched the spectacle.

Roxie did the same, but she tried to peer into the spiraling body of water. Unable to locate Bellator, she sighed with a scowl. Then, a flash caught her eye and she, as well as Venusaur, gasped and backpedaled in response.

Two gray eyes pierced through the water, as did a streak of blue light - which was slightly above the eyes - that mesmerized the audience. Shortly thereafter, the water vanished and revealed Bellator, who had undergone yet another change. All of his skin had turned from dark-blue to gray, and his armor was glowing blue like the water that had swallowed him.

Whispers filled the room as Roxie's fans stared at Bellator and Gray while the brunette cracked her knuckles.

"Bellator." The aforementioned Pokemon turned and stared at his trainer intently. "Let's do this together!"

They smiled at the same time before refocusing on their opponents, prompting the referee to hurry to the top of the cage and grab his microphone.

"The battle between Bellator and Venusaur will continue! Gray, you have the first move! Begin!"

"How about we test out your new attacks?" the Kantonian asked immediately afterwards, drawing a nod from her Pokemon. "Okay then. Bellator, use Ice Beam!"

Rearing his head back as an orb of bright blue light formed near his mouth, Bellator let out a grunt once he fired the attack. A zigzagging beam of energy zipped through the air and reached Roxie's half of the battlefield. The white-haired woman gasped for a second, but threw her right hand forwards, shouting,

"Use Sludge Bomb to block it, and then protect yourself with Reflect!"

Venusaur opened his mouth to perform the commands, but he was struck by the Ice Beam attack, causing him to grimace and turn his head away from Bellator. However, he regained his stature when the freezing blast ceased and threw his head forwards while roaring, causing a glass barrier to form around him.

"Oh no you don't!" Bellator shouted as he sprung forwards, his shiny new armor blinding Venusaur as well as the spectators.

"Megahorn!" Gray screamed.

Another roar escaped Bellator's lungs and he thrusted his neck at his Poison-type foe while the shell on his head surged with light-green energy. A nanosecond before Venusaur's Reflect could disappear into thin air, Megahorn struck and shattered it, freezing Roxie. Bellator proceeded to impale his target, and he sent Venusaur skidding back to Roxie's side as a result.

"Did he just destroy Reflect?" Ferus asked, only to grin sheepishly when Fortis looked at him. His face dropped, however, when the Flygon confirmed what had been seen wasn't crafted by the mind.

Roxie, meanwhile, scowled and threw both arms to the sides while her final Pokemon panted.

"Retaliate by using Magical Leaf!"

Doing just as he was told, the fully-evolved Starter whipped his head to the side and unleashed several hundred leaves shrouded in rainbow-colored aura. Bellator sprung into the air in an attempt to avoid the first wave, but it was no use. The super effective attack followed and cut up his body, drawing several grunts from the Samurott while Gray cursed under her breath.

"Hang tough, buddy!" She then stroked her chin rapidly while deep in thought, but nothing came to mind. Gray cursed once again, but when she looked up, she noticed Venusaur panting."Now's our chance! Use Air Slash!"

Bellator quickly grabbed the armor on his front left arm with his right, and a beam of water shot out. Jaws dropped throughout the room as Bellator suddenly rose with his hind legs and took off like a human would. Once the Water-type reached the middle of the battlefield, he stopped and swung the sword. A crescent of air sped towards Venusaur and crashed into the hefty creature, who nearly fell on his side. Using his vines to get back up, the Kanto Starter struggled to maintain his footing.

"Venusaur, are you okay?" Roxie asked, her voice cracking as she did so.

The aforementioned Pokemon had no time to answer, as Gray seized the opportunity to issue yet another command.

"Bellator, aim a Hydro Pump at the ground!" she roared.

Folding her arms, the Virbank City Gym Leader began to laugh at her opponent's strategy. Less than a second later, she was silenced by Bellator soaring towards the top of the cage like a rocket. Gasps and cheers from the crowd followed, and Roxie looked around at her supporters as their volume only grew with each passing second.

"How? How is that-"

"Razor Shell!"

Roxie's neck snapped back to the battlefield and she watched as Bellator descended with both seamitars in hand. Twirling as he continued to fall, the Samurott delivered two slashes to his enemy's face and landed on his hind legs without a sound. Venusaur, meanwhile, was thrown into the steel behind his trainer, causing Roxie to turn and gasp. Venusaur was sprawled out on the ground with both eyes shut, so the referee entered the cage and raised both arms.

"Venusaur is unable to continue! That means Gray, Bellator, Unicus, and Dicax are the winners!"

As soon as the scoreboard erased Roxie's picture, as well as those of her Pokemon, Gray bolted towards Bellator, and vice versa. Cheers echoed throughout the room and only grew louder as the young woman and her Pokemon embraced, laughing and jumping over their victory. Suddenly, Bellator reverted back to his normal appearance, putting a slight stop to the celebrating. He then looked down at his front two arms and then turned to try and see what his back-half looked like, only to scowl when he couldn't.

"I can't thank you enough, Bellator. I really can't," Gray said, turning to the crowd shortly thereafter and waving. The applause exploded, making her giggle before looking back at her Pokemon.

He smiled in response and gathered his thoughts for a moment, but finally spoke. "I should be the one thanking you. You're the reason we won." Before Bellator could elaborate, he heard a distinct clap. Spinning around wildly, he spotted Roxie strolling towards himself and Gray with a smirk.

"Not bad, Gray. Not bad at all." She continued to repeat herself until the victors were two steps away. "I really didn't expect you to win, let alone in the way that you did."

Bellator smiled and bowed when the Gym Leader pointed at him during the sentence, and then he watched as she reached into her back pocket.

"As a sign of your victory at the Virbank City Gym, I present you with the Toxic Badge."

Gray bowed and Roxie placed the tiny piece of metal in her hand, only to laugh when she watched the younger trainer look over it immediately. The badge was shaped like a cloud of smoke - in the form of four purple circles - a factory would emit with a poison mark at the top.

"Best of luck at the Unova League. I'll definitely be rooting for ya, and I'm sure everyone else here will do the same," the Gym Leader said as she pointed towards the crowd, prompting Gray and Bellator to scan everyone. "Give 'em hand, guys!"

The victorious duo headed for the exit as the sounds of music and cheers filled the air.

Only one thing was on Gray's mind as she disappeared into the hallway in which she had entered: _Only one badge stands between us and the Unova League._

* * *

 **And there you have it! Gray beat Roxie, who nearly overcame a 2-0 deficit thanks to Mega Venusaur, but Bellator went and, not only evolved into a Samurott, but Synchro Evolved. Still, let's not forget Unicus and Dicax pulling out some clutch wins. Next chapter, the group will be on its way back to Opelucid City, but before getting there for Gray's Gym Battle, it'll be forced into making a pitstop. Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Bellator evolving?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Reunion in the Snowy City**_ ** _"_**

 ** _As Gray heads to Opelucid City for her eighth Gym badge, she and the group are trapped in Icirrus City when a massive snowstorm hits. While that would be bad, Gray planned on stopping by regardless, but for what reason?_**

* * *

 **Pre-League Arc**

 **Chapter 95:** **Potens' Resolve**


	94. Reunion in the Snowy City

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (The group looks out at the Unova League stadium at night** **)** **  
A loss would sting, you'd shed a tear (Flashbacks of Fortis falling in front of Garchomp and Ferus being knocked out play with a silhouette of Gray)  
Everything may seem lost but do not mope (Gray walks out of the silhouette, and she goes from looking at her Kanto and Johto teams to the Unova group)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Profiles of ****Unicus, Bellator, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear next to each other** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Six Pokemon in shadows stand in front of a man in a trench coat, and he reaches out for Gray)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (** **Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Fortis, Ferus, Bellator, Potens, and two other Pokemon stand in front of Gray** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (** **The screen splits and shows Zennyo on one half, and Umbra and Virtus on the other** **)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (** **Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, Hugh and Greninja, and Heros and Blaziken appear one after another** **)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (Gray and Owen stand at opposite ends of a battlefield)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Welcome back, people! We're only two chapters away from the start of the Unova League, so I'm hoping to have Gray vs Drayden done by tomorrow, if not tonight. Anyhow, last chapter was Gray's Gym Battle with Roxie, which she won narrowly thanks to Bellator evolving and the Synchro Evolving to defeat Mega Venusaur. Things have changed for this chapter, as instead of a rescue mission, there'll be a reunion. Now let's get going! Also, make sure to check out PhantomGalaxy13's story _'Bizarre Misadventures'_**

 **Delta Edge:** _Please do try to leave something more next time you review. Thanks for the support though! And hype, indeed!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Yeah xD Roxie always struck me as the kind of edgy, tough type that'd try to test people's confidence and ability to handle pressure, so that's what I decided to go with! As for Umbra being put behind him... we'll see about that ;)_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Thank you! And I wish I could've been there to see that (even though you didn't) xD I've done stuff like that around my friends and felt like a fool, so you're lucky. Bipedal Samurott was an idea a guest dropped, I think, and PhantomGalaxy13's the one to thank for making things better, not me_

 **dragonplayer18:** _Nor did I, my good lady (please don't be a guy. I'd feel bad xD). Bellator will be more badass, but he's going to take a backseat to Potens (for now), and the rest of the team will steal the spotlight come League-time. And I don't think I conveyed it well, but I do think Roxie using the crowd to rattle trainers' nerves is a pretty good tactic, regardless of how fair it is. Noah should snap soon, don't worry xD_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _I get it. I get it xD The reverse 3-0 would've happened had Gray gotten her badge from Drayden before Opelucid was destroyed, thus setting up a rematch between Bellator and Venusaur, but it didn't, so yay! And I'll almost always picture Bellator as a Dewott, but I should get used to the evolution eventually. Thanks for the support!_

 **The Phantom Starfish:** _Thanks! The League battles are going to be so much better than what you've been getting, although there won't be nearly as many as originally anticipated. And thanks in regards to Bellator's evolution! It was a spur of the moment decision that I'm really liking as of this moment, so yay xD Also, that's very flattering; I'm glad you like my work, even though most of it has been subpar :/ I don't think there were any lyrics, unless I forgot to delete comments from my beta xD_

 **sparkydragon98:** _Thank you, kind sir. I'm surprised I had Bellator evolve too, but after giving it very little thought and just saying "screw it," I went for it xD I'm glad you picked up on Venusaur's move total, because I didn't, lol. And here it is! A new chappie!_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 53, Razor Shell, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, Megahorn*, Aqua Jet* - (Samurott)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 48, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)**

 **Reserves**

 **Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

The winds howled, inflicting shivers on anyone unlucky enough to be outside, and Ferus let out an angered snarl before spitting an ember onto the snow-covered ground. Still, he continued trudging along with Gray, Fortis, and Unicus, although he was the most vocal about his displeasure.

"Why do _I_ have to be out of my Poke Ball? Can't you use one of your other Pokemon to heat stuff up?" he whined.

Fortis rolled his eyes.

"Would you just shut up?" Arcanine snapped, drawing Ferus' attention. "You've been at this for hours, so please, shut up." Silence fell over the group, save for hush laughter from the elder duo of Alain and N, and they continued trudging through the snow-covered road from Twist Mountain.

Blaziken looked around at the flakes falling from the gray sky and extended a hand as he continued to walk down the road alongside his trainer. After a few seconds, he finally caught one in his palm and brought it closer to his face to inspect the intricate design, only to find another had landed right next to the first. His eyes darted towards that one, and he widened them as he lifted his gaze.

"These two snowflakes aren't the same!" he exclaimed, causing Heros to deadpan while Gray laughed.

"No two are," N said. "That's the beauty of snow. Every single bit of it is unique." Blaziken turned and gazed out at the mounds of snow and marveled at the sight, drawing chuckles from everyone, Ferus included. "Say, Gray," the green-haired trainer began, "why don't you challenge Brycen again instead of going to Opelucid?"

"I don't want to."

Zoroark's ears perked up immediately and she face-palmed as she asked, "Are you kidding me!?" The sound of her shouting bounced off the snow and flew towards the city, which was within a thousand feet or so. "We have to pass through this desolate wasteland of ice for nothing because you don't want to challenge the Gym Leader?"

The sound of powdery snow crunching underneath everyone's boots filled the group's ears while Gray remained silent and continued to keep her eyes fixated on the city itself. She adjusted her skullcap and tightened the straps on both gloves, and then she withdrew Unicus, whose constant shivering prompted the decision.

Still scowling like a child, Zoroark's eyes remained glued to Gray's back, even as her silence smacked everyone over the head. She fiddled with the Poke Ball in her hand and then, after growing bored of that, toyed with her Mega Bracelet, prompting Alain and Heros to do the same.

"Pretty much, yeah."

Her words knocked the Dark-type off-balance, and both Fortis and Ferus laughed with Heros at the nonchalant response.

"I'm just kidding!" she exclaimed, spinning on both heels as she pointed at Zoroark. "There are a few reasons I want to challenge the Opelucid Gym, and there's also a reason I wanted to pass through this place one more time before the Unova League started."

Each of her friends and their Pokemon raised an eyebrow in response as they waited for the brunette to explain. She didn't, however, and simply turned back around with a smile. The cries of rage from her friends only made Gray giggle quietly while Fortis suppressed a grin and shook his head.

Once the group was in the heart of Icirrus City, everyone looked around and stared at the mounds and mounds of snow piled in the streets and pouring onto the sidewalks. Anyone walking outside in a jacket was annoyed, and even the Ice-type Pokemon seemed to mirror that sentiment.

"What's going on over there?" Noah asked, pointing at a road that had yellow tape stretching from one streetlight to another. The others shrugged, so they headed towards the area and found a man with a hardhat on.

"Excuse me, sir," Alain said, grabbing the man's attention. "Do you mind if I ask what happened here?"

The man turned while shivering and let out a sigh. Once he scanned the five trainers, he nodded and pointed at the mound of snow about ten feet high, saying, "This here's just the beginning of a snowstorm headed our way. Did you all just arrive in the city?"

"Yep! I'm going to win my eighth Gym badge in Opelucid City!" Gray proclaimed, punching her right fist straight out.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen for a while, Miss." The Kantonian deadpanned in response before the man continued. "Sorry to break the bad news, but this storm is the worst in recent memory. It could last anywhere from two days to a week! You'll have to stay at the Pokemon Center to be safe."

Silence fell over the group, and all of the boys looked at Gray, who didn't move a muscle.

"That's fine with me," she said, cursing mentally at the half-lie. "C'mon, Ferus and Fortis. Let's go check in."

With that, Gray hurried over to the Pokemon Center with everyone else in tow.

 **000**

The group huddled around the fireplace, exchanging stories while the Pokemon rested or played with each other.

"You never told us you competed in the Kalos League, Noah! How'd you do?" Charizard asked, causing the eighteen year old to rub the back of his head sheepishly. Charizard took the hint and quickly said, "Well, placement doesn't matter. All that does is if you and your team gave it everything you had. Right?"

Ferus scoffed at the remark, drawing the attention of his fellow Fire-type. "What? You're wrong." Charizard glared at the quadruped and showed his teeth, but Ferus paid his threat no attention. "Sure, it's great that you got there and all, but what's the point in being proud if you didn't win? I sure as hell know I'm not. It still pisses me off to this day."

A swift nod came from Fortis, who was next to Ferus and leaning against the wall.

"I'll never get over my loss to Garchomp. I'll take that with me to the grave," he muttered. "Even if we did make it to the Top 4, I always think about how we were one win away from the Championship."

"Yep." Ferus nodded in agreement. "We didn't get that far, but I know what you mean."

Charizard shrugged at the comments from both of his friends while Alain leaned forward slightly and whispered, "So how far did you get?"

Noah deadpanned at the question and Heros cracked a grin. Their attention was diverted, however, when they saw Gray walking towards the Pokemon Center's entrance while zipping up her coat. She didn't even look their way while heading out with Unicus by her side, leaving the group of four in a state of confusion.

"What's she up to?" Ferus asked aloud. While everyone shrugged, Fortis stared intently and folded his arms over his chest. There was a reason Gray had wanted to stop in Icirrus City, and he was sure he knew why.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon, so there isn't a need to worry."

The group nodded in response and resumed the conversation about Noah's placement in the Kalos League. Still, Fortis looked out the windows and watched as both Gray and Unicus disappeared into the snow.

 **000**

The brunette and her Starter walked up to a familiar structure that was built into a decent-sized hill. Two statues with the Unova League symbol were on either side of the entrance, and Gray took a deep breath before walking up to the doors. Unicus stayed right by Gray's side and matched her step-for-step. The snow and howling winds were finally making their presence known as she shivered.

Both of the automatic doors slid open and the duo hurried inside, where Gray took off her coat and Unicus basked in the heat. She rolled around like a dog, causing Gray to sweat-drop, but she soon turned her attention to the receptionist in the corner of the room.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she said, drawing the woman's gaze. "My name's Gray Plain; I scheduled a meeting for today." The woman nodded and turned to face her computer. She typed for a while before looking back at Gray and smiling.

"All set, Ms. Plain!" the receptionist exclaimed. "You know, they've actually been waiting quite some time for you to call. I believe he said that about... two weeks ago?" Shrugging nonchalantly, the black-haired woman shifted to face her computer and began typing away once again.

 _"Two weeks!?"_ Unicus thought as her ears perked up. _"Damn! They must have been training night and day!"_

Just as she finished her mental note, Unicus' ears twitched once again when she heard the sound of automatic doors slide open, but they weren't the ones she and Gray had come through. No, they were behind her, so she spun on a dime and reared her arm back. She then charged, and so did a black figure from down the hall. Before Unicus could do a thing, she was tackled to the ground and let out a grunt as the wind left her lungs.

Gray rushed over to her Pokemon's side in confusion, only to cover her mouth with her hands and gasp. Whatever it was that had attacked Unicus lunged at her and wrapped its arms around her neck. However, there was no malice behind the action.

"It's so great to see you again!" a robotic voice shrieked right in the brunette's ear. Gray winced but laughed as she rubbed her ear and pulled away from the 'assailant' with a smile. A familiar pair of trembling red eyes were fixated on her, and the Kantonian embraced the creature.

"We've missed you, Furcifer," she whispered as her grip on the Ice-type tightened. Unicus, who had rolled over to her friend and trainer, joined in on the embrace with a cheeky grin.

Furcifer's neck snapped to the left and she beamed at Unicus, prompting the Ground-type to return the gesture before saying, "You sure did miss a lot. Opelucid City got-" Furcifer held her hand up and cut the Sandslash off mid-sentence.

Before she could say a word, the Weavile's ears twitched and she turned to glance over her shoulder. Brycen and Beartic had walked into the room and were headed towards Gray. The hulking Pokemon waved to her while his trainer waited to bow once he stopped walking.

"Brycen! Long time no see... kind of."

Nodding slowly, the Gym Leader shifted his gaze from Gray to Furcifer, the latter of whom shot off the ground and returned to his side. She was blushing and rubbing the back of her head, but Brycen laughed and motioned for her to return to Gray and Unicus.

Glancing outside, Brycen noticed the speed of the falling snow increase. His and Beartic's mouths remained shut, however, as they didn't want to ruin the moment between Furcifer and her trainer.

Suddenly, Gray reached for all of the Poke Balls on her belt and lofted them straight up, shouting, "Come on out, everyone!" Flashes of light emerged from each, and when they struck the ground, they began to materialize into all of Gray's Unova Pokemon.

The five let out slight cries before spotting Furcifer, and Potens, Celsus, and Dicax rushed towards her. Bellator and Citeria, on the other hand, stood back and watched as their teammates exchanged greetings with the unrecognizable Weavile.

"How has your training gone?" Celsus asked loudly as he pranced in place, drawing laughter from Furcifer.

"Really well. I haven't been sitting around letting you guys pass me by," she proclaimed. "What about you? Is there anyone new that I haven't met? And where's Virtus?"

Silence fell over the trio, and each of the three looked around the room. Furcifer stared intently, waiting for someone to speak, and her attention was snapped towards Gray, who was standing behind them. She subtly pointed downwards, as if she were trying to tell Furcifer there was something right in front of her.

Furcifer dashed forwards, causing her three teammates to recoil. She then extended her arms and planted one hand on Potens' head and the other on Dicax's before pushing off of them like a springboard. Brycen smirked as he watched the baffled reactions from Celsus, Potens, and Dicax while Furcifer did a front-flip and cleared the first of the three.

Landing without a sound and on her feet, Furcifer folded her arms and smirked at Gray. The brunette clapped for a brief second, but she was soon drowned out by the sound of Citeria chuckling and applauding.

"Quite the display, Miss! Quite the display!" he exclaimed. Furcifer tilted her head in confusion and watched as the Bibarel waddled his way over towards her. He noticed the puzzled expression and immediately bowed. "How rude of me; I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Citeria, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss."

After he bowed, Citeria lifted his head and gave a goofy smile, to which the Weavile replied, "I'm Furcifer. It's nice to meet you too!"

The Bibarel bowed once again and waddled over to Dicax, Celsus, and Potens. Each of them watched closely as Furcifer turned her attention to an unfamiliar creature standing by Gray's side.

"And who's this?" she asked.

Bellator smirked in response and grabbed both of the seamitars on his left forearm. He then pointed it at Furcifer and a blade of water shot out of it. Furcifer stared at the blade in shock and looked up from it, locking eyes with the beast before her. She narrowed her eyes and the two remained silent, causing everyone to shift uneasily, save for Brycen and Beartic, who watched with intrigue.

"It's been a while," the Samurott said as he sheathed his seamitar. "How've you-" he was cutoff mid-sentence by Furcifer's embrace, and he let out an 'oof' upon initial contact.

"Bellator? Is that really you?" the Weavile inquired. Bellator nodded in response once she pulled away, putting a bright smile on her face. "I see you pulled your head out of your ass and came back!" she said, jabbing the Water-type in the ribs.

Cracking a grin while the others laughed, Bellator nodded and looked at Gray.

"Hey, Furcifer," Gray began, grabbing the aforementioned Pokemon's attention. "You probably know why I called Brycen, but I'll say it anyways." The brunette took a short breath and squatted before placing a hand on the Weavile's shoulder. "Since we're going for our eighth badge against a Dragon-type specialist, I wanted to ask if you'd tag along and help us."

The Weavile looked over her shoulder and saw Brycen nodding, prompting her to quickly turn back to Gray and flash a smile.

"Sorry, but no."

Gray flinched, and the rest of the Pokemon dead-panned.

"I'm not staying for a Gym Battle, I'm staying all the way through the Unova League," she stated. "And we're going to win it, no matter what!"

 **000**

"Now use Thunder Punch!"

Traveling at the speed of light, a blur whizzed through the air and hurled its fist forward. The sound of its knuckles connecting with the face of its target, a Feraligatr, rang in everyone's ears. Even those by the beach turned to hear the sudden crack, and they all watched as a Pokemon fell into the water, creating a huge splash.

The Feraligatr's trainer stared with his jaw on the ground. He marveled at his opponents' strength and shook his head as he withdrew the unconscious Pokemon floating in the water.

"Feraligatr is unable to continue! That means Nemo and Primeape are the winners!" the referee screamed as he threw his arms up to the sky.

Upon hearing their names, both trainer and Pokemon turned and nodded at one another before heading towards the Gym Leader. Once they made their way across the wooden walkway, Nemo tucked both hands in his trench coat pockets and eyed the loser.

"As the Gym Leader of Humilau City, I, Marlon, give you the Wave Badge, dude."

The tan-skinned surfer handed his over a tiny piece of metal which was shaped like a raindrop, except there were two golden swooshes inside it, making it look as if there were waves. Nemo slowly revealed his right hand and took his badge before returning his hand back to the pocket, causing Marlon to sweat-drop.

"So, I'm guessin' that's your eighth, right?"

The dark-haired trainer's eyes locked onto the Gym Leader's, once again causing Marlon to sweat-drop. He couldn't help but stare at the scar running down Nemo's cheek, something he assumed was a parting gift from a war, judging by the outfit of the victor and his age.

"Yeah, it is," he said. "I know someone whose competing, and I want to face them." Nemo glanced up from the ocean water and forced a grin, causing Marlon to laugh as he put both hands on his hips.

"Great! I hope you get your wish."

Nemo nodded and clenched his right fist at the same time as Primeape, their eyes burning with intense flames.

"I know we will. She's sure to make it to the top, and I'll be there to knock her down."

* * *

 **Well, that was way different than expected. Anyways, Furcifer has rejoined the team and will stick around until the end of the Unova League. There was also a strange new character named Nemo, who has a grudge against someone. Odd. Very, very odd. Anyhow, next chapter will be Gray's final Gym Battle of the region, and then the Unova League will commence! YEAH! Till then, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on Furcifer's return?  
2\. Impressions on Nemo?  
3\. Predictions for the Unova League?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Potens' Resolve"**_

 ** _Gray challenges Drayden in hopes of earning her final badge, and Potens aims to prove just how powerful her bond with Zennyo is. Will the two achieve their goals?_**

* * *

 **Unova League Arc**

 **Chapter 96: The Unova League Begins!  
** **Chapter 97: Separating from the Pack**  
 **Chapter 98: Mega Battle 12: Charizard vs Medicham!  
Chapter 99: ****Triumph Comes in Threes**  
 **Chapter 100:** **Greninja vs Emboar: Win for White!**  
 **Chapter 101: Promises, Proposals, and Peril  
Chapter 102: ?  
** **Chapter 103: ?  
** **Chapter 104: ?  
** **Chapter 105: ?  
** **Chapter 106: ?  
** **Chapter 107: ?  
** **Chapter 108: ?** **  
**


	95. Potens' Resolve

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (The group looks out at the Unova League stadium at night** **)** **  
A loss would sting, you'd shed a tear (Flashbacks of Fortis falling in front of Garchomp and Ferus being knocked out play with a silhouette of Gray)  
Everything may seem lost but do not mope (Gray walks out of the silhouette, and she goes from looking at her Kanto and Johto teams to the Unova group)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Profiles of ****Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear next to each other** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Six Pokemon in shadows stand in front of a man in a trench coat, and he reaches out for Gray)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (** **Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Fortis, Ferus, Bellator, Potens, and two other Pokemon stand in front of Gray** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (** **The screen splits and shows Zennyo on one half, and Umbra and Virtus on the other** **)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (** **Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, Hugh and Greninja, and Heros and Blaziken appear one after another** **)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (Gray and Owen stand at opposite ends of a battlefield)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Hey there, everybody! 'Tis the time for Gray's eighth and final Gym Battle, and it comes against none other than Drayden, the Dragon-type Master, so she's sure to be in for a challenge. Last chapter, the gang stopped in Icirrus City due to inclement weather, but that turned out to be irrelevant, as Gray had planned on bringing Furcifer back to her team. She did just that, and her team is sure to get a major lift with such a powerful addition. Now let's get going!**

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Puns for days, mai boi. Furcifer did bring a lot of skill and character to the team, and she'll bring even more of the former, with the same amount of Furcifer-ness we all love xD The League sadly overshadows the Potens vs Drayden match, but oh well, it should still be a blast to write! Nemo's an interesting guy that you know a lot more about than most think. There were very specific details dropped that apply only to him, so hopefully someone can find those. Thanks for the support!_

 **Warrior of Hope:** _Update hype! League hype! Y_ _as! The League is so close, sir, and there will be so many epic battles, I can't... I can't. That's all xD Not much other than Furcifer happened, you're right, but I figured a break in the action was desperately needed considering how many battles will be occurring in such a short period of time. Heros-bandwagon tho, lol. I wish you would've gotten to see Heros in his full glory, I really do. I'm sure Ashley will blow him out of the water by the time Hoenn's done though_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _YES! Hyyype! Furcifer's presence is going to be a massive boost to the team's overall strength, and Nemo is... interesting, to say the least. He'll probably be the star of the League, and Gray's strongest team... man. If you're referring to Unova being the strongest regional team, yeah, they're going to be really good. But if it's her ultimate team... well, that won't happen, probably :P_

 **Delta Edge:** _Lol. Not all of the chapters are a thing, it's just there to throw you off for when the actual ending is. It could be longer, or it could be shorter. You won't know though xD As for Nemo... just look up what it means in Latin. Then, you'll find the answer. Most of the predictions were spot-on too. Nice work!_

 **The Phantom Starfish:** _Indeed it was, sir. Furcifer's going to be a great (re)addition to the team, and she'll have a whole lot of tricks prepared for the League. Speaking of which, tickets will be available at your local provider starting Chapter 96 xD Also, make sure to look up Nemo's name in Latin!_

 **TheGreat0ne:** _Well thanks! I do know the difference in the two, but thanks for bringing that to my attention. Furcifer's style and skill are going bring a whole lot to the team, and Nemo, as great as it'd be for that to happen, won't be clashing with Noah and/or Heros in that way, but he will interact with them. Thanks for the support!_

 **Blaze Falcon:** _No worries, and yes it will! This should be the best of the bunch without question, and Furcifer's presence should make Gray a real threat. Nemo's just as you said, and he'll play an interesting role. I like dem predictions too, mai boi xD_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 43, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Furcifer, (f), level 49, Dark Pulse, Icicle Crash** **, Feint Attack, Low Sweep, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Weavile)** **  
Potens, (f), level 50, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 43, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Zen Headbutt* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 48, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 46, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)**

 **Reserves**

 **Bellator, (m), level 53, Razor Shell, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, Megahorn*, Aqua Jet* - (Samurott)** **  
Ferus, (m), level 64, Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Foul Play, Fire Fang*, Thunder Fang* - (Houndoom)  
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)**

* * *

 _"No, he was sealed within the strongest Pokemon in the city. His refusal to follow the procedure wasn't something I liked."_

Potens' scowl grew tenfold, the words playing over in her head for what must have been the millionth time. She was sitting at a table outside the Pokemon Center with her teammates and Gray, the latter of whom was at the head. While the brunette rambled on and on, Drayden's words continued to ring in Potens' mind.

Zennyo stirred within his carrier and let out a sigh, sensing what was on her mind.

 _"You know, Potens,"_ he began, grabbing the wyvern's attention, _"listening to Gray would be a better use of your energy instead of harping on Drayden."_ The Type-Beast stroked his beard of aura and closed both eyes. _I'm sure she's going over strategy right now, so leave the worrying to me, okay?"_

 _"..."_ Potens remained silent before conceding defeat with a sigh, bringing a smile to her Type-Beast's face. _"Fine, but as soon as she's done, I'm going to think about it, and you can't stop me!"_

Zennyo chuckled heartily at the proclamation and nodded even though Potens couldn't see it. The Chinese dragon clenched both fists and began to punch the air freely, basking in the fact that his chains had been broken. He stopped, however, as the thought of Drayden entered his mind.

 _"That guy,"_ he thought to himself, cursing shortly thereafter. _"I'm sure Gray and the others will have their hands full with him. Hopefully they can pull through."_

With that, the Type-Beast yawned and laid his head down.

Meanwhile, his carrier turned her attention to Gray and watched as the eighteen year old turned to her friends and smiled, saying, "Yeah, you're right!" Potens blinked twice and shook her head before glancing at each one of her teammates. "Hey, Potens."

The aforementioned Pokemon turned to the sound of her trainer's voice and watched Gray smile.

"If you're up for it, I want you to close out the battle against Garchomp." Every one of the Pokemon sitting at the table turned to face Potens with confused looks. The Dragon-type, however, nodded solemnly and rose from her seat with a roar. "Haha! That's the spirit!"

 **000**

Gray and her friends stepped through an archway and looked around the room they had entered. Hanging from the top of the walls behind each of the two trainer boxes were statues of a white dragon and a black dragon. As for the rest of the room, it looked similar to the battlefields behind every Pokemon Center, with a plain field and stone walls. Standing in the middle of the battlefield were none other than Drayden and Garchomp.

"Ah! Gray!" the bulky man exclaimed as soon as he laid eyes on his challenger. "Welcome to the Opelucid City Gym." Garchomp nodded after his trainer's greeting and scanned the group of trainers. He immediately locked onto Blaziken and grinned at the Fire-type, who bowed in return.

"Thanks, Drayden. I'm here for my eighth-"

"And final!" Noah added, cutting Gray off mid-sentence. She turned with a deadpan expression, causing him to sweat-drop and backpedal.

"I'm here for my eighth badge, and I plan on qualifying for the Unova League today!" the brunette announced with a smile. Unicus cheered in agreement while Alain, N, and Heros smiled and walked over to the sidelines along with Noah.

Drayden chuckled at the statement and folded his arms over his chest before saying, "Very well. Let's get started right away then."

With that, the older man made his way for the trainer box furthest from his challenger and turned once he entered it. Gray followed suit but looked up at the white dragon she was standing underneath, and then she reached for Potens' Poke Ball. Suddenly, the referee appeared from the doorway near Drayden, and he stood off to the side of the field.

"This will be a four versus four battle between the challenger, Gray Plain of Saffron City, and the Gym Leader of Opelucid City, Drayden! Only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on either side are unable to continue! Drayden, choose your first Pokemon!""

Without a moment's hesitation, the Gym Leader hurled a Poke Ball from his belt and it snapped open. A wave of white light materialized and standing before Drayden was a large, gold-armored dragon with axe-blades extending from the sides of its face.

"Wow. He's starting wit a Haxorus?" N asked rhetorically, bringing his hand to his chin. "That's an interesting choice, given its tremendous attack power."

Gray simply reached for a Poke Ball of her own and lofted it. Just like Drayden's, it opened and a burst of light poured out onto the ground. Materializing from it was a stocky, goofy Pokemon that looked to be sitting down.

"Alright, Citeria," Gray began, "let's give this our all!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" was the beaver's reply, drawing a smile from Drayden. The referee's voice caused it to fade, however, as he snapped back into battle-mode.

"This battle will be between Citeria and Haxorus! Begin!"

"Haxorus, use Slash!" Drayden commanded as he punched his gloved-fist straight ahead.

The gold-armored Pokemon belted out a roar before trudging across the battlefield with both of the axe-blades on its face glowing white.

"Dodge it and counter with Thunderbolt!"

Citeria dropped to all fours, danced past his opponent, spun halfway around to face Haxorus, and then sprung into the air. Then, once he was engulfed in a body of yellow electricity, the Bibarel let out a grunt and fired a zigzagging bolt right at the Dragon-type. Haxorus was zapped and took a step back while Citeria returned to his trainer's side with narrowed eyes, causing Drayden to run a hand through his beard.

"Well that one's pretty quick. Looks like we'll have to use Dragon Dance!"

Having snapped out of the pain-induced trance he had been in, Haxorus obeyed his command and struck the ground with both fists, causing several orbs of blue, draconic energy to dance around him. They were eventually absorbed into the menacing Pokemon's body, and he was engulfed in red light, informing everyone that his attack and speed stats had been boosted.

"Now hit 'em with Quick Attack, Citeria!"

Bounding across the battlefield with a trail of white light appearing behind his body, Citeria left his feet and closed in on Haxorus like a heat-seeking missile. Drayden kept his arms folded while Garchomp sneered at his foe's command.

"Intercept by using Outrage!" the Gym Leader snapped.

Haxorus punched his fists together, causing orange energy to twist around his body. Without a second to waste, he rushed forwards and collided with Citeria. He overpowered the beaver in the blink of an eye and rammed him into the ground so forcefully a cloud of dust shot up.

"Citeria!" Gray screamed as the dust began to settle, revealing her first combatant. "Are you okay?"

The Water-type turned and flashed a toothy grin, allowing Gray to breathe a sigh of relief. She then looked over to the sidelines where she saw Noah cheering alongside N and Zoroark. Turning her attention back to the battlefield, Gray inhaled deeply and cracked her knuckles.

 _"What are you up to, Gray?"_ Heros thought to himself, tapping his finger against his chin.

"Keep going, Haxorus!" Drayden roared, snapping the blonde out of his thoughts.

"If they're going at us full-force, let's do the same! Use Superpower!" Gray retorted while punching her left fist forwards.

Both Citeria and Haxorus slammed their fists together and were swallowed in coats of red and orange light, respectively, before taking off towards one another. They collided in the middle of the battlefield and let out fierce screams upon doing so. A twister of red and orange light formed out of thin air and raged around the combatants while everyone else looked on with wide eyes.

Suddenly, the spinning body of light shrunk and turned into a ball of white before exploding and hurling both Citeria and Haxorus into the walls behind their trainers, though that didn't stop Drayden from issuing another command.

"Hurry and use Guillotine!"

Despite the wounds painted all over his body, the Dragon-type launched himself into the air while the axe-blades on the sides of his face burned an intense shade of red. However, Gray kept her eyes glued to the falling beast and grinned at the same time as Citeria.

"Not on our watch! Use Scald!" she screamed.

Citeria reared his head back and unleashed a boiling-hot blast of water from his mouth, which struck Haxorus and sent him flying back to Drayden's half of the battlefield. Falling lifelessly - like a bag of bricks, or any inanimate object, really - and striking the ground without bracing for impact, Haxorus' eyes were revealed to be shut, prompting the referee to throw his arms towards the sky.

"Haxorus is unable to continue! Drayden, choose your next Pokemon!"

The group on sidelines applauded upon hearing the result of the battle, and Citeria waved to Bellator, Fortis, and Ferus, each of whom grinned and nodded in approval.

"Who would've thought Citeria could beat a Haxorus?" Noah quizzed aloud as he looked at each of N, Heros, and Alain. The three shrugged and continued to look on in silence, leading Noah to do the same.

"Well done, Haxorus. Please get a good rest," Drayden whispered to the Poke Ball before clipping it on his belt. "Now go, Kingdra!"

Shooting out of the second capsule was a seahorse-like Pokemon with a yellow stomach and a nose that extended out like the barrel of a gun. Gray examined Kingdra closely and grinned while cracking her knuckles. There wasn't a doubt in her mind Citeria would hold his own.

"This battle will be between Citeria and Kingdra! Begin!"

"Kingdra, begin by using Dragon Dance!"

Obeying without hesitation, the Water-type pointed his head towards the roof and grunted loudly, causing several orbs of blue, draconic energy to dance around him. They were eventually absorbed into Kingdra's body, and he was engulfed in red light, alerting Gray and Citeria that his attack and speed stats had been boosted.

"Not that again," Gray muttered. "Alright, we can outspeed you with Quick Attack!"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Gray," Drayden retorted smugly as Citeria closed in on his target at an alarming rate. "Kingdra, ascend and use Dragon Dance once more!"

Kingdra grunted once again and shot into the air at the speed of a rocket just as Citeria left the ground and attempted to headbutt him. After whiffing, the Bibarel spun and looked up to see several large orbs twirling around the seahorse-like creature's body.

"Hurry, Citeria! Thunderbolt!" the Kantonian shouted in a hurry.

Citeria matched his trainer's emotions and jumped after Kingdra while yellow static danced around his limbs and tail. He cried as he shot a bolt of electricity at the Dragon-type, but the effects of Dragon Dance proved to be too great.

"Dodge it and fire a Dragon Pulse attack!"

Kingdra disappeared in a flash, causing everyone other than Drayden and Garchomp to gasp, and they all watched as Citeria's Thunderbolt attack struck the roof. The fully-evolved Pokemon immediately reappeared right above his chunky opponent and unleashed a blast of draconic energy, which turned into the shape of a Chinese dragon. It swallowed Citeria whole and crashed into the ground before exploding, throwing the beaver back to Gray's side like a rag doll.

"Can you keep going, buddy?" Gray asked in concern as she watched her Pokemon come to a stop. Citeria hopped back onto his feet - despite being covered in cuts and bruises - and nodded emphatically, which brought a smile to his trainer's face.

"Kingdra, put this to rest by using Giga Impact!"

"We're not backing down! Citeria, meet him head-on with Superpower!" Gray countered.

While Kingdra, who was encapsulated in a ball of purple light with orange streaks spiraling around it, zipped through the air at mach speed, Citeria dropped to all fours and bolted. Each step he took made the red aura shrouding his body turn

"Citeria is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

The brunette quickly zapped her fainted friend back into his Poke Ball and smiled at it, saying, "Thank you so much, Citeria. You did more than I could've asked for."

Ending on that note, she grabbed a second capsule and enlarged it with a stoic expression plastered on her face.

"Come on, Gray! You've got this!" Zoroark shrieked all of a sudden, making the brunette giggle and wave. Turning back to face Drayden, she hurled the second spherical device and shouted, "Celsus, I choose you!"

Her trusty Girafarig emerged and slammed all four of his hooves against the ground, whinnying shortly thereafter. Kingdra sneered at his foe's actions, but Celsus ignored it and swiped at the battlefield. Drayden raised an eyebrow at the selection and turned to Garchomp, whispering something before returning his attention to the looming match.

 _"Whatever strategy you may have, Drayden, we'll overcome it!"_ Gray thought to herself.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Kingdra! Begin!"

"Celsus, Kingdra's speed is enhanced, so let's match 'em!" the brunette shouted, causing Drayden to raise his eyebrows. "Charge and use Agility!"

The Girafarig whinnied in response before lowering his head and charging straight ahead. In the middle of his sprint, Celsus' speed increased exponentially and a ring of blue light spun around him and disappeared. Once Celsus crossed into Drayden's half of the field, the bearded man smiled and shook his head.

"I see what your strategy is, Gray, though it won't do you any good. Kingdra, hold nothing back and use Signal Beam!"

Kingdra nodded and unleashed a burst of light-green energy from his nose.

"Jump out of the way and answer right back with Psybeam!" the young woman shouted immediately after seeing the incoming attack.

Using his increased speed to his advantage, Celsus smirked as he hurdled the super effective attack and reared his head back. Both of his antennae created an orb of multi-colored energy and it turned into a ray after being fired. Kingdra was unable to get away from his four-legged foe, and, as a result, was hit at point-blank range. The force of Celsus' Psybeam attack threw him past Garchomp and Drayden, but he stopped a hair before the wall.

"Heh, that's just as quick as the last one," the Gym Leader muttered with a grin. "Alright, use Rain Dance and Surf!" Drayden shouted once more.

Alain's ears perked up at the command and he, along with the others, watched as Kingdra fired a ball of water into the air. When it exploded, several storm clouds appeared and a powerful downpour ensued. The Kalosian narrowed his eyes as he examined Kingdra's reaction, which was one filled with euphoria.

"So that's what Drayden was planning to do," Alain stated as he tucked both hands into his pockets.

N turned his way and tilted his head, prompting the black-haired trainer to explain.

"Kingdra's ability is Swift Swim. As long as it's raining, his speed will increase, and so will the power of any Water-type attacks."

"Damn. He just put Celsus at a major speed disadvantage again!" Noah shouted with a scowl.

Arcanine nodded in agreement and added, "Gray needs to be careful. Kingdra's attack power's also boosted two stages."

Suddenly, Kingdra descended and slammed his tail against the ground, causing a colossal wave of crystal-blue water to erupt like a geyser. It then crashed and rolled along the battlefield, leaving Celsus stumbling backwards, slack-jawed. His trainer, on the other hand, took a deep breath and opened her eyes with a smirk.

"Go right at it while using Agility, and then jump into Stomp, Celsus!" she boomed, maintaining her smirk.

The Johto Pokemon stomped with his front two hooves before taking off like a bat out of hell. A ring of blue light spun around him as he closed in on the massive body of water, and Celsus' speed shot through the roof about two dozen feet away from Surf. Using that to his advantage, the giraffe cleared his hurdle by about ten feet, and his front hooves began to glow white just before he threw them downwards.

As soon as he struck Kingdra, Celsus descended at a rapid pace and the two crashed against the ground with unmatched force, so much so the entire room shook. Nearly everyone was knocked over by the quake, and once each of them recovered, Gray's friends and their Pokemon stared at the field to see Kingdra pinned down by Celsus' front hooves.

Drayden cursed under his breath at the predicament while Garchomp nodded as he stared at Gray, who paid him no attention.

"Quick, Celsus! Use Zen Headbutt and crush 'em!" she shouted, snapping Drayden out of his trance.

Lacking any time to counterattack, Drayden was only able to watch as Celsus' head began to surge with light-blue energy. Smacking his head against Kingdra's as hard as he could, Celsus let out a slight whimper and stumbled back a bit. He was dazed by the move he had executed, and Kingdra was too.

"Kingdra!" the Dragon-type's trainer yelled in concern. He stepped forward and reached out for a second, only to bring his hand back and look away from the scene. The sound of Gray's voice cracking in the air like a whip caused both Drayden and Garchomp to flinch, but they turned to face the young woman.

"Now wrap this up with Double Kick!"

Celsus hopped off Kingdra for a split second, only to deliver a two kicks at the same time. Kingdra let out a loud scream before suddenly going silent, and the referee sprinted over.

"Kingdra unable to continue! Drayden, choose your next Pokemon!" he declared upon seeing the unconscious Pokemon.

Wasting no time, Drayden withdrew his unconscious ally and hurled another Poke Ball, yelling, "Dragonite, lend me your strength!"

The aforementioned Pokemon appeared in a flash and flapped her wings prior to landing as a means of softening the impact. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Dragonite let out a fearsome roar, generating a whinny from Celsus.

"This battle will be between Celsus and Dragonite! Begin!"

"Dragonite, use Dragon Dance!"

While throwing her arms as far out to her sides as possible, Dragonite roared and several orbs of blue, draconic energy danced around her. They were then absorbed into her body and the winged beast was engulfed in red light, alerting Gray that her attack and speed stats had been boosted, just like with Kingdra and Haxorus.

"Oh yeah? Celsus, use Agility into Zen Headbutt!" Gray retorted, punching her right fist towards the sky.

Stomping with his front hooves, Celsus used the momentum to spring forward. A ring of blue light disappeared inside his body after spinning around him, and his head began to surge with light-blue energy.

"Keep him at a distance by using Hurricane!"

Gray's eyes shot wide open as she watched Dragonite take to the air. Even though she only whipped her wings once, Dragonite created gale-force winds the likes of which Gray had never seen. Celsus was unable to reach his target in time and was flung against the wall behind his trainer, but he hurried to his feet and began to charge once again.

"Way to stay strong, Celsus!" Unicus screamed while jumping up and down. "Knock 'em dead!"

Turning to her Starter for a brief moment, Gray smiled and nodded. If Celsus wasn't giving in, she'd stay right by his side.

"That's right! Fire a Psybeam attack to knock her out of the air!" the brunette roared, eliciting an equally powerful roar from her Pokemon.

Celsus continued to sprint towards Dragonite while his attack charged in-between the antennae at the top of his head. Once he planted his feet, Celsus proceeded to fire a zigzagging beam of multi-colored energy at Dragonite, but Drayden was more than capable of reacting.

"Swoop in and strike with Dragon Rush!"

Following the order perfectly, Dragonite flew a few feet back by spreading her wings farther apart, and then she was engulfed in dark-blue draconic energy, which took the shape of a dragon's body. Speeding downwards like a bomb, Dragonite let out a fearsome roar and prepared to crush her target. Gray had something different in mind, however.

"Slow her down, Celsus! Try Crunch on her wing!"

Celsus dug in and braced for impact while tracking Dragonite's movements as closely as possible. Then it happened. Celsus extended his neck to the right and chomped down as hard as he could, causing Dragonite to scream and land immediately. Despite the Flying-type's thrashing, Celsus held on and stood his ground, drawing a round of applause from Drayden. He suddenly cut it off and hardened his gaze, causing Gray and Unicus to flinch.

"Fight through the pain and end this with Aqua Tail!"

Dragonite snapped out of her fit in an instant and her tail was encapsulated in dark-blue water. She delivered a swift blow to the side of Celsus' head, breaking his grip, and then she slammed her tail directly over him, spiking the Girafarig into the ground. As soon as he was down, the Psychic-type didn't move a muscle, so the referee took initiative.

"Celsus is unable to continue! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" he shouted while pointing at the challenger.

"Damn! Even though Celsus fought really well, he didn't stand much of a chance," Ferus muttered. "Gray's going to have her hands full taking down that thing."

Fortis shook his head quite adamantly, drawing the attention of his friend and Bellator, who leaned closer to the battlefield in angst. While Gray withdrew Celsus, she whispered something to his Poke Ball and reached for another. Instead of throwing it, the young woman kept her eyes locked onto the device and flashed an ear-to-ear smile.

"Furcifer, I choose you!"

Bursting out of her Poke Ball, Furcifer did completed several front-flips before sticking the landing. When she did, she looked up from the ground and locked eyes with Dragonite, who roared in an attempt to intimidate her. It didn't work, as Furcifer spat on the battlefield in response.

"So Furcifer's her choice. That makes a lot of sense," Charizard commented

"This battle will be between Furcifer and Dragonite! Begin!"

"Dragonite, use Dragon Dance and follow it up with Fire Punch!" Drayden instructed, his arms still folded over his chest.

Gray scowled as she watched - for what felt like the millionth time - several blue orbs of energy revolve around her opponent's Pokemon and then disappear inside it. A wave of red light swept over Dragonite's body for a second and disappeared into thin air before she zipped towards Furcifer.

"Get out of the way with Agility!"

Furcifer vanished in a flash, causing her Dragon-type foe to strike the ground with her fist without hesitation. As a result, Dragonite held her aching hand and bit her tongue. Reappearing a few dozen feet behind her foe, Furcifer snickered and motioned for the powerful creature to charge at her, causing Dragonite to stomp and glare daggers.

"Again? Heh, at least she's sticking to her guns," Drayden said to himself while shaking his head. "Pursue Weavile with Dragon Rush!"

Dragonite ascended and, once she was shrouded in blue energy, closed in on the prankster quickly. Unbeknownst to the Gym Leader and his combatting Pokemon, Gray cracked a grin at the same time as Furcifer. The only ones to notice were Fortis, Ferus, and Bellator, yet not one of them said a word about it. Instead, they simply glanced at one another and nodded.

"Furcifer, use Feint Attack!" the third-year trainer barked, hurling her left arm out to her side.

Right before Dragonite could strike, Furcifer was engulfed in darkness and receded from view. For the second time in as many tries, the end result was Dragonite crashing into the floor, but this time, Gray had an immediate counter.

"Now's your chance! Use Icicle Crash!"

Everyone gasped when they saw Furcifer drop from the ceiling with both arms pointed at her target like a drill. She was then shrouded in powder-blue light and began to spin, taking the shape of an enormous icicle. Drayden cursed under his breath along with Garchomp as they both watched their friend get clobbered by the super effective nosedive.

"Hurry and retaliate with Hurricane!" the bearded man commanded.

Dragonite shot off the ground and whipped her wings once, unleashing yet another gale-force wind that launched Furcifer into the ceiling, but all three of Drayden, Dragonite, and Garchomp gasped when, after the mini explosion, they couldn't find her. All of a sudden, she popped up on Gray's half of the field with a smirk.

"Furcifer, use Dark Pulse!" she cried while pointing right at Dragonite.

Doing just as she was told, Furcifer darted towards her target at the speed of light. Drayden's eyes went wide in shock, as did Heros', and they watched as Furcifer suddenly hopped up right in front of Dragonite and fired a spiraling beam of black and purple energy from her hands. The Flying-type was thrown back as a result, but she maintained her footing and skidded back to her trainer's side. Because of that, Drayden hurriedly issued a counterattack while throwing his arm to the ground.

"Spin and use Aqua Tail against the ground!" he barked.

Dragonite executed the command to a T, and a tidal wave was created as a result and it rolled along the field. Furcifer turned and looked at Gray over her shoulder before nodding, prompting her trainer to do the same. With that, Gray took a deep breath and then let her arms fall to her sides limply.

"Jump over the wave and follow that into Feint Attack!"

As soon as Furcifer took off, she was at top speed. A small trail of dust clouds followed her across the area and she suddenly twisted around. Upon doing so, Furcifer executed a series of grounded backflips before finally shooting into the air and clearing the large body of water. The Weavile then reached her apex while shrouded in black aura, and she descended right when tucking her arms into her sides.

"Intercept it with Fire Punch, Dragonite!" Drayden yelled as he threw his open hand towards Furcifer.

The orange Dragon-type obeyed and took off while her fist was ablaze. Locking her eyes onto the Ice-type, Dragonite suddenly hurled her arm, only for Furcifer to disappear. Due to that, Dragonite's punch struck nothing but air, and she was left looking around the room like a fool, just like her trainer.

"What!?" Drayden screamed in shock as Furcifer was nowhere to be found, drawing stifled laughter from both Unicus and Gray.

"Your mistake was thinking I'd use Feint Attack offensively after all this time, Drayden," the brunette stated, causing her opponent to flinch while everyone else stared wide-eyed.

Dragonite continued looking around, her neck snapping from one direction to the next.

"Furcifer, let's finish this right here, right now! Use Icicle Crash!"

Dropping from the ceiling at around a hundred miles-per-hour, Furcifer spun with her arms extended past her head. Due to her ridiculous velocity and the powder-blue light around her, she took on the appearance of a drill-like icicle, but no one had enough time to marvel at it, as she crashed right into the grounded dragon. The force of impact sent Furcifer tumbling back to Gray's side while the same couldn't be said for Dragonite, who was down for the count.

"Dragonite is unable to continue! Drayden, choose your final Pokemon!"

"Way to go, Furcifer!" Noah cheered with Arcanine.

The victorious Pokemon waved to her supporters and scampered over to Gray's side, where she and Unicus high fived. While the two cheered about the win, Gray squatted and placed a hand on Furcifer's head with a bright smile and said, "You clearly haven't been slacking off the past month. That was amazing!"

"Thanks! I'm ready to go another round too!" Furcifer exclaimed. Suddenly, Drayden's voice rang in Gray's ears, preventing her from responding to her Pokemon.

"Garchomp, lend me your strength!"

A deafening roar followed and Gray's neck snapped towards the sound. Marching his way onto the battlefield was Drayden's ace, and he let out another battlecry while banging on his chest. Clearly, Garchomp was revved up for the battle, which made Furcifer jump up and down while swinging her arms.

"Oh man, this is gonna be fun!" she yelled, only for Unicus to tap her on the shoulder. Upon turning, the Ice-type watched her best friend shake her head while Gray stood up and ripped a different Poke Ball off her belt.

After remaining silent for a few seconds, she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, then saying, "Sorry, Furcifer, but this is someone else's battle."

Drayden heard the comment, as did Garchomp, and the shark-like Pokemon began to grin in anticipation. His trainer, meanwhile, hid a smile underneath his beard while tapping his fingers against his forearms. Gray noticed that and lifted her arm so that the spherical device in-hand was pointed directly at the two, causing them to freeze.

Her friends on the sidelines sat on the edge their seats and leaned forwards, as did Ferus and Fortis. Bellator, meanwhile, lowered his head and smiled.

Unicus and Furcifer locked their sights onto the device and refrained from moving even an inch. There was something about the way Gray was standing - she was stiff, yet her attitude wasn't - that had caught everyone's attention. It didn't seem as if she noticed the stares, however, and she began to speak.

"Potens, I choose you!"

Gray launched the Poke Ball and it exploded a mere second later, revealing the aforementioned Noivern. Instead of bracing her fall, Potens slammed both feet against the ground and snapped her neck back while screeching. The only ones to not cover their ears were Gray, Garchomp, and Drayden, each of whom were chomping at the bit to battle.

"So we finally get to have our battle," Garchomp began once his foe's shrieking ceased. "I've been looking forward to this for a while now."

Drayden nodded in support of friend's claim and added, "Enough talking though. We'll let our battling speak for us."

Both Gray and Potens grunted, agreeing with the terms, and the referee raised both arms while Unicus and Furcifer sprinted off to the sidelines.

"But first!" Drayden snapped, preventing the official from starting the match. "We're starting at full throttle," he continued while reaching for his emerald bolo tie. Gray's eyes went wide as she watched Drayden tap the stone in the middle of it, which began to emit orange rays of light.

Garchomp sneered while the necklace he was wearing was struck by the lights, but then he was swallowed by a pink egg of energy.

"Garchomp, let our bond unlock your true power! Mega Evolve!" Drayden roared.

The egg erupted as soon as Drayden finished speaking, and Potens snarled at the sight. Garchomp's face had become much more angular while several white spikes ran along the sides of his chest and down his thighs. The most noticeable change was that his arms had turned into a pair of terrifying blades that were as red as blood.

He let out another roar and sneered at Potens, but the wyvern remained unfazed and continued snarling. Deep within her, Zennyo had risen from his slumber and began to scowl. He could tell where he was and, thanks to being able to see through Potens' perspective, understood the situation. There was nothing he wanted to do more than destroy Drayden and Garchomp, and that's just what he'd do.

"This battle will be between Potens and Garchomp! Begin!"

"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!"

"Potens, meet him head-on with Acrobatics!" Gray retorted quickly, throwing her right hand forwards.

While her Mega Evolved opponent was engulfed in cobalt energy, which took the shape of a dragon, Potens shot into the air and began shifting direction on the drop of a dime, all while coated in teal light. Both she and Garchomp took off at the same time and collided head-first in the center of the field, causing an epic wave of force to bowl the trainers over. Shortly thereafter, Gray began rising to her feet, only to watch Garchomp overpower Potens and ram her into the ground. Debris flew as a result, and the brunette cursed under her breath when she saw her Pokemon's wings pinned by Garchomp's feet.

Drayden examined the situation and gave a nod of approval while Gray racked her brain and pulled at her hair.

"Perfect! Use Stone Edge on Potens' wings while you have her down!" the Gym Leader instructed.

Garchomp wasted no time obeying the command and slammed his fists against the floor, causing chinks of the battlefield to come apart. Then, throwing his arms forwards, Garchomp made the sharp stones pelt Potens' wings to the point they began to bleed, drawing a wild scream from the Flying-type as she thrashed. Her efforts to break free went in vain though, as the assault had done its damage and Garchomp refused to get off. Suddenly, a light went off in Gray's mind and she spat out the idea.

"I know you can keep going, so use Super Fang on his leg to break free!"

Potens snapped out of her bucking state and threw all of her weight upwards, lifting Garchomp off her. She then dove forwards with huge fangs of white light extending from her mouth, and they impaled the Ground-type's right leg. Drayden cursed under his breath just like Gray had, but he kept his cool and countered.

"Don't relent, Garchomp! Use Double Team to keep her down and end this with Dragon Rush!"

Garchomp dashed forwards with several clones by his sides before Gray or Potens could even react, and the four clones tackled Potens to the ground, pinning her once again. The real Garchomp, meanwhile, rocketed into the air and let out a deafening roar while he was engulfed in cobalt light. It rapidly transformed into the shape of a dragon and he descended at mach speed. Gray blinked once and, when she opened her eyes, was greeted to a battlefield covered in smoke.

"Potens!" the brunette screamed without a thought.

She was unable to run out onto the battlefield, however, as that would've disqualified Potens, so Gray was forced to wait in her trainer box, tugging at her hair anxiously. Upon seeing Potens, she stopped and covered her mouth. The wyvern was laying face-down on the ground, covered in wounds, and she didn't move a muscle.

Drayden shook his head at the sight while Garchomp sneered and began to stab at the ground with his bladed arms. His eyes were locked onto Potens the entire time, and finally, he spoke.

"What was that about showing us how we were wrong?" the Mega Evolved Pokemon taunted, shaking his head with a smug grin. "Come on! I thought you were going to show us what being friends with a Type-Beast can really do!"

 _"What an asshole!"_ Bellator thought to himself as he prepared to jump in and pummel Garchomp. The Water-type stopped himself before he could go through with the idiotic plan, but he fiddled with his seamitars.

Meanwhile, deep within Potens, Zennyo began to crack his knuckles. There wasn't a chance in hell someone was going to talk Potens that badly and get away with it. No, not on his watch.

"Come on, Potens! Show me Zennyo's power already!" Garchomp taunted. "There's no way you can win without it!"

That was the last straw.

 _"Potens!"_ Zennyo howled, snapping his carrier's eyes wide open. _"I've had enough of this. We're ending the battle right here, right now!"_

 _"Right!"_

Slowly, Potens rose to her feet and lifted her gaze. Right when she locked eyes with Garchomp, the Noivern cracked a grin and a ring of purple light spun around her. Both Drayden and his final Pokemon recoiled at the sight and exchanged glances while Gray's supporters began to cheer, save for Heros and Blaziken.

The Kalosian duo immediately began whispering to one another, which caught Bellator's attention, though he refrained from saying anything.

As the aura continued forming around Potens, Gray stared along with her friends, and each of their jaws hit the ground. Turning to face her trainer, Potens' purple eyes locked onto the brunette and looked over her for a second, allowing Gray to see that the aura had taken the shape of a Chinese dragon - or Zennyo - at least in the face. Then, once the aura stopped climbing up the Noivern's body, her pupils returned, as did the whites of her eyes. However, the color remained purple, and she shot a fearsome look at Bellator.

With that, Potens' jaws unhinged like those of a snake and she began to roar so powerfully, a gale force wind was created, making it difficult for Garchomp to remain at such a close proximity.

"This battle's officially over for you two!" Potens decreed, stomping for emphasis. "Gray, let's finish them!"

And with that, the battle resumed like normal for the Kantonian and her powerhouse.

"This is where the tide turns, Drayden!" Gray proclaimed, which was echoed by Potens roaring. The shade of the purple aura dancing around Potens' body deepened with every passing second, and it only grew larger. "Use Dragon Pulse!"

Drayden snapped out of his trance at the sound of his challenger's voice, and he gasped when Potens disappeared from sight. Then, out of thin air, she reappeared behind Garchomp and reared her head back while a massive body of draconic energy escaped her mouth.

"Get out of the way with Double Team, and then use Stone Edge!" the Gym Leader demanded.

Garchomp stabbed his bladed arms into the ground and created a dozen clones of himself while hundreds of rocks shot out of the battlefield and closed in on Potens. Gray's reactions, however, proved great enough to keep her Pokemon from being hit by the super effective attack.

"Ascend and boost your speed with Agility!"

Potens flapped her wings as hard as she could, allowing her to shoot straight into the air while also pushing all of the sharp stones back into the battlefield. Upon reaching her apex, the Dragon-type screeched and had a ring of blue light spin around her body.

"We can do the same! Charge and use Dragon Dance into Slash!"

The Ground-type boomed in response while blue orbs of draconic energy spun around him. He then jumped after his winged opponent while both arms surged with white energy. As Garchomp closed in on Potens, Gray hurled her right fist forwards.

"Give 'em a full-power Flamethrower, and then use Air Slash!"

Potens threw her head forwards while releasing a blast of purple flames, which swallowed Garchomp whole and dragged him to the ground. Right after that, Potens pursued and swung her wings at her foe, sending a massive blade of air at him, which exploded on contact. The Noivern continued flying around, screeching, even after her attack struck, and Drayden was left standing still, clenching his hands, at least until Garchomp rose to his feet.

"Garchomp, let's end it right now! Draco Meteor!"

The bladed Pokemon grunted in response before looking up at the ceiling and opening his mouth. Garchomp's stomach began to burn bright orange, and a ball of draconic energy flew out of his mouth and right towards Potens, though she remained unfazed just like Gray.

"Send it right back at them, Potens!" the brunette commanded with a grin.

Roaring once again, Potens descended like a missile and began to spin like a wheel, slamming her tail over the Draco Meteor attack, and thus sending it right back down at Garchomp. The Ground-type's eyes went wide, as did those of his trainer and everyone else that wasn't Gray or Potens. In less than a nanosecond, the attack obliterated Garchomp and lofted him up to Potens.

"What!? That's not possible!" Drayden hollered in disbelief, only for Gray to snap her fingers and silence him.

"Let's finally wrap this up!" she screamed. "Use Acrobatics and bring him back to the ground!"

Potens bellowed for one final time as she flew around, changing her direction at the drop of a hat. Once she was enveloped in teal light, she descended and clotheslined Garchomp before crashing into the ground with him stuck on her wing. A massive cloud of dust shot into the air, forcing everyone in the room to shield their eyes, save for Fortis.

Seconds - which felt more like hours, depending on who you asked - passed before anyone was able to see the result of the attack, and when Gray finally uncovered her eyes, she gasped. Standing about three feet away from her was Potens, while Garchomp was face-down on the ground, having already reverted back to his normal appearance.

The referee spotted the downed Pokemon and immediately raised his arms while rushing onto the battlefield.

"Garchomp is unable to continue! That means Gray, Potens, Furcifer, Celsus, and Citeria are the winners!"

"We did it!" Gray exclaimed, along with Unicus and Furcifer, as they rushed onto the battlefield and embraced Potens, whose transformation ceased instantly. "We really did it!"

The quartet jumped up and down, reiterating the same four words over and over again, causing Bellator to crack a smile and make his way over. Drayden watched the celebration from his trainer box along with Garchomp, and the man laughed while shaking his head.

"Celsus, Dicax, Citeria, come on out!"

Three bursts of light flashed in the air and the aforementioned trio of Pokemon appeared in front of Gray. They stood alongside Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, and Potens, and Gray took a moment to look at each of them. After nearly a year, they had overcome so much, and were sure to reach their dream of winning the Unova League.

"So we won?" Dicax questioned, drawing laughter from his six teammates and their trainer.

"That's right," Drayden answered as he walked over to the group of eight, prompting them to all turn towards him. "And in quite impressive fashion, might I add. And for your win," he said, taking a breath. "You have earned the Legend Badge, as well as a spot in the Unova League. Congratulations!"

Drayden handed over a piece of metal, which was black and white and in the shape of a dragon wing. Gray accepted the badge and placed it in her badge case.

"Thank you so much, Drayden," Gray told the Gym Leader, who bowed in response. "That was a great battle."

Garchomp nodded in agreement, drawing Potens' gaze. The two glared at one another for ten seconds or so until Garchomp extended a hand.

"Sorry about all of that."

Potens simply nodded while Zennyo stirred with a scowl.

"I wish you all the best of luck in the Unova League. We'll be cheering you on." Drayden extended a hand and smiled. Gray shook the Gym Leader's hand and bowed slightly before making her way out of the Gym with her Pokemon and friends in tow.

She was now in the Unova League, and nothing could stop her from reaching the top.

* * *

 **Well, crappy ending, but I wanted to save the whole rah rah speech-thing for the following chapter. Anyhow, Gray defeated Drayden (in a battle that didn't go down to the final Pokemon on both sides), and she's now in the Unova League! YEAH! Next chapter will be the introduction/ceremony, so get hyped, people! Also, there has been a change made to the arc preview, so yeah. Till next time, peace out.**

 **1\. Thoughts on the battle? What about how strong Furcifer's become?  
2\. Unova League hype? How far do you think Gray will go?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "The Unova League Begins!"**_

 ** _The time has finally come for the Unova League to get underway! Going through the usual opening-night ceremony, Gray runs into each of her rivals and hears of a trainer with unfathomable strength! How will things shake up this time around? Can Gray finally win and become the Champion of Unova?_**

* * *

 **Unova League Arc**

 **Chapter 97: Separating from the Pack**  
 **Chapter 98: Mega Battle 12: Charizard vs Medicham!  
Chapter 99: ****Triumph Comes in Threes**  
 **Chapter 100:** **Greninja vs Emboar: Win for White!**  
 **Chapter 101: Synchro Showdown! Bellator vs Greninja!  
Chapter 102: ?  
** **Chapter 103: ?  
** **Chapter 104: ?  
** **Chapter 105: ?  
** **Chapter 106: ?  
** **Chapter 107: ?  
** **Chapter 108: ?**


	96. The Unova League Begins!

**Theme Song**

 **All the storm clouds are drawing near (The group looks out at the Unova League stadium at night** **)** **  
A loss would sting, you'd shed a tear (Flashbacks of Fortis falling in front of Garchomp and Ferus being knocked out play with a silhouette of Gray)  
Everything may seem lost but do not mope (Gray walks out of the silhouette, and she goes from looking at her Kanto and Johto teams to the Unova group)  
Because suddenly there is hooope (Profiles of ****Unicus, Bellator, Furcifer, Potens, Celsus, Dicax, and Citeria appear next to each other** **)  
** **Let's go! Powerful foes have become the norm! (Six Pokemon in shadows stand in front of a man in a trench coat, and he reaches out for Gray)  
** **Let's go! Together we'll weather the storm! (** **Gray and Noah stand in-between Alain and N, respectively** **)  
** **Let's go! Ev-ery-bo-dy stand tall (Fortis, Ferus, Bellator, Potens, and two other Pokemon stand in front of Gray** **)  
** **And we can put an end to the brawl... (** **The screen splits and shows Zennyo on one half, and Umbra and Virtus on the other** **)  
** **Now, I know that we are strong and we can beat them all! (** **Bianca and Serperior, Cheren and Emboar, Hugh and Greninja, and Heros and Blaziken appear one after another** **)  
** **Then, the world will be at peace when they all fall... (Gray and Owen stand at opposite ends of a battlefield)  
** **Pokemon!**

* * *

 **Heyo, people! Sorry for the delay, but a combination of apathy and life kept me from doing much until a few days ago. Anyhow, it's time for the start of the Unova League, and boy is there an awesome battle (or a few) that I'm really looking forward to. So yeah, this is going to be hype. This chapter will be the usual introduction and meeting rivals, and that's about it. Yeah. Now let's get going!**

 **Warrior of Hope:** _I didn't; lucky guess xD It was definitely her final Gym Battle ever, which is crazy to think about, but maybe I might do an epilogue series of sorts (probably not, but you never know, lol). Furcifer's battle was my favorite too, although I think there are... four or five matches at the League that will blow that out of the water. She'll be involved in one of them too! Yeah!_

 **The Phantom Starfish:** _It is, isn't it? And thanks! I tried really hard to make the battle as awesome as I could, so it's good to know you liked it! I was actually thinking of having that happen, but now I won't because you just called it xDD (that's not a joke, haha) By the way, that was a damn fine pun you had, sir. One of the best I've seen, lol_

 **ShadowDragon9000:** _Gracias. The abrupt end put a bit of a damper on things, but I liked how everything worked as a whole. And the last two Gym Battles were my favorites of the story, without a doubt. Here's hoping for epic League Battles! Unova League hype!_

 **Delta Edge:** _Indeed it is. Thanks! It's great she took him down a peg, and deflecting Draco Meteor just shows how powerful she really is. Bold prediction with Gray becoming the Unova Champ_

 **Rales Mckoy:** _Yes! Super hype! I'd say this is Gray's strongest team, and it's not even close, so high hopes are just what I was expecting for this bunch. Hopefully they can make good on their skill_

 **Gray's Team**

 **Unicus, (f), level 46, Crush Claw, Magnitude, Swift, Swords Dance, Gyro Ball*, Dig* - (Sandslash)  
Bellator, (m), level 53, ****Razor Shell, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Air Slash, Megahorn*, Aqua Jet* - (Samurott)  
** **Furcifer, (f), level 52,** **Dark Pulse, Icicle Crash** **, Feint Attack, Low Sweep, Metal Claw*, Agility* - (Weavile)** **  
Potens, (f), level 53, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Super Fang, Acrobatics, Agility*, Air Slash* - (Noivern)  
Celsus, (m), level 46, Double Kick, Crunch, Stomp, Psybeam, Agility*, Dazzling Gleam* - (Girafarig)  
Dicax, (m), level 48, Fairy Wind, Bite, Vice Grip, Feint Attack, Iron Defense*, Flash Cannon* - (Mawile)  
Citeria, (m), level 49, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Surf, Super Fang, Superpower*, Scald* - (Bibarel)**

* * *

Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Castelia City, most of whom had packets filled with information regarding several dozen trainers. Bookies littered the crowd, each coming up with different betting odds on which trainer would come out on top.

A particular quintet of trainers roaming about kept their eyes peeled, as all of them analyzed the banners hanging from light posts and the roofs of buildings.

"Who would've thought Castelia City was the site of the Unova League?" Alain asked aloud. "It's like Unova's trying to copy the Kalos region."

Noah turned and raised an eyebrow, prompting further explanation.

"You see, ever since the new Champion took over, the Kalos League has taken place in Lumiose City."

Gray raised an eyebrow but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a large blue banner with white text on it, which read 'Unova League Registration Next Right'.

Both Heros and Gray stared at the sign their whole way down the street, the former being cooler about it than his female counterpart. While the blonde kept both hands in his pockets and remained silent, Gray began to bite her lip and squeal. N and Alain chuckled at the reaction while Noah smiled and watched her speed off.

"She sure is excited for the Unova League," N said. "Aren't you, Heros?"

The Kalosian shrugged with an emotionless expression, and he continued walking alongside his friends in silence.

"It's cool to be here, but I'm trying to keep realistic expectations," he muttered. "I'm sure this is going to be awesome, though."

His friends nodded in response and they continued their pursuit of Gray by turning the corner at the banner. Upon doing so, the young men were greeted by about a dozen police officers and their Arcanine and Pyroar. All of them stared and stepped in front of the quartet, causing Noah to tremble while the others kept their cool.

"Sorry, guys, but this block and the next three over are closed off to anyone that isn't a Unova League participant," one of the officers - a woman that was maybe in her early thirties - stated as she stuck a hand out.

Heros quickly pulled out his badge case and flashed it at the woman, whose eyes went wide. He then put it away and walked by the security until he noticed no one was following him. Turning, Heros motioned for Alain, N, and Noah to follow, and they all did. Once the group was clear of the police, they began to laugh and look around at the massive buildings to their left and right.

Banners hanging from the roofs of both buildings were overhead and the streets were littered with trainers and their Pokemon, as well as the people that traveled with them. Signs were drilled into lamp posts, and they gave directions to the most sought-out locations - those being the registration center, the living quarters, and the stadium.

"The registration center's just down the block," Heros muttered after glancing at the sign. "And as soon as I finish that, we can get some food. Is that okay with you guys?"

The three other trainers nodded and they followed Heros all the way around the corner, and once they turned, each of them stopped for a brief second. Towering in the distance was what looked to be the stadium's canopy, as well as several screens showing highlights of the previous year's Unova League. People in the city square - which was where the group was standing - continued pushing their way through to the registration center.

After a moment or so, Heros tucked his hands back into his pockets, and soon found himself being accompanied by the others. They walked in silence and made their way through the crowd of people that rushed into the building in hopes of getting autographs from competitors.

Upon entering the building, they were immediately swept up in a wave of fans, but each of them managed to escape, and they stood off to the side of the room.

"What's wrong with these people?" Alain shouted over the screams of the crowd rushing into the building. "I don't get it. Why are they even allowed in here when competitors are signing up?"

"Guys, the sign-ups are on the next floor," a familiar voice said.

Each of the four males turned to see Gray standing next to Unicus with a smile before the shrew added, "Come on! Everyone's still taking pictures."

Gray turned and pointed at a staircase that the others had somehow missed, and they headed up to the second floor in a hurry. Unicus spearheaded the charge and scampered up the stairs with Gray right behind, and upon opening the doors, they were greeted to the sight of several dozen trainers. None of them turned around, as all were too busy signing up for the League.

"So did you sign up already, Gray?" N asked, drawing a nod from the brunette.

"That's right. Once the team's done taking pictures to show on the scoreboard, we're good to go." She then turned on her heels and began walking towards her fellow competitors, slithering by them like a snake, before making another right and heading down a different hallway.

She collided with another trainer almost immediately and fell back, but Heros was quick to catch her. Noah's face burned bright red as he watched Gray turn and thank the blonde before shifting her gaze back to the person she had crashed into.

"I'm so sorry about that. Here, let met help-"

"Gray!"

The aforementioned trainer's eyes fell on a blonde wearing a green beret, and she had an ear-to-ear smile plastered on her face. Gray's smiled in response and was embraced by the blonde, drawing a look of confusion from Heros while the three other males stepped forward to greet her.

"Long time no see, Bianca," Noah said, making the younger girl let go of Gray and run towards him. "How's the uh, how are your Pokemon doing?"

"They're great! We've been training really hard to win it all here!" she exclaimed, drawing light-hearted laughter from N and Gray. "What about you, Gray? You _have_ to tell me!" the Unovan shrieked as she grabbed the collar of Gray's hoodie.

"Bianca, would you just let go of her? You really need to stop doing that to people," a strict voice snapped, causing the blonde to spin around with an even bigger smile than before.

Everyone watched as an androgynous-looking trainer waltzed down the hallway with an Emboar by their side. The person adjusted their glasses with their left index finger and glanced at the crowd forming, but his gaze was drawn to one trainer in particular.

"Oh, well if it isn't Gray. I see you got eight badges."

The brunette's smile faded and she stared at the black-haired person standing beside Bianca, and their Emboar locked eyes with Unicus. Both Pokemon gave slight nods to each other while their trainers continued the unannounced staring contest.

"So, Cheren, when'd you get here?" Gray questioned drawing a shrug from the oddly dressed teen. He looked over his shoulder and down the hall, where a sign for photographs was stationed. The rest of Gray's team walked out from the room next to the sign, and each member rushed to their trainer's side.

"Earlier this morning. I'm checked into my room and everything, so the only reason I'm here right now is because-"

"White!"

Everyone's necks snapped towards the desperate-sounding voice and they were greeted to the familiar site of a blue-haired boy chasing after a brunette. Said brunette had plowed through the crowd of trainers on her way to the registration desk, leaving the boy to do the apologizing for her.

"No time to waste, Hugh! You have to sign up right now!" White snapped as she turned her neck back, only to slam into Gray and barrel her over. A tangle of limbs flopped around on the floor, prompting Bianca to rush over and help her friends to their feet. After doing so, the blonde grabbed White by the shoulders, startling her.

Less than a second passed before Bianca exploded with excitement, screaming, "I can't believe you're here too, White! It's been such a long time!" She then squeezed her lifelong friend in a bone-crushing hug that left White gasping for air. Cheren, meanwhile, waddled over with his hands in his skinny-jean pockets.

"Does he realize that outfit makes him look like a girl?" Heros whispered to Gray, drawing a hush giggle from her, as well as a glare from Noah. The sound of laughter caused Cheren and Bianca to turn slightly. Both sets of eyes were fixated on Heros, who shifted from one foot to the other while extending a hand, only to retract it and give a short, sharp wave.

Noah snickered at the greeting while drawing a pair of sighs from Alain and N.

"Hi there! My name's Bianca, and this is Cheren!" the blonde shrieked as she rushed over and shook Heros' hand even as he sweat-dropped. "I don't think I've ever seen you around before, have I? Definitely not with this group, that's for sure. So anyways-"

"Who are you?" Cheren asked, cutting Bianca off and shifting all of the previous attention away from White.

Heros cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair before introducing himself. Once he did so, the blonde bowed and waited for the pair of Unovans to say something, but they didn't. Instead, it was White, who clapped and drew Heros' gaze, as well as everyone else's.

"Yeah, he's from the Kalos region," Gray added, drawing a nod from the blonde by her side. "Anyways..." She paused and looked towards White. "Where's Hugh, White?"

Within a nanosecond, the aforementioned male stepped out from the crowd of trainers that had lined up to register for the League competition, as did his trusty Greninja. A smile was plastered on his face while the Water-type beside him kept his arms folded and paid no attention to the unfamiliar trainers at his back.

"Wow! Everyone's all gathered together!" Hugh exclaimed before laughing, stopping by White's side as he did so. "It's good to see you all again."

Bianca, Heros, and Gray nodded while Cheren growled inaudibly at the sight of Hugh. Emboar also stared Greninja down, though he stopped as soon as the ninja frog noticed. Upon looking the boar's way, Greninja spotted Bellator. The two stared in silence for a few seconds before nodding at one another, though no one seemed to notice.

The conversing continued for about half an hour or so before the massive group of trainers headed out of the registration building and arrived at the living quarters in no time at all. They turned at the corner and walked down the street for about a minute or so and stood in front of the gigantic building holding all of the trainers.

"So this is the place," White said to herself with wide eyes looking up and down the building. "It's pretty amazing, don't you think so, guys?" she asked, glancing amongst the competitors.

Each of them nodded in silence with their jaws hanging.

"Well, what're we doing just standing here and staring?" Hugh inquired rhetorically. "Come on! Let's go check out what our rooms are like!" He bolted into the gigantic building, as did Bianca and White, but everyone else kept to a walking pace. The automatic doors slid open once they activated the motion-sensor, and the group collectively gasped at the lobby.

A large water fountain carved out of stone, which had two Gyarados twisting around one another while releasing water from their mouths, was front and center while a receptionist stood behind a desk a few yards in front of that.

"Welcome to Unova League Village!" she exclaimed as soon as the trainers entered. "Are you all here for your rooming assignments?"

Gray, Heros, Hugh, Cheren, and Bianca nodded before being waved over to the desk, where they received keycards to their respective rooms, which were all on the same floor, that being the top one.

"There's an elevator just beyond the fountain and to the left. Best of luck to you all!"

The quintet bowed and followed the receptionist's instructions to the elevator. Upon arriving at the pair of doors, Gray let out an inaudible sigh and looked up towards the glass roof. All of the doors were visible from the ground floor, but they were pretty far apart from one another.

"Gray?" The aforementioned trainer snapped out of her daze and turned to see Heros boarding the elevator, along with Alain, Noah, and N while her rivals were in the other. "Are you coming?"

She nodded and made her way into the contraption, and the doors slammed closed. N proceeded to press the button for their floor, causing the elevator to ascend at the speed of light. The doors then shot open, prompting the group to hurry out and make their way around the square floor.

"Well, looks like my room's right here," Heros announced, pointing at the first door he saw. "I'm going to stay in tonight, if you all don't mind. My Pokemon and I need to go over some strategies."

Gray and the others nodded before watching Heros open the door and step inside, and he waved to the group. With that, the Kalosian disappeared while his friends continued onwards to their room. Silently forming a single file line outside of their door after swinging around the corner, Gray swiped her keycard and opened the handle of the blue door. She flicked the lights on once she set foot in the room, and upon being illuminated, the layout of the area was revealed.

Everyone's eyes went wide as they scanned their living quarters

Wood floors accentuated the furniture and led the group into the main living area, which had several black, leather chairs placed around a huge flatscreen TV hanging from a glass panel. Noah rushed over to a glass door, which blended in so well with the windows it was nearly invisible. Before he could open the door, the Kantonian looked to his left and saw a hallway with three doors on both sides of the walls, and he bolted towards them while releasing his four Pokemon.

"I can't believe the Unova League is renting this hotel out for every trainer," Alain said aloud as he let Charizard out of his Poke Ball.

N did the same with Zoroark and allowed the Dark-type to run around the living room until she turned to the right and noticed another hallway, which was identical to the one Noah was investigating. Just before the archway was a kitchen loaded with food and drinks, as well as top-of-the-line cooking supplies and appliances.

Gray, who was standing in the middle of the room, twirled around in a circle at a snail's pace, all the while beaming. If there was one thing she looked forward to before every League competition, it was the living space. Both the Indigo League and Silver Conference provided top-notch service, yet somehow the Unova League had shattered expectations.

"It looks like this hallway is where the bedrooms are, guys!" Arcanine shouted to the others, each of whom nodded quickly before returning to their previous activities until Gray reached for the TV remote laying on the couch. She turned and clicked the power button, making the screen flash and display the infamous PBN - or Pokemon Battle Network - station.

A ticker at the bottom of the screen rolled along, relaying messages about each of the competitors and their accomplishments, as well as the previous competitions they had competed in and how many years they had been training.

"Guys, I'm going to be outside with everyone for a little while," the brunette said to her friends, each of whom nodded while rushing into the living room to watch TV.

Gray, meanwhile, strolled over to the glass door Noah had discovered, and she opened it. After stepping outside onto the balcony, the eighteen year old closed it and began to walk towards the edge which overlooked Castelia City's bustling streets. Music and cheering fluttered up to her ears and drew short laughter from Gray until she reached for her belt.

"Come on out, everyone!" she shouted, hurling all nine Poke Balls into the air.

The devices opened and each of Gray's Pokemon materialized one after another until they were all present. With each standing side-by-side, the Pokemon looked down the line they had formed and each one of them smiled. Ferus and Fortis, who were on the very end of the line, broke off and stood on either side of Gray.

"This is it, guys," Gray began, causing each of the Pokemon to shift their gaze towards the sound of her voice. "The first round of the Unova League starts tomorrow, and all of our hard work is going to be put to the test." Scanning each of her Pokemon, starting with Unicus and ending with Citeria, Gray smiled and took a deep breath.

Both of her more experienced friends remained composed while turning towards the street and looking down to see everyone celebrating the League's arrival. They had been at this stage before, but this was unlike either competition the two competed in.

"There isn't a single person here that we can sleep on; there won't be an easy battle at any point. That means we have to lay everything out on the line, okay? We aren't guaranteed a victory in any round, so treat each one like it's your last."

The seven Pokemon standing before Gray grunted in response while nodding, and silence fell over the balcony as the brunette and her team looked up to the sky. Even though the sun was beginning to set, there dreams certainly weren't. Suddenly, Gray looked back down and gave a wide grin.

"With that being said, I know we're going all the way!"

"Yeah!" her team responded emphatically while each member hoisted an arm into the air.

Nothing was going to stop them from reaching the top... or at least that's what they thought.

* * *

 **I know not much happened this chapter (aside from very basic interaction with rivals and a shortened version of the usual pre-League speech) and it had a very awkward/abrupt ending, but the action's going to pick up right away starting next chapter, which will be the opening round of the Unova League. However, the attention will shift between several battles instead of focusing on just Gray's, something that I'm looking forward to. Till next time, peace out.**

 **1\. Totally don't remember if I asked, so what are your predictions for the League? How far will Gray go? Who will be the MVP? Which rival (if any) will beat Gray?**

* * *

 _ **Next Chapter: "Separating from the Pack"**_

 ** _The first round of the Unova League gets off to an explosive start with stellar performances from a select few trainers who cement themselves as the cream of the crop. Will Gray be able to follow in their footsteps and assert herself as a true competitor?_**

* * *

 **Unova League Arc**

 **Chapter 98: Mega Battle 12: Charizard vs Medicham!  
Chapter 99: ****Triumph Comes in Threes**  
 **Chapter 100:** **Greninja vs Emboar: Win for White!**  
 **Chapter 101: Synchro Showdown! Bellator vs Greninja!  
Chapter 102: ?  
** **Chapter 103: ?  
** **Chapter 104: ?  
** **Chapter 105: ?  
** **Chapter 106: ?  
** **Chapter 107: ?  
** **Chapter 108: ?**


	97. Hiatus

Hey, all. Judging by the title, it should be obvious what this note is about. I'm writing this all in one go, so if there are any redundancies and various other whatnots, there's the reason. With that being said, here it goes.

The frequency with which I update has slowed down dramatically, and I'm sure at least one of you has made note of that. I know I have, and it's not for a lack of effort on my part. The real world has gotten in my way, and of course I couldn't keep up a ridiculous schedule, but I digress. Every time I try writing a new chapter for this story, a combination of self-reflecting and regret intervenes and I'm left staring at a shell of what could've been, so I'll list what goes through my mind.

1\. The characters - My expectations for this story were absurdly high, and - maybe - that's my fault. After the disastrous handling of Purity, I wanted to make something better, something that really left a mark. Flare... Flare's terrible. I looked over the story, and the beginning was pretty promising, but it's just gone to utter shit. Lysandre was hyped beginning in Johto, and he's fallen flat on his face, and Alain's even worse. I've completely destroyed his character.  
Then there are N and Noah. They're both useless, really. Noah's role was set up to fail from the start, as he was a terrible adaptation of Serena in the anime. N's whole thing about getting Gray to help him fight Plasma was so flawed, I cringe reading over this story. Then there's the fact that both Bianca and Cheren are, quite obviously, jokes compared to Hugh. Neither of them are even competitive with Gray, and Bianca only won through plot armor.

2\. The Pacing - This story is a cluster-fuck of battles. There's very little development outside of it, and I wouldn't have noticed that if someone didn't point this out (in a much nicer manner, obviously).

3\. Bellator and Potens - They have single-handedly destroyed this story, and I hate myself for allowing that to happen. In all honesty, how the hell would Gray not win the Unova League with Synchro, which wouldn't be a huge deal if Bellator wasn't invincible, and a GOD? The latter is attributed to the cancelled Kalos story with Rei, where I planned on having a Type-Beast Arc, but that didn't pan out, and I was left with Potens being stronger than literally every other Pokemon in the universe. One term can describe what I transformed Gray into as a result of these two: A sue.

So I'm done with this story. As much as it pains me to say - and it really does, considering it's the longest one I've written, and it's not even close - I have to put this thing out of its misery. It won't be deleted, no, not a chance, because I'd like to look at where I went wrong and keep it as a memento of sorts.

Thank you all for sticking around and reading this story, and for those that would like to know how things were supposed to end, feel free to PM me and I'll tell you. As for what I plan on doing now that this is dead, I'll be working on Hoenn, which I'm confident will be far less flawed than this story.


End file.
